Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Osteochondrosis of the neck is a common spine disorder that affects patients of all ages. It is a degenerative change in the intervertebral disc that develops against the background of heavy loads, improper shoes, intense physical exertion and malnutrition.

It develops gradually, so the patient may not notice the first symptoms right away.

Another name for this disease is degenerative-destructive lesion of the spine, which affects the vertebral body, the ligament and joint apparatus, the intervertebral discs.

Diagnosed with equal frequency in men and women, it usually develops after 30 years. According to statistics, this disease affects 50 to 80% of the population.

The main signs of the disease

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis appear as the pathology progresses. They are more noticeable during an exacerbation. After noticing the first signs of the disease, it is recommended to consult a doctor, as it is often disguised as other disorders, which makes it difficult to diagnose it in a timely manner. Patients usually come with the following symptoms:

• Severe pain in the collar area.
• Noise and congestion in the ears.
• Frequent dizziness.
• Shortness of breath, feeling short of breath.
• Nausea, vomiting.
• Blood pressure goes down.
• Frequent fainting or syncope.
• Increased body temperature.

The signs of cervical osteochondrosis in men are not very different from those seen in women. Patients complain of discomfort in the back of the head, sternum and shoulder girdle. You should contact your local therapist or neurologist for diagnosis.

Annoyance

One of the most common symptoms of cervical spine chondrosis is neck pain, which affects the back of the head and shoulders. The type of pain (sore, sharp, slight tingling) directly depends on the location of the lesion and the severity of the development of the pathological process. In the early stages, this can be a slight discomfort that does not allow you to turn your head freely in all directions. Gradually the pain becomes chronic and restricts freedom of movement.

Pain is manifested as a result of deformation of the vertebrae due to insufficient blood supply to the collar zone. Against the background of this process, convulsions, anxiety attacks and panic are observed. A painful sensation in the neck area can radiate to the shoulders or arms. Increase after sleeping, sudden movements, laughing or sneezing. Feeling unwell is combined with a characteristic crunch when trying to turn or muscle weakness.

Muscle cramps and circulatory disorders often not only lead to pain, but also to a temporary loss of neck mobility. A constant overstrain spreads throughout the head and the patient begins to complain of migraine attacks.

Noise and congestion in the ears

Osteochondrosis in the neck is also manifested by a feeling of congestion in the ears, hearing loss and the appearance of noises. All of this happens due to insufficient intensity of blood flow to the vestibular apparatus. This complex of symptoms is known as the cochlea, but doctors rarely associate it with a disease of the spine. Be careful about the type of noise and ringing in the ears, they usually get worse when a person is in one position for a long time or tries to change it.

Patients with hearing problems should consult an ENT doctor. In the case of concomitant illnesses, such asB. numbness in the face, restricted mobility of the neck, an additional consultation with a neurologist is necessary to clarify the diagnosis and determine the cause.

Headaches and migraines

The main symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis in men are rarely accompanied by frequent headaches, the female population is more susceptible to it. The vertebrae in this area are constantly subjected to overload, which leads to their gradual deformation when the muscle tissue is not elastic enough to hold them in a natural position. It is more difficult to identify the cause of the headache because the symptom is not specific. The following reasons provoke an attack:

• Cerebral vasospasm.
• Pinched nerve endings in the cervical spine.
• High blood pressure.
• Acute violation of venous outflow.
• Increased tiredness.
• Prolonged stay in an unnatural position.

The headache worsens during the exacerbation phase and in the patient, including the man. It can be inherently constant, dull in the form of seizures, or pulsating. In the elderly, this symptom requires special attention as it can indicate the onset of a stroke, angina pectoris, heart attack, or arterial hypertension. Therefore, these diseases are first ruled out before treatment for osteochondrosis is started.

With heart disease, patients also complain of compression in the chest area, an irregular heart rhythm that enables the doctor to differentiate the condition in good time. Headaches, accompanied by nausea, shortness of breath, necessarily require an EKG.

dizziness

Coordination disorders and more frequent dizziness are common when osteochondrosis develops to grade 2 or higher. This is due to degenerative changes in the vertebrae, spasms, pinching of nerve endings. The brain does not receive the required amount of oxygen, which has a negative effect on the functioning of the vestibular apparatus. As a result of the deviation of the condition, the symptom is:

• Systemic dizziness. They appear as a feeling of rotation of the whole body and the objects around it. Dysfunction occurs due to a malfunction of the vestibular apparatus, a weakening of muscle tissue and receptors in the joints.
• Non-systemic dizziness. In addition to instability, patients experience nausea, an unsafe state of being in an upright position. There is usually no circular rotation.

Dizziness is a serious symptom that should be treated by a doctor immediately. If there is numbness in the shoulders, paralysis of the muscular tissue of the face, loss of consciousness, an emergency admission to the hospital is required.

Shortness of breath and lack of air

Another serious symptom of advanced osteochondrosis of the shoulder area is a constant feeling of lack of air. Breathing problems arise from the compression of nerve endings and receptors that do not transmit impulses from the throat to the esophagus. Shortness of breath occurs when the vertebrae are displaced, it increases in a state of stress, accompanied by a lump in the throat. After taking a sedative, the state of health normalizes.

Lack of air provokes a radicular syndrome. Spasm of the diaphragm, affects the depth and rhythm of breathing. The patient becomes stuffy and difficult to breathe, and memory and concentration problems occur. Such a symptom in osteochondrosis requires immediate help, as it can cause a number of serious complications. The doctor selects the medicine individually, taking into account the condition.

Nausea

In the neck region there is a large collection of nerve endings, an artery responsible for carrying nutrients to the brain runs through it. With osteochondrosis, protrusions and intervertebral hernias gradually form, which affect blood pressure and, as a result, feel a fit of nausea.

Prolonged impairment of normal blood circulation leads to vomiting, loss of consciousness, and causes strokes and disabilities. Therefore, the appearance of such a symptom, which is not associated with nutritional deficiencies, requires immediate medical advice.

High blood pressure

A characteristic symptom of cervical osteochondrosis is a sudden change in pressure over the course of the day. Elevated or decreased blood pressure is not maintained for a long time, which is a characteristic sign of degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. The daily dynamic of blood pressure is abrupt, as the irritation of the nerve endings is reflex, causing short-term spasms of the blood vessels. A characteristic feature of increased pressure in cervical osteochondrosis is:

• A headache;
• Chest discomfort;
• decreased sensitivity in the collar area;
• Muscle tension after staying in one position for a long time.

All of this is taken into account in the diagnosis. The rapid deterioration in the patient's condition and sudden changes in pressure are the basis for inpatient admission and inpatient assistance.

Visual impairment

Osteochondrosis in the cervical spine often provokes unpleasant symptoms such as double vision, fibrillation, the appearance of "flies". This signals the severity of the process and requires a visit to a doctor. Against the background of the destruction of connective tissue in the vertebrae, the following diseases can develop:

• Glaucoma. The patient is diagnosed with increased intraocular pressure and damage to the optic nerve. It is impossible to completely eliminate the pathologists only to achieve stable remission with complex treatment.
• Cataract. This pathological process leads to the destruction of the lens. The changes are associated with metabolic processes and an acute impairment 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 will help preserve the patient's eyesight.
• Claude Bernard Horner Disease. One of the reasons for the appearance of a lesion is considered to be hypoxia in the occipital area. The main signs of a pathological condition are a decrease in the pupillary response or a difference in the size of the pupils in different eyes. Some patients complain that they cannot completely close their eyes for a night's sleep and that their twilight vision also suffers.

The ophthalmologist prescribes the treatment after a thorough examination. However, therapy is carried out only in a complex aimed at eliminating the cause of the injury. This is the only way to effectively solve the problem.

Throat problems

Degenerative changes in the cervical spine lead to difficulty swallowing. The patient complains of a lump in the throat, sweating, sensation of a foreign body in the throat, itching. Signs suggest a malfunction in the neurovascular trunks emanating from the spinal cord. However, the symptoms are not considered characteristic and can be observed with pathological disorders such as inflammation, swelling.

Change in body temperature

Osteochondrosis later becomes the cause of an increase in body temperature. Such symptoms occur when the vertebral artery is damaged, spinal stenosis, or a herniated disc is present. It provokes changes in the neurosis and accompanying neurological disorders. Against the background of an increase in temperature, there is numbness of the tongue or hands, an inflammatory process in the lymph nodes, a burning sensation of the tongue.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis depending on the stage

Signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine largely depend on the stage of development of the pathology, the compressive force of the nerve endings and the process of deformation of the intervertebral discs. It provokes the appearance of symptoms of compression of the vertebral artery and a violation of blood flow to the brain. Pinched nerve endings lead to serious neurological disorders. The severity of the signs directly depends on the stage of development of the disease:

1. Initial. Degenerative processes in the intervertebral discs go unnoticed by the patient. The first changes are quite difficult to notice, as these can be a slight headache (more noticeable in women), neck discomfort, slight deterioration in vision or loss of sensitivity in the collar area. At this stage, patients rarely see a doctor and attribute symptoms to fatigue, lack of sleep, or stress.
2. Second floor. As the pathology progresses and a bulging disc appears, more pronounced symptoms appear. The destruction of the annulus fibrosus affects the movements of the head, they become more restricted. In addition, the patients complain of constant ringing in the ears, impaired visual function, neck pain with a characteristic crunch, difficulty swallowing, sleep disorders and decreased clarity of reflexes. Holding the head in one position causes severe discomfort that requires medical consultation.
3. Third section. Intervertebral hernias form gradually, the annulus fibrosus is completely destroyed, there is deformation of the vertebrae, displacement of bone segments, dislocations, instability. The patient complains of acute pain in the neck, pronounced shoulder syndrome, paralysis of the upper limbs, tendon reflexes are not observed, sensitivity disorders of the scalp. This is a severe stage of the disease that requires complex treatment.

Osteochondrosis is a chronic systemic disease that manifests itself in various symptoms. The cause always lies in the compressed nerve endings, circulatory disorders and deformations of the intervertebral discs. Bulging, hernia and displacement gradually lead to the loss of mobility of the vertebra.

Age directly affects the severity of symptoms. The older the patient, the greater the changes in the connective and bone tissue. This is due to muscle fiber weakness, malnutrition, and chronic inflammatory diseases in the body.

Testimonials from patients

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 pathologies avoids serious complications, so many people read patient reports and compare them with their symptoms.

Woman, 35 years old

"We suspected osteochondrosis almost immediately as I was constantly tormented by headaches and had problems turning my neck. But the diagnosis was only made after the X-ray. Since the treatment does not give a normal result and pain is still intermittent, computed tomography is still ahead, it will confirm or deny the progression.

Woman, 42

"The doctors couldn't find osteochondrosis for a long time because the symptoms echoed with my gastritis. From time to time I felt sick, but I attributed this to poor diet. Only after I passed out did I go to the doctor and look for a problem. Neck discomfort was not very painful in the early stages and the pain only became noticeable as the pathology progressed. Treatment was not prescribed until after the CT scan. The treatment is gradually showing results. "

Man, 36 years old

"Osteochondrosis in the neck developed due to the specifics of the job, but they couldn't spot it right away. At first my eyesight deteriorated, which I immediately attributed to nightly eye strain, and then began to suffer from dizziness and neck pain, but since I was constantly driving and this did not bother me. The diagnosis was already made in almost 3 stages when the pressures began to rise and problems with health in general began. The treatment has not yet produced any tangible results "

It is strictly forbidden to self-diagnose without laboratory and equipment research. All information should be taken as a note only.

Cervical osteochondrosis is manifested by a wide variety of symptoms, but most of them can easily be confused with similar pathologies. Therefore, it is recommended to take into account the patient's complaints in a complex and conduct differential diagnostics, which will allow timely detection of the disease and the prescription of the correct treatment, which includes physical therapy, gymnastics and drug treatment.