If you are worried about pain in the neck area, and you still have not gone to the doctor, you need to find out what the danger of cervical osteochondrosis is, what fatal consequences it can lead to. Awareness of the danger must impel you to take action.
Cervical osteochondrosis is considered one of the most dangerous lesions of the spine, since a huge number of vessels and vital arteries and capillaries are concentrated in the neck area. That is why among the unpleasant consequences of this disease is vegetative-vascular dystonia, hypertension, oxygen starvation, etc.
Cervical osteochondrosis cannot proceed unnoticed, because in most cases it is accompanied by severe pain, vivid symptoms. Pain syndrome is an indicator that the work of the whole organism is disrupted. If you ignore these signs, then the result can be disastrous, ranging from irreversible damage to the spine and up to death.
After reviewing the information below, you will see that the consequences of cervical osteochondrosis are really serious, which means that in no case should you postpone a full-fledged complex treatment.
General clinical picture
Disorders in the cervical spine mainly affect its lower segments, which is associated with physiological characteristics and lifestyle. If you feel aching pain in the neck, shoulders, head, this indicates degenerative changes in this area, pinched nerve, muscle spasms or compression of the vertebral artery.
Cervical osteochondrosis affects the segments of the spine responsible for the functioning of the shoulder and elbow joints, thyroid gland, hands, esophagus and trachea. The most common symptoms include pain in these areas of the body, hypothyroidism, seizures, numbness in the face and hands, cough, and difficulty swallowing.
At the very beginning of the disease, there are complaints of constant headaches, fatigue, hearing and vision impairment, dizziness, fainting. Naturally, in parallel with this, there is always a sharp or pulling pain in the neck and shoulders. It is important at this stage of the disease to visit a doctor, establish a diagnosis and begin a course of treatment, which includes both taking special drugs and physiotherapy, manual therapy of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Otherwise, the disease will move to the next level, complications of cervical osteochondrosis will begin, which are very difficult, if not impossible, to defeat.
Spinal lesions
If a nerve is pinched by vertebral discs in any area of the spinal column, hernias and protrusions occur. These pathologies are chronic, sometimes exacerbated, then subside.If the attacks of sharp pain pass and do not bother even for several weeks, this does not mean that the disease has receded and everything goes away by itself. "On its own" it cannot pass, the treatment of protrusions, and then hernias, requires complex treatment for several months, or even years.
A herniated disc instantly entails bone growth of the vertebral bodies, salt deposition, and sclerotic plaques in the vessels. In addition, the danger comes from the transmitted vertebral arteries, which cannot fully transport oxygen and nutrients to the brain, inner ear, and upper spinal cord. Oxygen starvation occurs, which leads to dizziness, loss of consciousness, and constant fatigue. The pituitary gland suffers, there are disturbances in the hypothalamus, the process of breathing and swallowing becomes difficult.
The work of the heart becomes difficult, it begins to work faster, increasing the rhythm, blood pressure automatically rises, and this, in turn, affects the vessels.
Violations of the vegetative-vascular system
Medicines - analgesics, antispasmodics, pain relieving ointments, etc. - without parallel physical activity, therapeutic massage, will relieve pain and other symptoms, but only for a short period of time. The body will quickly get used to the active substances, stop responding to them, the disease will come back, and the symptoms will intensify at times.
This threatens with vegetative-vascular dystonia, which is what is most dangerous for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. As a result of compression of the vertebral artery, which provides a third of the nutrition of the brain and other vital organs, the entire body suffers.
By the way, many doctors do not consider vegetative-vascular dystonia an independent disease. Experts are sure that this is only a consequence of violations of other systems. And osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is often the main "provocateur" of cardiovascular ailments.
First of all, the vasomotor center, which is responsible for the regulation of vital activity, heart function and normal blood pressure, suffers. As a result of the lack of normal blood circulation in the upper parts of the body, a person feels numbness in his hands, notices difficulties in breathing and swallowing. Deterioration of motor skills, disorientation in space, frequent fainting, "cottoniness" in the head is possible.
Due to poor blood flow, the heart is trying to fill the "shortage", and therefore begins to work faster and faster.Because of this, blood pressure rises, heart rate increases, and tachycardia begins.After a while of such accelerated work, the heart muscle is stretched.
Compression of blood vessels and the spread of complications to the spine adjacent to the neck causes dysfunction of many internal organs. In particular, the adrenal glands overwork and release the hormone cortisol in excess of the norm.
Over time, the disease will progress. Tachycardia, nervous disorders, as well as hypertension and hypotension will bother a person who has launched cervical osteochondrosis.
Hypertension and hypotension
Another dangerous thing about cervical osteochondrosis is the provocation of hypertension, one of the most terrible diseases. Initially, it passes completely unnoticed by a person, without visible symptoms. Unfortunately, neck pain is rarely associated with hypertension. Without proper treatment, it can develop into coronary heart disease, cause myocardial infarction, and provoke a stroke. As you know, mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases ranks first in the world.
As for hypotension, it is not able to directly deprive the patient of her life, but it entails extremely unpleasant symptoms.
Hypotension is oxygen starvation caused by inadequate nutrition of the brain, cerebellum, and inner ear. Due to the fact that the brain receives little oxygen and other nutrients, it cannot ensure the full functioning of the body.A person lacks vital energy, he feels weak, chronic fatigue, bouts of nausea, drowsiness.Naturally, he is constantly in a bad mood, his performance decreases. In the long term, there is a deterioration in memory, vision and hearing, loss of concentration.
One of the most striking consequences of cervical osteochondrosis and hypotension caused by it is the so-called drop syndrome - unexpected fainting, and one of the most common - headaches and disorders of the nervous system.
Headaches and nervous system disorders
What if you do not have flu, acute respiratory infections, blood pressure is normal, but you still suffer from constant headaches? It is quite possible that these are the consequences of cervical osteochondrosis. Nerves are pinched, blood vessels are pinched, blood is not supplied to the brain in the required volumes, the result is pain and dizziness, pulsating in the temples, pressing in the occipital region.
In such a state, it is difficult to continue to do your job with high quality, to be in a good mood, to concentrate, to play sports. If you prefer to swallow pills from the head, painkillers, and not go to the doctor and conduct a full examination, then you run the risk of running the disease and providing yourself with serious disorders of all body systems, including the nervous one.
Depression, panic, apathy, irritability, aggression - these are all indicators of a violation of the functioning of the human nervous system.
If the disease has passed into later stages, constrains your movements, restricts life activity, causes constant incessant pain, and you endured all this time, then the appearance of neuroses is a completely natural symptom. In addition, if cervical osteochondrosis is not treated, certain syndromes associated with dysfunction of certain organs may develop.
Syndromes
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can lead to the following unpleasant syndromes:
- Vestibular-stem syndrome - spoils a person's life and causes a huge amount of inconvenience. The main symptoms include disorientation in space, loss of hearing and vision, and fainting. Hands may involuntarily unclench, weakness in the legs will appear.
- Due to the fact that the vestibular apparatus cannot function normally, cochlear syndrome may occur - it will make noise in the ears, darken in the eyes.
- Laryngeal syndrome sometimes occurs. Then it is difficult for the patient to swallow, it seems that there is a lump in the throat, the voice becomes quieter and coarser.
The list of consequences of cervical osteochondrosis does not end there. The above is the main thing that this insidious disease leads to. Remember that at the first complaints and suspicions that you have a spinal disease, contact a specialist.
He will conduct an examination, draw up an individual course of treatment.This is the only way to avoid the terrible consequences of cervical osteochondrosis, described in the article.And if you are healthy and this ailment has not affected you, then do not forget about preventive measures in order to remain healthy in the future.