Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

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

It represents degenerative changes in the vertebral disc, developing in a context of strong stress, wearing wrong shoes, heavy physical effort and malnutrition. It develops gradually, so that the patient may not notice the first symptoms immediately.

The main signs of the disease

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis appear as the pathology progresses. They are most noticeable during an exacerbation. When noticing the first signs of the disease, it is recommended to consult the doctor, as she often disguises herself as other diseases, which makes timely diagnosis difficult.

Patients generally come into contact with the following complaints:

• Severe pain in the collar area.
• Noise and plugging in the ears.
• Frequent dizziness.
• Shortness of breath, shortness of breath.
• Nausea, vomiting.
• Blood pressure drops.
• Fainting or frequent syncope.
• Increased body temperature.

The signs of cervical osteochondrosis in men do not differ much from those that appear in women. Patients complain of discomfort in the occiput, sternum and shoulder girdle. You should contact your local therapist or neurologist for the diagnosis.

Neck pain syndrome

One of the most common symptoms of chondrosis of the cervical spine is pain in the neck that affects the back of the head and shoulders. The nature of the pain (strong, acute, slight tingling) depends directly on the location of the injury and the severity of the development of the pathological process. In the initial stage, it can be mild discomfort, which does not allow you to turn your head freely in all directions. Gradually, the pain becomes chronic and limits the range of motion.

Pain manifests as a result of deformation of the vertebrae, due to insufficient blood supply to the collar area. In the context of this process, spasms, anxiety and panic attacks are observed. A painful sensation in the neck can radiate to the shoulders or arms. It increases after sleep, sudden movements, laughter or sneezing. The discomfort is combined with a characteristic crack when trying to turn or muscle weakness.

Muscle spasm and poor circulation often lead not only to pain, but also to a temporary loss of the ability to move the neck. The constant excessive tension spreads through the head and the patient begins to complain about migraine attacks.

Tinnitus and clogged ears

Osteochondrosis in the neck region is also manifested by a feeling of plugging in the ears, loss of hearing and noise. All of this is due to insufficient blood flow to the vestibular apparatus. This symptom complex is called a cochlear, but doctors rarely associate it with a disorder of the vertebrae. Pay attention to the nature of the noise and ringing in the ears, they usually intensify when a person stays in the same position for a long time or tries to change it.

Patients with hearing problems are referred to an otolaryngologist. In the presence of concomitant disorders of the disease, such as numbness of the face, limited mobility of the neck, an additional consultation with a neurologist is necessary to clarify the diagnosis and determine the cause.

Headache and migraines

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 region are constantly exposed to excessive stress, which leads to their gradual deformation, if the muscle tissue is not elastic enough to keep them in a natural position. It is more difficult to identify the cause of the headache, as the symptom is not specific.

The following reasons provoke an attack:

• Spasm of the cerebral vessels.
• Nerve endings compressed in the cervicothoracic spine.
• Increase in blood pressure.
• Acute disturbance of venous outflow.
• Increased fatigue.
• Prolonged stay in an unnatural position.

Headache worsens during an exacerbation and in a patient, including a man. By nature, it can be constant, boring in the form of convulsions or pulsating. In older people, this symptom requires a lot of attention, as it can speak of an incipient stroke, angina pectoris, heart attack or high blood pressure. Therefore, in the first place, these conditions are excluded before starting treatment for osteochondrosis.

With cardiac pathologies, patients also complain of compression in the chest area, an irregular heart rhythm, which allows the doctor to differentiate in time. Headaches accompanied by nausea, shortness of breath, necessarily require an ECG.

Dizziness

Impaired coordination and frequent dizziness often appear when osteochondrosis develops to grade 2 or higher. This is due to degenerative changes in the vertebrae, spasms, compressed nerve endings. The brain does not receive the necessary amount of oxygen, which negatively affects the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

As a result of the state deviation, the symptom is:

• Systemic vertigo.They appear as a sensation of the whole body turning and the objects around it. The dysfunction arises due to malfunction of the vestibular apparatus, weakening of the muscle tissue and receptors located in the joints.
• Non-systemic vertigo.In addition to the instability, patients experience nausea attacks, a state of uncertainty in the vertical position. Circular rotation is generally absent.

Dizziness is a serious symptom that should be treated immediately with a doctor. In the presence of numbness in the shoulders, paralysis of the facial muscle tissue, loss of consciousness, emergency hospitalization is necessary.

Shortness of breath and shortness of breath

Another serious symptom of advanced osteochondrosis in the shoulder region is a constant feeling of shortness of breath. Respiratory problems arise from the compression of nerve endings and receptors that do not transmit impulses from the pharynx to the esophagus. Shortness of breath appears when the vertebrae are displaced, increases in a stressful state, accompanied by a lump in the throat. After taking a sedative, the state of health returns to normal.

Shortness of breath causes root syndrome. The spasm of the diaphragm affects the depth and pace of breathing. The patient becomes clogged and has difficulty breathing, problems with memory and concentration. This symptom in osteochondrosis requires immediate assistance, as it can cause a number of serious complications. The doctor selects the medication individually, taking into account the condition.

Nausea

There is a large collection of nerve endings in the cervical region, where an artery passes, which is responsible for transporting nutrients to the brain. With osteochondrosis, intervertebral protrusions and hernias gradually form, which affect blood pressure and, as a result, the patient feels an attack of nausea.

Prolonged impairment of normal blood circulation leads to vomiting, loss of consciousness and causes stroke and disability. Therefore, the appearance of such symptom, not associated with nutritional errors, requires immediate medical guidance.

Increase in blood pressure

For cervical osteochondrosis, a typical symptom is a pressure jump during the day. For a long time, the increase or decrease in blood pressure is not maintained, which is a characteristic sign of degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. The daily dynamics of blood pressure is spasmodic, since irritation of nerve endings is reflexive and causes short-term spasms of blood vessels.

A distinguishing feature of increased pressure in cervical osteochondrosis is:

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

All of this is taken into account when making a diagnosis. The rapid deterioration of the condition and the sudden changes in pressure are the basis for the hospitalization of the patient and the provision of assistance in the hospital environment.

Visually impaired

Osteochondrosis in the cervical spine often causes unpleasant symptoms such as double vision, flicker, appearance of "flies". This signals the seriousness of the process and requires a visit to the doctor.

In the context of the destruction of connective tissue in the vertebrae, the following diseases can occur:

• Glaucoma.The patient is diagnosed with increased intraocular pressure, damage to the optic nerve. It is impossible to eliminate pathologists completely, 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 acute deficiency of oxygen supply to the brain. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of "flies" before the eyes. Timely initiation of treatment helps to preserve the patient's vision.
• Claude Bernard-Horner disease.Hypoxia in the occipital region is considered one of the causes of the injury. The main signs of a pathological condition are a decrease in pupil reaction or a difference in pupil size in different eyes. Some patients complain that they cannot completely close their eyes to rest at night, and the twilight vision also suffers.

The ophthalmologist prescribes treatment after a thorough examination. But the therapy is carried out only in a complex that aims to eliminate the cause of the violation. Only then can the problem be solved effectively.

Pharyngeal problems

Degenerative changes in the cervical vertebrae cause swallowing problems. The patient complains of a lump in the throat, sweating, a foreign body sensation in the throat, itching. The signs indicate a malfunction of the neurovascular trunks that come from the spinal cord. But the symptoms are not considered characteristic and can be observed with pathological disorders, such as inflammation, swelling.

Change in body temperature

Osteochondrosis, as it progresses, causes an increase in body temperature. These symptoms occur when the vertebral artery is damaged, spinal canal stenosis or disc protrusion. It causes changes in neurosis and concomitant neurological disorders.

In the context of a rise in temperature, numbness of the tongue or hands occurs, an inflammatory process in the lymph nodes, a burning sensation in the tongue.

The characteristic crispness when you turn your neck allows you to suspect osteochondrosis.

Osteochondrosis symptoms depending on the stage

The signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine depend largely on the stage of development of the pathology, the compression force of the nerve endings and the process of deforming the disc. It causes the appearance of symptoms of compression of the vertebral artery and violation of blood flow to the brain. The compressed nerve endings lead to severe neurological pathologies.

The severity of the signs depends directly on the stage of development of the disease:

1. Initial.The degenerative processes in the vertebral discs go unnoticed by the patient. It is quite difficult to notice the first changes, as they may be mild headaches (most commonly seen in women), discomfort in the neck, slight deterioration of vision or loss of sensation in the collar area. In this phase, patients rarely go to the doctor, attributing symptoms to fatigue, lack of sleep or stress.
2. Second stage.As the pathology progresses and the disc protrudes, more pronounced symptoms appear. The destruction of the fibrous ring affects the movements of the head, they are more limited. In addition, patients begin to complain of constant ringing in the ears, impaired visual function, neck pain with a characteristic click, problems with swallowing, sleep disturbances, decreased clarity of reflexes. Keeping your head in a position causes great discomfort, which requires a medical consultation.
3. Third stage.Gradually, intervertebral hernias are formed, the fibrous ring is completely destroyed, there is deformation of the vertebrae, displacement of bone segments, dislocations, instability. The patient complains of acute neck pain, pronounced shoulder syndrome, paralysis of the upper limbs, tendon reflexes are not observed, and reduced sensitivity in the scalp. This is a serious stage of the disease that requires complex treatment.

Osteochondrosis is a chronic systemic disease that manifests itself by several symptoms. The reason is always hidden in the compressed nerve endings, circulatory disorders and deformation of the intervertebral discs. Protrusion, hernia and displacement gradually lead to loss of mobility of the vertebra.

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

Patient evaluations

Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae is a common disease, as the nerve roots are constantly exposed to stress due to the excessive mobility of the segment. The timely detection of the pathology avoids serious complications, so many people read patient evaluations and compare them with their symptoms.

It is strictly forbidden to diagnose yourself without laboratory and apparatus tests. Any information should only be considered as a note.

Cervical osteochondrosis is manifested by a large number of symptoms, but most of them are easily confused with similar pathologies. Therefore, it is recommended to consider the patient's complaints in a complex way and make differential diagnoses, which allow the disease to be identified in time and to prescribe the correct treatment, which includes physiotherapy, gymnastics and drug treatment.