Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

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

These are degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc that develop on the background of excessive stress, improper wearing of shoes, excessive physical exertion and malnutrition. It develops gradually, so the patient may not notice the first symptoms right away.

The main signs of the disease

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis appear in the course of the pathology. You will be more noticeable during an exacerbation. After the first signs of the disease are noticed, it is recommended to consult a doctor, as it is often disguised as other diseases, making it difficult to diagnose it in a timely manner.

Patients normally have contact with the following complaints:

• Severe pain in the collar area.
• noise and congestion in the ears.
• Frequent dizziness.
• Shortness of breath, shortness of breath.
• nausea, vomiting.
• The blood pressure is falling.
• Frequent fainting or syncope.
• Increase in body temperature.

The signs of cervical osteochondrosis in men are not significantly different from those in women. The patients complain of discomfort in the back of the head, 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, which affects the back of the head and shoulders. The type of pain (pain, sharpness, slight tingling) directly depends on the location of the lesion and the severity of the development of the pathological process. In the initial stages, this can be a slight discomfort that 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 itself as a result of deformation of the vertebrae due to insufficient blood supply to the collar zone. Against the background of this process, convulsions, anxiety and panic are observed. A painful sensation in the neck area can radiate to the shoulders or arms. Increase after sleep, sudden movements, laughing or sneezing. Discomfort is combined with a characteristic crunch when trying to turn or muscle weakness.

Muscle spasms and poor blood circulation often result not only in pain, but also in a temporary loss of the ability to move the neck. Constant overload spreads over the head and the patient complains of migraine attacks.

Tinnitus and stuffy ears

Osteochondrosis of the neck area also manifests itself as 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 the cochlea, but doctors rarely associate it with a disorder of the vertebrae. Pay attention to the type of noise and ringing in your ears. They usually increase when a person is in one position for a long time or tries to change it.

Patients with hearing problems are referred to an ENT doctor. With simultaneous diseases of the disease, such as numbness of the face, restricted 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 prone to them. The vertebrae in this area are constantly subjected to excessive stress, which leads to their gradual deformation when the muscle tissue is not elastic enough to hold them in a natural position. It is more difficult to identify the cause of the headache because the symptom is not specific.

The following reasons provoke an attack:

• Spasm of the brain vessels.
• Pinched nerve endings in the cervical spine.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Acute violation of the venous outflow.
• Increased tiredness.
• 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 pulsating. In the elderly, this symptom requires special attention, as it can speak of an incipient stroke, angina pectoris, heart attack or arterial hypertension. Therefore, before starting treatment for osteochondrosis, these conditions are first ruled out.

With heart disease, patients also complain of compression in the chest area, an irregular heart rhythm that enables the doctor to differentiate between the condition in good time. Headaches that are accompanied by nausea and shortness of breath necessarily require an EKG.

dizziness

Impaired coordination and frequent dizziness are common when osteochondrosis develops to grade 2 or higher. This is due to degenerative changes in the vertebrae, spasms and pinching of the nerve endings. The brain does not receive the required amount of oxygen, which has a negative effect on the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

Due to the deviation of the state, the symptom is:

• Systemic vertigo.They appear as a sensation of the whole body and the rotating surrounding objects. Dysfunction occurs due to a malfunction of the vestibular apparatus, a weakening of muscle tissue and receptors located in the joints.
• Non-systemic vertigo.In addition to instability, patients experience attacks of nausea, an unsafe state in an upright position. A circular rotation is usually absent.

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

Shortness of breath and lack of air

Another serious symptom of advanced osteochondrosis of 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 occurs when the vertebrae are displaced, 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 leads to a radicular syndrome. Spasms of the diaphragm affect the depth and rhythm of breathing. The patient becomes stuffy and difficult to breathe, and there are problems with memory and concentration. Such a symptom in osteochondrosis requires immediate help, as it can cause a number of serious complications. The doctor selects the medicine individually, taking into account the condition.

nausea

There is a large collection of nerve endings in the cervical area, which is where an artery runs that is responsible for carrying nutrients to the brain. With osteochondrosis, protrusions and intervertebral hernias gradually form, which affect blood pressure. As a result, the patient feels a fit of nausea.

Prolonged impairment of normal blood flow leads to vomiting, loss of consciousness and causes stroke and disability. Therefore, the appearance of such a symptom, which is not related to nutritional deficiencies, requires immediate medical advice.

Increased blood pressure

In cervical osteochondrosis, a typical symptom is an increase in pressure during the day. Elevated or decreased blood pressure is not maintained for a long time, which is a characteristic sign of degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. The daily dynamics of blood pressure are abrupt, as the irritation of the nerve endings is reflex, causing short-term spasms in the blood vessels.

A characteristic feature of increased pressure in cervical osteochondrosis is:

• headache;
• breast discomfort;
• decreased sensitivity in the collar area;
• Muscle tension after a long position.

All of this is taken into account in the diagnosis. The rapid worsening of the condition and sudden changes in pressure are the basis for hospitalization of the patient and for hospital support.

Visual impairment

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

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

• glaucoma.The patient is diagnosed with increased intraocular pressure and damage to the optic nerve. It is impossible to completely eliminate pathologists just 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 the oxygen supply to the brain. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of "flies" in front of the eyes. Starting treatment on time will help preserve the patient's eyesight.
• Claude Bernard Horner Disease.Hypoxia in the occipital area is considered to be one of the causes of the lesion. The main signs of a pathological condition are a decrease in the response of the pupil or a difference in the size of the pupil in different eyes. Some patients complain of not being able to fully close their eyes for a night's sleep, and vision at dusk also suffers.

The ophthalmologist prescribes the treatment after a thorough examination. However, therapy is carried out only in a complex aimed at eliminating the cause of the injury. Only then can the problem be effectively resolved.

Throat problems

Degenerative changes in the cervical vertebra lead to swallowing difficulties. The patient complains of a lump in the throat, sweat, the feeling of a foreign body in the throat, itching. Signs suggest a malfunction in the neurovascular strains that come from the spinal cord. However, the symptomatology is not considered characteristic and can be observed with pathological disorders such as inflammation, swelling.

Change in body temperature

Osteochondrosis leads to an increase in body temperature over time. These symptoms occur when the vertebral artery is damaged, there is spinal stenosis, or the intervertebral disc protrudes. It provokes changes in neurosis and accompanying 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 and a burning sensation of the tongue.

The characteristic crunch when turning the neck raises the suspicion of osteochondrosis.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis depending on the stage

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

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

1. Initial.Degenerative processes in the intervertebral discs go unnoticed by the patient. It is quite difficult to notice the first changes as these can be a slight headache (more severe in women), discomfort in the neck, a slight deterioration in vision or a loss of sensitivity in the collar area. At this stage, patients rarely see a doctor due to tiredness, lack of sleep, or stress.
2. Second level.As the pathology progresses and a disc protrusion appears, symptoms become more pronounced. The destruction of the annulus fibrosus affects the movements of the head, they become more restricted. In addition, the patients complain of constant ringing in the ears, visual disturbances, neck pain with a characteristic crunch, difficulty swallowing, sleep disorders and reduced clarity of the reflexes. Keeping the head in one position leads to severe discomfort that requires medical advice.
3. Third level.Gradually 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 neck pain, pronounced shoulder syndrome, paralysis of the upper extremities, tendon reflexes are not observed, sensitivity disorders in the scalp. This is a severe stage of the disease that requires complex treatment.

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

Age has a direct impact on the severity of symptoms. The older the patient, the greater the changes in the connective and bone tissue. This is due to muscle fiber weakness, lack of nutrients and chronic inflammatory diseases in the body.

Patient reviews

Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae is a common condition due to the constant stress on the nerve roots due to excessive mobility of the segment. Timely detection of a pathology avoids serious complications. Hence, many people read patient reviews and compare them to their symptoms.

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

Cervical osteochondrosis manifests itself in a wide variety of symptoms, but most of them are easy to confuse with similar pathologies. Therefore, it is recommended to consider the patient's discomfort in a complex and conduct differential diagnostics, which will make it possible to identify the disease in a timely manner and prescribe the correct treatment, including physical therapy, gymnastics and drug treatment.