Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the neck is a common disease of the spine that affects patients of all ages.

It represents degenerative changes in the spinal disc, developing against the background of severe stress, wearing the wrong shoes, heavy physical activity and poor nutrition. It develops gradually, so the patient may notice the first symptoms immediately.

The main signs of the disease

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis appear as the pathology progresses. They are more noticeable during exacerbations. If you notice the first signs of the disease, you are advised to consult a doctor, because it is often disguised as other disorders, which complicates the timely diagnosis.

Patients usually have the following complaints:

• Severe pain in the neck.
• Noise and nonsense in the ears.
• Frequent dizziness.
• Shortness of breath, shortness of breath.
• nausea, vomiting.
• Blood pressure drops.
• Frequent loss of consciousness or syncope.
• increase in body temperature.

Signs of cervical osteochondrosis in men do not differ much from women. Patients complain of discomfort in the occiput, chest, and shoulder girdle. You should contact your local therapist or neurologist to make a diagnosis.

Pain in the neck

One of the most common symptoms of cervical spine chondrosis is neck pain that affects the back of the head and shoulders. The nature of the pain (painful, sharp, light tingling) directly depends on the site of injury and the severity of the development of the pathological process. At the initial stage, this can be a slight discomfort that does not allow you to move your head freely in all directions. Gradually the pain becomes chronic and limits the range of motion.

Pain is manifested as a result of spinal deformity due to insufficient blood supply to the ear area. Against the background of this process are observed spasms, anxiety and panic. A painful sensation in the neck area may radiate to the shoulders or arms. Increase after sleep, sudden movements, laughter or wheezing. Discomfort is combined with characteristic criticism when twisting or muscle weakness occurs.

Muscle spasm and poor circulation often cause not only pain but also a temporary loss of the ability to move the neck. Constant overload spreads throughout the head and the patient begins to complain of migraine attacks.

Tinnitus and closed ears

Osteochondrosis around the neck is also manifested by a feeling of weakness in the ears, hearing loss and noise. All this is due to insufficient intensity of blood flow in the vestibular apparatus. This complex of symptoms is called cochlear, but doctors rarely associate it with a spinal disorder. Pay attention to the nature of the noise and the hiss in the ears, they usually get louder when a person is in one position for a long time or trying to change it.

Patients who have hearing problems should consult an otolaryngologist. In the presence of concomitant disorders such as facial numbness, limited neck mobility, additional consultation with a neurologist is needed to clarify the diagnosis and determine the cause.

Headache and migraine

The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in men are rarely accompanied by frequent headaches, the female population is more susceptible to them. The vertebrae in this area are constantly subjected to excessive stress, causing them to gradually deform if the muscle tissue is not elastic enough to maintain their natural position. It is more difficult to determine the cause of the headache since the symptom is not specific.

The following causes trigger an attack:

• Spasm of blood vessels in the brain.
• Nerve endings in the cervical spine.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Acute venous outflow disorder.
• Increased fatigue.
• Long stay in unusual condition.

Headaches are exacerbated during exacerbations and in the patient, including men. By nature, this can be in the form of constant, dull convulsions or pulsations. In older people, this symptom requires a lot of attention, as it can indicate the onset of a stroke, angina, heart attack or high blood pressure. Therefore, in the first place, these conditions are ruled out before starting treatment for osteochondrosis.

With heart disease, patients also complain of compression in the chest area, irregular heart rhythm, which allows the doctor to differentiate the condition in a timely manner. Headaches accompanied by nausea, shortness of breath, necessarily require an ECG.

dizziness

Disorders of coordination and frequent dizziness often occur when osteochondrosis develops to a grade of 2 or more. This is due to degenerative changes in the spine, spasms, stretched nerve endings. The brain does not receive the required amount of oxygen, which adversely affects the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

Symptom due to

state deviation:

• Systemic vertigo.They arise from the sensation of the whole body spinning and the objects around it. Dysfunction occurs due to dysfunction of the vestibular apparatus, weakening of the receptors located in the muscles and joints.
• Unsystematic dizziness. In addition to instability, patients experience nausea, an upright position in a vertical position. Circular rotation usually does not exist.

Dizziness is a serious symptom that should be treated immediately by a doctor. In the presence of numbness in the shoulders, paralysis of the facial muscle tissue, loss of consciousness, urgent hospitalization are required.

Shortness of breath and lack of air

Another serious symptom of advanced osteochondrosis of the shoulder is the feeling of persistent failure. Respiratory problems arise from the compression of nerve endings and receptors that do not transmit impulses from the pharynx to the esophagus. Respiratory failure occurs when the spine moves, it increases in a stressful state accompanied by a sore throat. After taking sedatives, the health condition normalizes.

Lack of air causes radicular syndrome. Diaphragm spasm affects breathing depth and rhythm. The patient collapses and finds it difficult to breathe air, developing memory and concentration problems. In osteochondrosis such a symptom requires immediate help as it can lead to a number of serious complications. The doctor individually chooses the medication, taking into account the condition.

nausea

is ​​a large collection of nerve endings in the cervical region where the artery responsible for transporting nutrients to the brain passes. Osteochondrosis gradually produces rashes and interstitial hernias, which affect blood pressure and as a result, the patient feels a nausea attack.

Prolonged impairment of normal blood circulation leads to vomiting, loss of consciousness, and stroke and disability. Therefore, the appearance of such a symptom, which is not related to eating errors, requires immediate medical advice.

Increased blood pressure

A typical symptom of cervical osteochondrosis is a pressure jump during the day. No increased or decreased pressure is maintained for a long time, which is a characteristic sign of degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. The daily dynamics of blood pressure are spasmodic, since irritation of the nerve endings is reflex and causes short-term spasms of blood vessels.

A distinctive feature of increased pressure in cervical osteochondrosis is:

• headache;
• chest discomfort;
• Decreased sensitivity in the ear area;
• Muscle tension after being in one position for a long time.

All of this is taken into account when making a diagnosis. Rapid deterioration of the condition and sudden changes in blood pressure are the basis for the patient to be hospitalized and hospitalized.

Decreased vision

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine often causes unpleasant symptoms such as double vision, flickering, the appearance of "flies". This indicates the severity of the process and requires a visit to the doctor.

The following diseases may develop in the background of destruction of the connective tissue of the spine:

• Glaucoma.The patient is diagnosed with increased intraocular pressure, optic nerve damage. It is impossible to completely eliminate pathologists, only to achieve stable remission through complex treatment.
• Cataract. This abnormal process causes the lens to be destroyed. The changes are related to metabolic processes and severe disruption of the oxygen supply to the brain. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of "flies" in front of the eyes. Timely initiation of treatment helps maintain patient's vision.
• Claude Bernard-Horner disease.Hypoxia in the occipital region is considered to be one of the causes of injury. The main signs of a pathological condition are a decrease in the pupil reaction or a difference in pupil size in different eyes. Some patients complain that they can not close their eyes completely for a night rest and even experience blurred vision.

The ophthalmologist will prescribe treatment after a thorough examination. But therapy is carried out only in the complex, the purpose of which is to eliminate the cause of the disorder. Only then can the problem be solved effectively.

Pharyngeal problems

Degenerative changes in the cervical spine cause swallowing problems. The patient complains of sore throat, sweating, foreign body sensation in the throat, itching. Signs indicate a malfunction of the neurovascular trunks that run from the spinal cord. But the symptoms are not typical and it can be fixed with pathological disorders such as inflammation, swelling.

change in body temperature

Osteochondrosis develops and causes an increase in body temperature. This symptomatology occurs in cases of spinal artery damage, spinal canal stenosis, or disc protrusion. This causes neurosis changes and concomitant neurological disorders.

Inflammation of the lymph nodes, burning of the tongue due to fever, numbness of the tongue or hands

A characteristic crisis can lead to the suspicion of osteochondrosis during neck flexion.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis depend on the stage

Signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine largely depend on the stage of development of the pathology, the compressive strength of the nerve endings, and the process of disc deformation. This provokes symptoms of spinal artery compression and impaired blood flow to the brain. Stretched nerve endings cause severe neurological pathologies.

The severity of

signs directly depends on the stage of the disease:

1. Home.Degenerative processes in the spinal discs go unnoticed by the patient. It is quite difficult to notice the first changes, as it can be a mild headache (mostly in women), discomfort in the neck, slight deterioration of vision or loss of sensitivity in the ear area. At this stage, patients rarely go to the doctor, which is associated with symptoms related to fatigue, lack of sleep or stress.
2. The second stage.As the pathology progresses and the disc develops, more pronounced symptoms appear. The destruction of Annulus fibrosus affects its movements, they are more restricted. Also, patients begin to complain of constant wheezing in the ears, impaired visual function, pain in the neck, swallowing problems, sleep disturbances, and decreased clarity of reflexes. Keeping yourself in one position causes severe discomfort, which requires consulting a doctor.
3. The third stage. Interstitial hernias gradually form, the fibrous ring is completely destroyed, the spine becomes deformed, bone segments move, dislocations, instability. The patient complains of severe pain in the neck, pronounced shoulder syndrome, paralysis of the upper extremities, no marked tendon reflexes, decreased scalp. This is a severe stage of the disease that requires complex treatment.

Osteochondrosis is a chronic systemic disease that presents with a variety of symptoms. The cause is always hidden in the compressed nerve endings, circulatory disorders and deformity of the intervertebral discs. Protrusion, hernia, and displacement gradually lead to loss of spinal mobility.

Age directly affects the severity of symptoms. The older the patient, the stronger the changes in connective and bone tissues. It is caused by weakness of muscle fibers, nutritional deficiencies and chronic inflammatory diseases in the body.

Patient Review

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is a common disease because the nerve roots are constantly exposed to stress due to excessive mobility of the segment. Timely detection of pathology avoids serious complications, so many people read patient reviews and compare them to their symptoms.

It is strictly forbidden to diagnose oneself without laboratory and instrumental tests. Any information should be taken as a note only.

Cervical osteochondrosis manifests itself in a large number of symptoms, but most of them are easily confused with similar pathologies. It is therefore recommended to consider the patient's complaints comprehensively and make a differential diagnosis, which allows to diagnose the disease in time and prescribe the right treatment, which includes physiotherapy, exercise and medication.