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 a background of severe stress, wearing of inappropriate shoes, intense physical exertion and malnutrition. It develops gradually, so the patient may not immediately notice the first symptoms.

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, since it is often disguised as other disorders, which complicates the timely diagnosis.

Patients usually come into contact with the following complaints:

• Severe pain in the cervix area.
• Noise and choking in the ears.
• Frequent dizziness.
• Shortness of breath, feeling short of breath.
• Nausea, vomiting.
• Blood pressure is dropping.
• Frequent fainting or syncope.
• Increased body temperature.

Signs of cervical osteochondrosis in men are not much different 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 diagnosis.

Neck pain

One of the most common symptoms of cervical spine chondrosis is neck pain affecting the back of the head and shoulders. The nature of the pain (pain, sharp, mild tingling) directly depends on the site of the injury and the severity of the development of the pathological process. At the initial stage, it may be a slight discomfort, which does not allow you to freely turn your head in all directions. Gradually, the pain becomes chronic and limits the range of movement.

The pain is manifested by deformation of the vertebrae, due to insufficient blood supply to the cervix area. Against the background of this process, spasms, anxiety attacks and panic attacks are observed. A painful sensation in the neck area may radiate to the shoulders or arms. Increase after sleep, sudden movements, laughter, or sneezing. The discomfort is combined with a characteristic crunch when trying to turn or muscle weakness.

Muscle tissue spasms and poor circulation often cause not only pain, but also 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 blocked ears

Osteochondrosis of the neck is also manifested by a feeling of congestion in the ears, hearing loss and noise. All this is due to insufficient intensity of blood flow to the vestibular apparatus. This symptom complex is called cochlear, but doctors rarely associate it with a disorder in the spinal region. Pay attention to the nature of the noise and ringing in the ears, it usually intensifies when a person is 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, 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 sensitive to them. The vertebrae in this area are constantly exposed to excessive stress, which leads to their progressive 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 head pain because the symptom is not specific.

The following reasons cause an attack:

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

Headaches worsen during an exacerbation, and in one patient, including a man. By nature, it can be constant, dull in the form of epileptic seizures, or throbbing. In older people, this symptom needs special attention, as it can speak of an incipient stroke, angina, heart attack or high blood pressure. Therefore, first of all, these conditions are excluded before starting the treatment of osteochondrosis.

Along with heart pathologies, patients also complain of compression in the chest area, irregular heartbeat, which allows the doctor to differentiate the condition over time. Headaches accompanied by nausea, shortness of breath, necessarily require an ECG.

Dizziness

Co-ordination problems and frequent dizziness often appear when osteochondrosis is grade 2 or higher. This is due to degenerative changes in the vertebrae, spasms, pinched nerve endings. The brain does not receive the required amount of oxygen, which negatively affects the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

Following the deviation of the state, the symptom is:

• Systemic vertigo.They appear as a sensation of rotation of the whole body and the objects around it. Dysfunction occurs due to dysfunction of the vestibular apparatus, weakening of muscle tissue and receptors located in the joints.
• Non-systemic vertigo.In addition to the instability, patients experience bouts of nausea, an uncertain state in an upright position. Circular rotation is generally absent.

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

Shortness of breath and lack of air

Another serious symptom of advanced osteochondrosis in 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 pharynx to the esophagus. Shortness of breath appears when the vertebrae are moved, it increases in a stressful state, accompanied by a lump in the throat. After taking a sedative, the state of health returns to normal.

Lack of air causes radicular syndrome. The diaphragm spasm affects the depth and rhythm of breathing. The patient becomes blocked and difficult to breathe air, problems with memory and concentration appear. Such a symptom of osteochondrosis requires immediate assistance, as it can lead to a number of 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, where an artery runs, which is responsible for transporting nutrients to the brain. With osteochondrosis, protrusions and intervertebral hernias are gradually formed, which affects blood pressure, and as a result the patient experiences an attack of nausea.

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

Increased blood pressure

For cervical osteochondrosis, a typical symptom is a pressure surge 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 are brutal, as irritation of 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 tenderness in the cervix area;
• Muscle tension after being in the same position for a long time.

All this is taken into account during the diagnosis. The rapid deterioration of the condition and sudden changes in pressure are the basis for the hospitalization of the patient and his assistance in a hospital setting.

Visual impairment

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

Against the background of the destruction of connective tissue of the vertebrae, the following diseases can develop:

• Glaucoma.The patient is diagnosed with increased intraocular pressure, damage to the optic nerve. It is impossible to completely eliminate pathologists, but 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 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 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 the reaction of the pupil or a difference in the size of the pupil in different eyes. Some patients complain that they cannot fully close their eyes for a night's rest, and twilight vision suffers as well.

The ophthalmologist prescribes treatment after a thorough examination. But therapy is carried out only in a complex aimed at eliminating the cause of the violation. Only then can the problem be dealt with effectively.

Pharyngeal problems

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

Change in body temperature

Osteochondrosis, as it progresses, leads to an increase in body temperature. This symptomatology occurs when the vertebral artery is damaged, a stenosis of the spinal canal, or a protrusion of the disc. It causes changes in neurosis and concomitant 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.

The characteristic crunching sound when the neck rotates suggests osteochondrosis.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis, by stage

Signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine largely depend on the stage of development of the pathology, the compressive force of nerve endings and the process of deformation of the disc. This 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 pathologies.

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

1. Initial.Degenerative processes in the vertebral discs go unnoticed by the patient. It is quite difficult to notice the first changes, as these can be mild headaches (more felt in women), discomfort in the neck, slight deterioration in vision or loss of sensitivity in the area. of the collar. At this point, patients rarely go to the doctor, attributing symptoms to fatigue, lack of sleep, or stress.
2. Second step.As the pathology progresses and the disc protrusion appears, more pronounced symptoms appear. The destruction of the fibrous ring affects the movements of the head, they become more limited. In addition, patients begin to complain of constant ringing in the ears, impaired visual function, pain in the neck with a characteristic tightening, swallowing problems, sleep disturbances and decreasedclarity of reflexes. Keeping the head in one position causes severe discomfort, which requires medical attention.
3. Third step.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 sharp pain in the neck, a pronounced shoulder syndrome, paralysis of the upper limbs, the absence of tendon reflexes, impaired sensitivity of the scalp. This is a severe stage of the disease which requires complex treatment.

Osteochondrosis is a chronic systemic disease manifested by various symptoms. The reason is still hidden in the compressed nerve endings, circulatory disorders and deformation of the intervertebral discs. The 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 greater the changes in connective tissue and bone. This is due to weak 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 segment. Early detection of pathology prevents 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.

Cervical osteochondrosis manifests itself with a large number of symptoms, but most of them are easily confused with similar conditions. Therefore, it is recommended to consider the patient's complaints in a complex and carry out a differential diagnosis, which allows to timely identify the disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment, which includes physiotherapy, gymnastics and themedical treatment.