Have you ever heard of this?

maelstrom143 · Nov 28, 2011

Maybe to do w/blood flow or stress to the muscle areas in the neck and associated areas? I usually get migraines when the lights are going bad on the unit.

AgentBeast, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2011

It's likely a tension headache and not a migraine. Tension headaches are due to muscle tension either in the neck or scalp area and are the most common type of headache. It is possible for the weight of a stethoscope around the neck to cause tension headaches. Migraine headaches are due to abnormal brain activity and disturbances in blood flow to the brain. Not likely for a stethoscope to cause this at all.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Nov 28, 2011

Yes, I have that problem. I'm OK for a couple hours, but headache, neck ache, nausea come on after a couple hours. That's a good way to lose track of your stethoscope too, cause anywhere else I've put it, it snags in lines and linen.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2011

This used to happen to me so I would string my stethoscope across my abdomen in my front pockets.

PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2011

I would get hot and sweaty if I had my steth around my neck. (I know, I'm crazy), but that is one reason why I buy cherokee work scrubs. My steth goes in my leg pocket. Their scrubs have soooo many nice little pockets everywhere! I loose stuff all the time!! LOL

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2011

What rubbish!

A stethoscope would definitely not be heavy enough to cause headaches/migraines.

It's probably from people tightening their neck and trapezius muscles from stress, turning people, bending down etc, and the resulting tight muscles trap the nerves and get sore.

Is this an old wive's tale?

kids · Nov 28, 2011

Add me to the list of people who gets a headache if I wear my steth around my neck, removing it usually resolves it within a few minutes. I also get a headache if a lead apron shifts and exerts even a small amount of pressure on the back of my neck.

What rubbish!
A stethoscope would definitely not be heavy enough to cause headaches/migraines.
It's probably from people tightening their neck and trapezius muscles from stress, turning people, bending down etc, and the resulting tight muscles trap the nerves and get sore.
Is this an old wive's tale?

Multiple up thread report experiencing the same thing, it's hardly "rubbish" or "an old wive's tale".

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2011

I have seen someone sling their steth around their neck in a code and the bell whipped around and split their lip and chipped their front tooth (a little extra adrenaline, maybe?). So I tend to put it in a pocket as well. Two people bleeding at the same code is not a good thing.

And if you've got a heavy one and the things right on top of a nerve root, I could see it causing pain. I've known people who would get a headache if they wore a headband to hold back their hair. There's a lot of nerves and blood vessels close to the surface north of the collarbones...

NeoPediRN · Nov 28, 2011

Yes, you have a nerve in the back of your neck that causes occipital neuralgia (mimics migraines) when compressed. Happened to me all the time before I stopped wearing my stethoscope.

TriciaJ, RN · Nov 28, 2011

If sound quality isn't an issue, you can ditch your heavy top-of-the-line stethoscope and use a cheapo isolation stethoscope instead. (My last hospital provided them as disposables in isolation kits.) Weighed way less, less hot to wear around your neck and not a disaster if you lose it.

morte, LPN, LVN · Nov 28, 2011

tension h/a, or cervicogenic h/a.....and it is bad for the tubing on the steth to be in continuous contact with the oil in your skin anyway...