Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is a common spinal disease that affects patients of all ages.

This means degenerative changes in the vertebral disc, under severe stress, wearing bad shoes, heavy physical exertion, and malnutrition. It develops gradually, so the patient may not notice the first symptoms immediately.

Main signs of the disease

Symptoms of cervical osteochondrosis appear as the pathology progresses. They are more severe during an exacerbation. Once you notice the first signs of the disease, it is recommended to see a doctor, as they are often disguised as other disorders, which complicates timely diagnosis.

Patients usually have the following complaints:

• Severe pain in the collar area.
• Noise and stuffy.
• Frequent dizziness.
• Shortness of breath, feeling of shortness of breath.
• Nausea, vomiting.
• Blood pressure drops.
• Frequent fainting or fainting.
• Rise in body temperature.

Signs of cervical osteochondrosis in men are not much different from those in women. Patients complain of discomfort in the neck, sternum and shoulder girdle. Contact your local therapist or neurologist for a diagnosis.

Neck pain

One of the most common symptoms of chondrosis of the cervical spine is neck pain involving the back of the head and shoulders. The nature of the pain (painful, sharp, light tingling) depends directly on the location of the injury and the severity of the pathological process. In the initial stage, this can cause mild discomfort, which does not allow you to turn your head freely in all directions. The pain gradually becomes chronic and limits the range of motion.

Pain is manifested as a result of deformity of the vertebrae due to insufficient blood supply to the collar zone. Against the background of this process, seizures, anxiety, and panic attacks can be observed. A painful sensation in the neck can radiate to the shoulders or arms. Increase after sleep, sudden movements, laughter or sneezing. Discomfort is combined with a characteristic crunch when trying to turn around, or muscle weakness.

Muscle cramps and poor circulation often lead not only to pain but also to temporary loss of the ability of the neck to move. Constant overload spreads throughout the head and the patient begins to complain of migraine attacks.

Tinnitus and stuffy ears

Osteochondrosis of the neck is caused by blockage of the ear, hearing loss, and noise. All this is due to the insufficient intensity of the blood supply to the vestibular device. This syndrome is called cochlear, but doctors rarely associate it with disorders of the vertebral region. Be aware of the nature of the noise and ringing in your ears, which are usually exacerbated when a person is in a position for a long time or tries to change them.

Patients with hearing problems are referred to an otolaryngologist. In the presence of concomitant disorders of the condition, such as facial numbness, limited neck mobility, further consultation with a neurologist is required to clarify the diagnosis and determine the cause.

Headache and migraine

The main symptoms of osteochondrosis of the cervix are rarely accompanied by frequent headaches in men, with the female population more susceptible to them. The vertebrae in this area are constantly exposed to excessive stress, leading to their gradual deformation if the muscle tissue is not flexible enough to keep them in a natural position. It is more difficult to determine the cause of the headache because the symptom is not specific.

The following causes an attack:

• Cerebral vasospasm.
• Pinched nerve endings in the cervicothoracic spine.
• High blood pressure.
• Acute violation of venous outflow.
• Increased fatigue.
• Prolonged staying in an unnatural position.

Headache worsens during exacerbation and in one patient, including a man. Depending on its nature, it can be constant, boring in the form of seizures or throbbing. In older people, this symptom requires increased attention as it may speak of initial stroke, angina pectoris, heart attack, or arterial hypertension. Therefore, first, these conditions are ruled out before starting treatment for osteochondrosis.

With cardiac pathologies, patients also complain of compression around the chest, an irregular heartbeat that allows the doctor to differentiate the condition in a timely manner. Headache with nausea and shortness of breath necessarily requires an ECG.

Dizziness

Disorder of coordination and frequent dizziness often occur when osteochondrosis progresses to grade 2 or higher. This is due to degenerative changes in the vertebrae, cramps, pinched nerve endings. The brain does not receive the required amount of oxygen, which negatively affects the functioning of the vestibular device.

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

• Systemic dizziness.They seem to rotate the whole body and feel the objects around it. The dysfunction is due to a failure of the vestibular device, a weakening of the muscle tissue and receptors in the joints.
• Non-systemic dizziness.In addition to instability, patients experience nausea and insecurity in a vertical position. Circulation is usually absent.

Dizziness is a severe symptom that should be treated immediately by a doctor. Shoulder numbness, facial muscle paralysis, loss of consciousness, emergency hospital treatment are required.

Shortness of breath and shortness of breath

Another serious symptom of advanced osteochondrosis of the shoulder area is a feeling of constant shortness of breath. Breathing problems are caused by compression of nerve endings and receptors that do not transmit impulses from the pharynx to the esophagus. Shortness of breath appears when the vertebrae move, growing in a stressful state, accompanied by a lot in the throat. After taking sedatives, your health will return to normal.

Lack of air causes radical syndrome. Diaphragmatic spasm affects the depth and rhythm of breathing. The patient is stuffy and has difficulty breathing air, with problems with memory and concentration. This symptom of osteochondrosis needs immediate help as it can cause a number of serious complications. The doctor will select the drug individually, taking into account the condition.

Nausea

There are a large number of nerve endings in the neck region where an artery runs that is responsible for delivering nutrients to the brain. In osteochondrosis, protrusions and intervertebral injuries gradually develop, which affect blood pressure and, as a result, the patient feels nausea.

Permanent damage to normal circulation leads to vomiting, loss of consciousness, stroke and disability. Therefore, the appearance of such a symptom, which is not related to eating disorders, requires immediate medical advice.

High blood pressure

A typical symptom of cervical osteochondrosis is an increase in pressure during the day. For a long time, the increased or decreased blood pressure does not persist, which is a characteristic sign of degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. The daily dynamics of blood pressure are sudden as irritation of nerve endings causes reflex and short-term vascular spasms.

The hallmark of increased pressure in cervical osteochondrosis is:

• headache;
• chest discomfort;
• decreased sensitivity in the collar zone;
• Muscle tension after being in a position for a long time.

All of this is taken into account when making a diagnosis. The rapid deterioration of the condition and the sudden change in pressure is the basis for the patient’s hospital care and assistance in the hospital setting.

Visual impairment

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine often presents with unpleasant symptoms such as double vision, flickering, and the appearance of “flies”. This indicates the severity of the process and a doctor should be consulted.

The following diseases can develop as a result of the destruction of vertebral connective tissue:

• Glaucoma.The patient is diagnosed with increased intraocular pressure, damage to the optic nerve. It is impossible to completely eliminate pathologists, only with complex treatment can a stable remission be achieved.
• Cataract.This pathological process leads to the destruction of the lens. The changes are accompanied by metabolic processes and acute disruption of the oxygen supply to the brain. The first sign of the disease is the appearance of "flies" in the eye. Starting treatment on time will help maintain the patient's vision.
• Claude Bernard-Horner's disease.Hypoxia in the occipital region is considered to be one of the causes of the lesion. The main signs of the pathological condition are a decrease in the pupil response or a difference in pupil size in different eyes. Some patients complain that they cannot completely close their eyes for a night’s rest and also suffer from twilight vision.

An ophthalmologist will prescribe treatment after a thorough examination. But the therapy is performed only in a complex designed to eliminate the cause of the violation. Only then can the problem be dealt with effectively.

Throat problems

Degenerative changes in the cervical vertebrae cause swallowing problems. The patient complains of lumps in the throat, sweating, foreign throat feeling in the throat, itching. Signs indicate failure of neurovascular strains from the spinal cord. But the symptoms are not considered characteristic and can be observed with pathological disorders such as inflammation, swelling.

Change in body temperature

Causes an increase in body temperature as osteochondrosis progresses. Such symptoms occur when the vertebral artery is damaged, the spinal canal narrows, or the plate protrudes. It triggers changes in neurosis and associated neurological disorders.

Temperature rise, numbness of the tongue or hands, inflammation of the lymph nodes, burning of the tongue.

The characteristic cracking when the neck is turned allows for the suspicion of osteochondrosis.

Symptoms of osteochondrosis depending on the stage

Signs of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are highly dependent on the degree of development of the pathology, the compressive force of the nerve endings, and the process of disc deformation. It provokes the appearance of symptoms of compression of the vertebral artery and violation of the blood flowing into the brain. Trapped nerve endings lead to severe neurological pathologies.

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

1. Initial.Degenerative processes in the vertebral discs proceed without the patient noticing. It is quite difficult to notice the first changes as these can be mild headaches (more noticeable in women), discomfort in the neck, slight deterioration in vision, or loss of sensitivity in the collar zone. At this stage, patients rarely see a doctor, attributing symptoms to fatigue, lack of sleep, or stress.
2. Second section.As the pathology progresses and the disc protrudes, more pronounced symptoms appear. The destruction of the annulus fibrosus affects the movements of the head, they become more limited. Patients begin to complain of constant ringing in the ears, impaired visual function, neck pain with characteristic cracking, swallowing problems, sleep disturbances, and decreased clarity of reflexes. Keeping the head in one position causes severe discomfort that requires medical consultation.
3. Third section.Intervertebral hernias gradually form, the fibrous ring is completely destroyed, the vertebrae are deformed, bone segments, displacements, instability are displaced. The patient complains of acute neck pain, pronounced shoulder syndrome, paralysis of the upper extremities, tendon reflexes not observed, deterioration of the sensitivity of the scalp. This is a severe stage of the disease that requires complex treatment.

Osteochondrosis is a chronic systemic disease that manifests itself in a variety of symptoms. The cause always lies in the latent nerve endings, circulatory disorders, and deformity of the intervertebral discs. The protrusion, hernia, and displacement gradually lead to a loss of vertebral mobility.

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

Patient Overview

A common disease of osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae because the nerve roots are exposed to stress due to excessive mobility of the segment. Timely recognition of pathology avoids serious complications, so many read patients ’opinions and compare them to their symptoms.

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

Cervical osteochondrosis is characterized by a number of symptoms, but most of them are easily confused with similar pathologies. Therefore, it is recommended that the patient’s complaints be considered in a complex way and that a differential diagnosis be made that allows the disease to be identified in a timely manner and the correct treatment to be prescribed, which includes physiotherapy, exercise, and medication.