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Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

the first signs and symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

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

Represents degenerative changes in the spinal disc, developed against a background of intense stress, wearing the wrong shoes, heavy exercise and malnutrition. It develops gradually, so 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. Having noticed the first signs of the disease, it is recommended to consult a doctor, as it is often disguised as other disorders, which complicates the early diagnosis.

Patients usually come in contact with the following complaints:

  • Severe pain in the collar area.
  • Noise and breath in the ears.
  • Frequent dizziness.
  • Shortness of breath, feeling of shortness of breath
  • Nausea, vomiting.
  • Lowers blood pressure.
    • Frequent fainting or syncope.
  • Increase in body temperature.

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

Sore throat

One of the most common symptoms of cervical spondylosis is neck pain that affects the back of the head and shoulders. The nature of the pain (pain, sharp, slight tingling) depends directly on the location of the lesion and the severity of the development of the pathological process. In the initial stage, this can be a small inconvenience, which does not allow you to freely turn your head in all directions. Gradually, the pain becomes chronic and limits the range of motion.

Pain occurs as a result of deformity of the vertebrae, due to insufficient blood supply to the collar area. As part of this process, spasms, anxiety attacks and panic attacks occur. A painful sensation in the neck area may radiate to the shoulders or arms. Increase after sleep, sudden movements, laughter or sneezing. Discomfort is combined with a characteristic seizure 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. Constant overexertion spreads throughout the head and the patient begins to complain of migraine attacks.

Tinnitus and plugged ears

Osteochondrosis in the neck area is also manifested by a feeling of hunger in the ears, hearing loss and noise. All this is due to insufficient volume of blood flow to the vestibular device. This complex of symptoms is called cochlear, but doctors rarely associate it with a disorder of the vertebrae. Pay attention to the nature of the noise and the ringing in the ears, they usually intensify when a person is in a 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 condition, such as numbness of the face, limited mobility of the neck, additional consultation with a neurologist is required 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 sensitive to them. The vertebrae in this area 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 cause an attack:

  • Spasm of cerebral vessels.
  • Pinched nerve endings in the cervical spine.
  • Increased blood pressure.
  • Acute violation of venous outflow.
  • Increased fatigue.
  • Prolonged stay in an unnatural position.

Headache worsens during exacerbation in a patient, including a man. By its nature, it can be stable, dull in the form of seizures or pulses. In the elderly, this symptom requires special attention, as it may indicate an initial stroke, angina, heart attack or high blood pressure. Therefore, first of all, these conditions are ruled out before starting treatment for osteochondrosis.

With heart disease, patients also complain of chest compression, an irregular heartbeat that allows the doctor to differentiate the condition in time. Headaches are accompanied by nausea, shortness of breath, necessarily require ECG.

Dizziness

Decreased coordination and frequent dizziness often occur when osteochondrosis develops to grade 2 or higher. This is due to degenerative changes in the vertebrae, spasms, terminal nerve endings. The brain does not receive the required amount of oxygen, which adversely affects the functioning of the vestibular device.

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

  • Systemic vertigo.Appear as a sensation of rotation of the whole body and surrounding objects. The malfunction occurs due to malfunction of the vestibular apparatus, weakening of the muscle tissue and receptors located in the joints.
  • Non-systemic vertigo.In addition to instability, patients experience periods of nausea, an uncertain condition in an upright position. Circular rotation is usually absent.

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

Shortness of breath and shortness of breath

Another serious symptom of advanced osteochondrosis in the shoulder area is a constant feeling of shortness of breath. Respiratory problems result from compression of nerve endings and receptors that do not transmit pulses from the pharynx to the esophagus. Dyspnoea occurs when the vertebrae are displaced, increasing 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 radical syndrome. Diaphragm spasm affects the depth and rhythm of respiration. The patient becomes dirty and has difficulty breathing air, problems with memory and concentration occur. Such a symptom in osteochondrosis requires immediate help, as it can cause some serious complications. The doctor selects the drug individually, taking into account the condition.

Nausea

There is a large collection of nerve endings in the cervical region and an artery that carries nutrients to the brain runs through it. With osteochondrosis, the protrusions and intervertebral hernias form gradually, which affects blood pressure and, as a result, the patient feels nauseous.

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

Elevated blood pressure

For cervical osteochondrosis, a typical symptom is increased pressure during the day. For a long time, high or low 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, as the irritation of the nerve endings is reflex and causes short-term spasms of blood vessels.

A special feature of the increased pressure in cervical osteochondrosis is:

  • headache?
  • chest discomfort?
  • reduced sensitivity in the collar area.
  • Muscle tension after being in a position for a long time.

All of these are taken into account in the diagnosis. The rapid deterioration of the condition and the sudden changes in blood pressure are the basis for the patient's hospitalization and assistance in a hospital.

Vision problems

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

In the context of connective tissue destruction in vertebrae, the following diseases may develop:

  • Glaucoma.The patient is diagnosed with increased intraocular pressure, damage to the optic nerve. It is impossible to completely eliminate physicians, only to achieve a stable remission with complex treatment.
  • Waterfall.This pathological process leads to lens destruction. The changes are related to metabolic processes and acute damage to the oxygen supply to the brain. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of a "fly" in front of the eyes. Early initiation of treatment helps maintain the patient's vision.
  • Claude Bernard-Horner's disease. Hypoxia in the occipital region is considered to be one of the causes of damage. The main points of a pathological condition are the reduction of the student's reaction or the difference in the size of the student in different eyes. Some patients complain that they can not close their eyes completely for night rest and twilight vision also suffers.

The ophthalmologist prescribes treatment after a thorough examination. However, the treatment is performed only in a complex that aims to eliminate the cause of the violation. Only then can the problem be effectively addressed.

Throat problems

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

Change in body temperature

how osteochondrosis of the cervical spine manifests itself

Osteochondrosis, as it progresses, causes an increase in body temperature. Such symptoms occur when the vertebral artery is damaged, the spinal canal is narrowed, or the disc protrudes. It causes changes in the nerves and simultaneous neurological disorders.

In the context of fever, numbness of the tongue or hands, there is inflammation in the lymph nodes, burning of the tongue.

The characteristic neck rotation seizure raises the suspicion of osteochondrosis.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis depending on the stage

The signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine depend to a large extent on the stage of development of the pathology, the compression force of the nerve endings and the process of deformation of the disc. It causes symptoms of compression of the vertebral artery and violation of blood flow to the brain. Extreme nerve endings lead to serious neurological pathologies.

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

  1. Original.Degenerative processes in the vertebral discs go unnoticed by the patient. It is very difficult to notice the first changes, as they may be mild headaches (felt more intensely in women), neck discomfort, slight deterioration of vision or loss of sensitivity in the collar area. At this stage, patients rarely go to the doctor, attributing the symptoms to fatigue, lack of sleep or stress.
  2. Second stage.As the pathology progresses and the disc protrusion appears, more severe symptoms appear. The destruction of the fibrous ring affects the movements of the head, they become more limited. Patients also begin to complain of constant ringing in the ears, decreased visual function, neck pain with a characteristic crunch, swallowing problems, sleep disturbance, and decreased reflex clarity. Keeping the head in one place causes serious discomfort, which requires consulting a doctor.
  3. Third stage.Gradually intervertebral hernias are formed, the fibrous ring is completely destroyed, there is deformity of the vertebrae, bone displacement, displacements, instability. The patient complains of acute sore throat, severe shoulder syndrome, paralysis of the upper limbs, no reflex tendons, reduced sensitivity of the scalp. This is a serious stage of the disease that requires complex treatment.
Osteochondrosis is a chronic systemic disease that manifests itself in a variety of symptoms. The reason is always hidden in the compressed nerve endings, in the circulatory disorders and in the deformation of the intervertebral discs. Protrusion, hernia and displacement gradually lead to loss of vertebral mobility.

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

Patient reviews

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

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

Osteochondrosis of the cervix is ​​manifested by a large number of symptoms, but most of them are easily confused with similar pathologies. Therefore, it is recommended to examine the patient's complaints in a complex and perform differential diagnostics, which allows early diagnosis of the disease and the prescription of the correct treatment, which includes physiotherapy, exercise and medication.