If you are concerned about neck pain and you haven't seen a doctor yet, you need to find out what the dangers of cervical osteochondrosis are, and what fatal consequences it can lead to. The awareness of danger must prompt him to act.
Cervical osteochondrosis is considered one of the most dangerous injuries of the spine, since a large number of vital vessels and arteries and capillaries are concentrated in the neck region. That is why among the unpleasant consequences of this disease are vegetative-vascular dystonia, hypertension, lack of oxygen, etc.
Cervical osteochondrosis cannot go unnoticed, as in most cases it is accompanied by severe pain, vivid symptoms. Pain syndrome is an indicator that the work of the entire body is interrupted. If you ignore these signs, the result can be disastrous, ranging from irreversible spinal damage 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 delay a complete and complex treatment.
general clinical picture
Violations of the cervical spine mainly affect its lower segments, which is associated with physiological characteristics and lifestyle. If you experience pain in your neck, shoulders, head, it indicates degenerative changes in this area, pinched nerve, muscle spasms, or vertebral artery compression.
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, coughing, and difficulty swallowing.
At the beginning of the disease, they complain of constant headaches, tiredness, hearing and visual impairment, dizziness, fainting. Of course, alongside this, there is always a sharp or pulling pain in the neck and shoulders. It is important at this stage of the disease to consult a doctor, establish a diagnosis and start a course of treatment, which includes both taking special medications and physical therapy, manual therapy for 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 overcome.
spinal injuries
If a nerve is compressed by vertebral discs in the spine at any location, hernias and protrusions occur. These pathologies are chronic, sometimes exacerbated and then abate.If the sharp pain attacks go away and don't bother even for several weeks, it doesn't mean that the disease has receded and everything goes away by itself. "By itself" can not pass, the treatment of bumps and then hernias, requires complex treatment for several months, or even years.
A herniated disc immediately leads to bone growth in the vertebral bodies, salt deposition, and sclerotic plaques in the vessels. Furthermore, 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 functioning of the hypothalamus, the process of breathing and swallowing becomes difficult.
The heart's work becomes difficult, it starts to work faster, increasing the pace, blood pressure automatically rises, and this, in turn, reaches the vessels.
Violations of the vegetative-vascular system
Medicines - analgesics, antispasmodics, ointments to relieve pain, etc. - no 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, it will stop responding to them, the illness will return and the symptoms sometimes intensify.
This threatens with vegetative-vascular dystonia - which is more dangerous for osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. As a result of compression of the vertebral artery, which provides one-third of the nutrition of the brain and other vital organs, the entire body suffers.
By the way, many physicians do not consider vegetative-vascular dystonia to be an independent disease. Experts are sure that this is just a consequence of breaches of other systems. And osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is often the main "causer" of cardiovascular disease.
First, the vasomotor center, which is responsible for regulating vital functions, heart function, and normal blood pressure, suffers. As a result of the lack of normal blood circulation in the upper parts of the body, the person feels numbness in the hands, finds it difficult to breathe and swallow. Deterioration of motor skills, possible disorientation in space, frequent fainting, "cottonance" in the head.
Due to the lack of blood flow, the heart is trying to make up for the "lack" and therefore starts to work faster and faster.Because of this, blood pressure rises, heart rate rises, and tachycardia begins.After a certain amount of time 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 cause dysfunction of many internal organs. In particular, the adrenal glands overload and release the hormone cortisol in excess of normal.
Over time, the disease will progress. Tachycardia, nervous disorders, as well as hypertension and hypotension bother the person who started cervical osteochondrosis.
Hypertension and Hypotension
Another dangerous thing about cervical osteochondrosis is the triggering of hypertension, one of the most terrible diseases. Initially, it goes completely unnoticed by a person, with no visible symptoms. Unfortunately, neck pain is rarely associated with hypertension. Without proper treatment, it can progress to coronary heart disease, cause myocardial infarction and cause a stroke. As you know, mortality caused by cardiovascular disease ranks first in the world.
As for hypotension, it cannot directly deprive the patient of her life, but it causes extremely unpleasant symptoms.
Hypotension is a lack of oxygen caused by inadequate nutrition to the brain, cerebellum, and inner ear. Because the brain receives little oxygen and other nutrients, it cannot guarantee the full functioning of the body.A person lacks vital energy, feels weak, chronic fatigue, nausea attacks, drowsiness.Naturally, he is constantly in a bad mood, his performance diminishes. In the long term, there is a deterioration of memory, vision and hearing, loss of concentration.
One of the most striking consequences of cervical osteochondrosis and the hypotension caused by it is the so-called gout syndrome - unexpected fainting and one of the most common - headaches and nervous system disorders.
Headaches and nervous system disorders
What if you don't have the flu, acute respiratory infections, normal blood pressure, but still suffer from constant headaches? It is quite possible that these are the consequences of cervical osteochondrosis. Nerves are compressed, blood vessels are compressed, blood is not supplied to the brain in the necessary volumes, the result is pain and dizziness, throbbing in the temples, pressure in the occipital region.
In this state, it is difficult to continue doing your work with high quality, being in a good mood, concentrating and playing sports. If you prefer to swallow pills in your head, painkillers, and not go to the doctor for a complete exam, you run the risk of contracting the disease and having serious disturbances in all of the body's systems, including the nervous system.
Depression, panic, apathy, irritability, aggression - all are indicators of a violation of the functioning of the human nervous system.
If the illness has moved on to later stages, restricts your movements, restricts vital activity, causes constant and incessant pain, and you have endured it all this time, then the onset of neuroses is a completely natural symptom. Also, if cervical osteochondrosis is left untreated, certain syndromes associated with dysfunction of certain organs can develop.
Syndromes
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine can lead to the following unpleasant syndromes:
- Vestibular Trunk Syndrome - it spoils a person's life and causes many inconveniences. The main symptoms include spatial disorientation, loss of hearing and vision, and fainting. The hands may open involuntarily, and leg weakness may appear.
- Because the vestibular system does not work normally, cochlear syndrome can occur - it will make noise in the ears, it will 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 lower and hoarse.
The list of consequences of cervical osteochondrosis does not end there. The above is the main factor this insidious disease leads to. Remember that in the first complaints and suspicions that you have a disease in your spine, look for a specialist.
He will take an exam, outline an individual course of treatment.Only in this way is it possible to avoid the terrible consequences of cervical osteochondrosis, described in the article.And if you are healthy and this disease hasn't affected you, then don't forget about preventive measures to stay healthy in the future.