Painful sensations in the heart area force patients to consult a cardiologist. Anxiety, irritability and fear for one's own life arise. But not all unpleasant symptoms are directly related to heart problems. Even thoracic osteochondrosis (symptoms, sensations) provokes pain in the heart as often as diseases of this organ.
Pain can often occur behind the sternum, closer to the back or even in the diaphragm, when the vertebrae are affected, regardless of the stage of the pathology. And the mechanism of the unpleasant symptom has several features.
Mechanism of symptom development.
Disruptions in the heart during osteochondrosis cannot occur on their own; They develop only as an echo of the underlying disease:
- Thinning of intervertebral structures.. The distance between the bone elements and the cartilage is reduced, which leads to restriction of the nerve roots. As a result, painful sensations are formed, which, in the presence of destructive processes in the thoracic or cervical spine, often radiate to the heart.
- Changes in the heart muscle.. Due to the disease, sensations spread throughout the heart muscle, the so-called "echoes" of pain.
- Involvement of the upper members in the process. . The effect of osteochondrosis on the heart may be due to excessive muscle tension in the arms. As a result, pain is transmitted to the heart muscle, but the ECG shows no abnormalities.
- Changes in the structure of the lumbar region.. The position of the abdominal organs changes, causing increased stress and changes in heart rate.
- Muscle spasms and changes in blood circulation.. Pain in the heart with osteochondrosis occurs in response to changes in blood flow in the large arteries of the back. The heart rate increases as blood needs to be pumped through a narrower tube.
- Severe destruction of intervertebral discs.. The nerves are pinched, causing pain in the heart area. Hypoxia develops gradually. It also covers the functioning of the brain, as a result of which the usual functioning of internal organs changes.
- Due to compression of the arteries.and nerve fibers, high pressure may appear. Because of this, painful sensations appear in the heart.
It is possible to distinguish pain in the heart from the manifestations of osteochondrosis by certain symptoms.
Signs of osteochondrosis with painful sensations.
Cardiac syndrome (pain in the heart due to osteochondrosis of the thoracic region) develops in many patients.The symptoms will have the following characteristics:
- oppressive and boring pain in the heart;
- gradually increasing discomfort, dull, not too pronounced;
- the pain persists for a long time, covers the chest, causes palpitations;
- there is no acute intensity of pain due to the destruction of the cartilage between the vertebrae;
- Almost always, a symptom such as a feeling of warmth behind the breastbone helps to distinguish heart pain from osteochondrosis;
- heart medications (nitrates) do not help relieve pain;
- If a person begins to move his upper extremities, the pain intensifies.
If the cervical spine is involved in the process, then pain is felt in the vertebral area.
Some patients note that the pain is of a different nature: the discomfort covers the left side of the sternum, affects the muscles, sometimes spreads to the shoulder, neck and face, and the attack can last for several days.
If compression of the vertebral artery occurs, additional symptoms appear: weakness, dizziness, spotting, and in severe cases, the patient loses consciousness. Also, with pain in the heart, there is a decrease in hearing and vision, and blood rushes to the face. If a person takes medications for hypertension, they do not help.
Differences in pain
There are several ways to distinguish heart pain from osteochondrosis, the main method is to undergo MRI and ECG.Additionally, you should know what happens with damage to the thoracic cartilage between the vertebrae and what does not happen with heart disease:
- The pain is moderate, increases and persists for a long time. In heart attacks, the symptoms are more severe;
- if you press your chin to your chest, the pain from osteochondrosis will intensify;
- if the pain intensifies with movement and exercise, it is osteochondrosis;
- With heart pain, panic, fear and anxiety always arise.
Neuralgia itself is safe, but it can intensify when the body is tilted in different directions or when making sharp turns. You can relieve pain with pain relievers.
Severe heart disease and osteochondrosis.
It is necessary to know how the heart hurts with osteochondrosis of the thoracic region, especially in order to distinguish neuralgia from life-threatening conditions. In chronic ischemic heart disease, pain occurs very acutely, within 3 to 5 minutes. Sensations of a pressing nature do not allow breathing, and after nitrates, the symptoms disappear immediately.
If the risk of myocardial infarction is high, it should be remembered that in this condition a person may lose consciousness, experience nausea and sharp chest pain. The pain of osteochondrosis never manifests itself so acutely.
But with VSD (dystonia), the symptoms can be similar. But, unlike pain in the heart with osteochondrosis, with this pathology a person experiences tachycardia, bradycardia, a feeling of fear, gets tired quickly and feels constant weakness. The pain is usually aching and dull, and in osteochondrosis it is compressive.
palpitations
With osteochondrosis, the heart can not only hurt, but also suffer from angina, arrhythmia and tachycardia. This occurs due to spasms and compression of the artery.With osteochondrosis, the following features appear:
- increased heart rate at rest, increased pace during exercise;
- smooth rhythm without interruptions;
- heat attacks in the form of waves;
- Tachycardia may be accompanied by presyncope.
The symptoms disappear if quality treatment of the disease is carried out.
extrasystole
Extrasystole is a condition in which there is a feeling of a second cardiac arrest. In osteochondrosis, this complication causes real panic. However, this unusual condition is the norm in the human body. It is true that most people do not notice that process.
Extrasystole is a kind of "break" in the work of the heart muscle. Surprisingly, these short breaks are vital for the organ.
These "breaks" happen to people, regardless of their age, weight, and daily physical activity.
Pressure in osteochondrosis.
High blood pressure is usually among the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis. But this pathology may have other reasons. With osteochondrosis, arteries, veins and blood vessels are compressed, and the nutrition of the brain and other organs deteriorates.
Patients begin to take medications to solve this problem, as a result of which blood stops flowing to the brain again. Lack of oxygen and lack of nutrients develops. A person is tormented by symptoms such as: weakness, drowsiness, pain and dizziness, pale skin, nausea.
Dealing with painful sensations
Once cardiac pain has been distinguished from osteochondrosis, the treatment of the diseases must be differentiated. If all symptoms are associated with damage to the thoracic spine, then no medications can be taken to relieve the feeling of pain in the heart.
Therapy should eliminate the causes of osteochondrosis or minimize them. Regular and systematic treatment has been shown to help relieve tension, spasms and tension in nerve fibers.Since the heart and osteochondrosis are strongly related, treatment should begin with the spine during an exacerbation:
- The person should not move much, bed rest is recommended.
- To relieve acute pain, NSAIDs or glucocorticosteroids are prescribed.
- Local medications are also used, which are good for relieving pain due to osteochondrosis.
- Physiotherapy helps in the early stages of the disease, but is rarely used to relieve pain. Only during the recovery period after an exacerbation.
- Manual therapy is a very effective method of restoring the vertebrae, relieving spasms, tension and swelling of the surrounding tissues.
- Exercises and sports that are useful for osteochondrosis of the thoracic region are also prescribed.
- Additionally, you can use folk recipes (baths and compresses), which are very relaxing and have a positive effect on the emotional state of patients.
- An equally important diet in the treatment of osteochondrosis. Adequate amounts of plant foods, healthy fats, and proteins are essential for repairing damaged tissue. A balanced diet also helps you lose excess weight.
The best way to determine if you are concerned about osteochondrosis or your heart is to undergo a medical examination. With the help of x-rays and a simple ECG, it is possible to understand what sensations are related to a particular disease.