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 vertebral disc, which develop in a context of severe stress, use of inappropriate shoes, intense physical effort and malnutrition. It develops gradually, so the patient may not notice the first symptoms right away.

The main signs of the disease

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

Patients often contact the following complaints:

• Severe pain in the neck area.
• Noise and congestion in the ears.
• Frequent dizziness.
• Shortness of breath, feeling short of breath.
• Nausea, vomiting.
• Blood pressure drops.
• Frequent fainting or syncope.
• Increase in 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 neurologist or therapist for a diagnosis.

Neck pain

One of the most common symptoms of cervical spine chondrosis is neck pain that affects the back of the head and shoulders. The nature of the pain (painful, sharp, mild tingling) directly depends on the location of the injury and the severity of the development of the pathological process. In the initial stage, this can be a mild discomfort, preventing you from turning your head freely in all directions. Gradually the pain becomes chronic and limits range of motion.

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

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

Hearing impaired patients 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 susceptible 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 pain in the head, since the symptom is not specific.

The following reasons cause an attack:

• Spasm of cerebral vessels.
• Pinched nerve endings in the cervicothoracic spine.
• Increase in blood pressure.
• Acute violation of venous flow.
• 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, dull in the form of seizures, or throbbing. In older people, this symptom requires a lot of attention, since it can speak of an incipient stroke, angina pectoris, heart attack or high blood pressure. Therefore, first of all, 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 the condition in time. Headaches accompanied by nausea, shortness of breath, necessarily require an ECG.

Dizziness

Poor coordination and frequent dizziness often appear when osteochondrosis reaches 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 function of the vestibular apparatus.

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

• Systemic vertigo.They appear as a sensation that the entire body and surrounding objects are spinning. The dysfunction appears due to a malfunction of the vestibular apparatus, weakening of the muscular tissue and receptors located in the joints.
• Non-systemic vertigo.In addition to instability, patients experience episodes of nausea, an uncertain state in an upright position. Circular rotation is usually 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 muscular tissue of the face, loss of consciousness, an emergency hospitalization is required.

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 arise from compression of the 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 radicular syndrome. The spasm of the diaphragm affects the depth and rate of breathing. The patient becomes stuffy and has trouble breathing air, memory and concentration problems appear. Such a symptom in osteochondrosis requires immediate assistance, as it can cause 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 gradually form, which affects blood pressure, and as a result, the patient feels an attack of nausea.

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

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 abrupt, since irritation of the nerve endings is a reflex and causes short-term spasms of blood vessels.

A hallmark of increased pressure in cervical osteochondrosis is:

• headache;
• chest discomfort;
• decreased sensitivity in the neck area;
• Muscle tension after being in one position for a long time.

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

Visual impairment

Osteochondrosis in the cervical spine often causes such unpleasant symptoms as double vision, blinking, the 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 in 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, only to achieve a 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 deterioration 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 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 close their eyes completely to rest for a night, and twilight vision suffers as well.

The ophthalmologist prescribes the 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 solved effectively.

Pharyngeal problems

Degenerative changes in the cervical vertebra cause swallowing problems. The patient complains of a lump in the throat, perspiration, foreign body sensation in the throat, itching. The signs indicate a malfunction of the neurovascular trunks that come from the spinal cord. But the symptomatology is 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. This symptomatology occurs when the vertebral artery is damaged, stenosis of the spinal canal or protrusion of the disc. It causes changes in neurosis and concomitant neurological disorders.

Against the background of increased temperature, numbness of the tongue or hands, swollen lymph nodes, and burning of the tongue are observed.

The characteristic cracking noise when turning the neck suggests osteochondrosis.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis, according to stage

The 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 disc. 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 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, since these can be mild headaches (felt more in women), neck discomfort, slight deterioration of vision or loss of sensation in the neck area. At this stage, patients rarely see a doctor, attributing symptoms to fatigue, lack of sleep, or stress.
2. Second stage.As the pathology progresses and the disc bulge appears, more pronounced symptoms appear. The destruction of the fibrous ring affects the movements of the head, they become more limited. Additionally, patients begin to complain of constant ringing in the ears, impaired visual function, neck pain with a characteristic cracking sound, swallowing problems, sleep disturbances, and decreased clarity of reflexes. Holding the head in one position causes extreme discomfort, requiring a doctor's consultation.
3. Third stage.Little by little, intervertebral hernias form, the fibrous ring 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 extremities, tendon reflexes are not observed, impaired 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 various symptoms. The reason is always hidden in compressed nerve endings, circulatory disorders and deformation of the intervertebral discs. The bulge, 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 the connective and bone tissues. This is due to weak muscle fibers, nutritional deficiencies, and chronic inflammatory diseases of 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. Timely detection of pathology prevents serious complications, so many people read patient reviews and compare them with their symptoms.

It is strictly forbidden to diagnose without laboratory tests and apparatus. Any information should only be taken 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 and conduct differential diagnoses, which makes it possible to timely identify the disease and prescribe the correct treatment, including physiotherapy, gymnastics and drug treatment.