In women, cervical osteochondrosis (COX) is diagnosed more often than in men. Despite this, their symptoms are almost identical. But it is worth remembering that the course of the disease in each patient occurs individually, regardless of gender.
Men react less attentively to any crunch in the neck, the symptoms of SHX are latent. This is due to the anatomy of people of different sexes. Male muscles are developed, so additional protection is created for the discs. They create a kind of shell that supports the vertebrae, which prevents their deformation.
The female spine is better adapted to various stresses (in connection with the birth and bearing of children), but the symptoms of SCD appear more often and brighter.
How are the spine and men's health interrelated?
With the defeat of SHX, the brain receives less nutrients, blockage of blood vessels occurs. Most often, men complain of migraines and dizziness.Men begin to worry:
- Hypertension.
- The rhythm of coordination is disturbed, unsteadiness occurs when walking.
- Decreased visual activity and acuity.
- Hearing worsens, often ringing in the ears.
- The voice becomes hoarse and rough, as if after an illness.
- Increasingly, women begin to complain about the snoring of their men.
Symptoms
Various pains
Unpleasant sensations begin with strong movements of the cervical region. They may be accompanied by frequent forced expiration and sneezing. If the affected area is stretched by a through wind or while diving into an ice hole, then unpleasant sensations become acute. It is difficult for a man to turn his head, even a slight tilt provokes discomfort.
If at the same time the middle finger or toe becomes numb or crunches, then most often WOH occurs in parallel with the disease of the roots of the spinal nerves.
Weakness of the upper limbs
Elderly men often complain of weakness and numbness of the bone tissue. Most often it manifests itself on the arms or legs, especially at night or during a sudden change in weather.
If nothing is done, muscle weakness will lead to their numbness and atrophy. This happens due to diseases in the spinal cord. The latter are directly related to the development of ailments of the roots of the spinal nerves.
Desensitization
Tissue sensitivity is reduced as a result of blockage or inflammation of blood vessels. Sensuality is disturbed, which is manifested by ossification, chills, the skin in the affected area becomes pale, during massage it acquires a scarlet hue. To problems with blood vessels, a deterioration in blood flow is often added.
Cracking in the neck and limited mobility
Not always crunchy movements in the cervical region signal dangerous diseases, which indicate pathological processes. It can be caused by genetic predispositions. Most often it appears as a result of an increase in the load on the cervical region. Another reason is spasm or maximum relaxation of muscles that do not have time to respond to contractions.
Crunchy movements appear in response to excessive joint mobility. They can be provoked by frequent and intense physical exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back.
Often, crunchy movements in the cervical region appear with quick turns of the head, which signals the development of such pathologies:
- Dystrophic disorders in articular cartilage.
- Spiny growth of bone tissue along the edges of the bodies.
- Salt deposits.
- Displacement of a bone in a joint due to trauma.
- Displacement of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc with rupture of the annulus fibrosus.
- Spondylolisthesis.
- Cartilage deformity.
The spine loses its shock-absorbing features, the intensity of friction and its strength doubles, and a crunch appears. Because of this, the spine physiologically lowers, which causes a restriction of motor activity during inclinations or movements of the pelvis in a circle.
Loss of coordination and dizziness
The problem develops with a lack of blood supply, which feeds the complex receptor of the vestibular analyzer.
The patient suddenly has forced expiration or urge to vomit. A person feels constrained during movements, his legs give way, the man is disoriented in space.
Blurred vision and hearing, numbness of the tongue
A man has a veil in his eyes, white spots resembling small flies. Over time, the picture becomes clear, then becomes cloudy, such flashes can occur after a few minutes, and continue on an ongoing basis. They may stop on their own after a while. Sometimes a man begins to be disoriented in time and space.
Hearing loss is also diagnosed.The man increasingly begins to ring in his ears, he hears noises. Often the sound appears in one ear, less often in both at the same time. Sometimes men are bothered by the feeling of a plug in their ears, which itches from time to time.
Sore throat
Experts call this symptom pharyngeal cervical osteochondrosis. A man seems to have a mucous plug in his throat, it is difficult for him to speak, breathe, he begins to cough allergically. The cork provokes perspiration, which is indicated by a sore throat. The mucous membrane, due to frequent dry unproductive cough, dries up, there is a burning sensation, itching. After this, a classic sore throat begins, the voice becomes hoarse. If you do not determine the root cause of such a reaction, over the years the situation will only worsen.
Tingling in the heart, feeling of pressure in the chest
In some caseswith SOH, tingling occurs in the area of the shoulder joint or elbow. In this case, compressive movements in the thoracic region are diagnosed. The heart muscle or liver often tingles because the blood flow is disturbed and the organs do not receive the necessary amount of nutrients that the blood distributes.
Over time, due to SHOH, the heart begins to prick and pinch strongly, the heart rate quickens.
Redness of the skin
Because of the SOC, neurological problems begin in the brain area, which regulates its neuroendocrine activity and homeostasis of the body. This provokes chronic fatigue syndrome, a man wants to sleep all the time, his mood often changes, his skin becomes scarlet.
Besides,neurology becomes the cause of depression, a man is haunted by panic attacksand unreasonable fear. The skin becomes scarlet, then it turns pale sharply, the pressure rises, the heart beats faster.
In this case, in men, sexual activity decreases, urination is difficult, and apathy for food appears.
Other signs
- Sudden vasospasms. A person accidentally loses orientation in space and "falls off his feet. "In this case, it must be placed on a hard surface and wait for a while until the blood supply to the brain improves. The man will come to his senses after a few minutes, but after that he will feel tired, his head will start to hurt.
- Pain can affect the arms, shoulders, and also the cervical region. It often appears in the occipital lobe, squeezing the head of a man like a rim.
- Increased tone of the upper chest. At night, the muscle corset is in good shape, which affects the tension.
- Pinched nerve roots. Symptoms can vary. It depends on the course of the disease, its stage and the affected spine itself. For example, fingers may go numb or all limbs become paralyzed.
- Neuralgia of the nerve roots on the back of the head. This symptomatology is typical for the representatives of the stronger sex, in whom inflammatory processes occur or the cervical nerves are irritated during the illness. As a rule, this appears during frostbite or increased soreness of the occipital region.
The attack happens in men suddenly, it resembles an electric shock. Such a negative reaction lasts only a couple of minutes, then the pain begins to recede. Neuralgia manifests itself up to 5 times a day. At the same time, the occipital lobe loses sensitivity, goosebumps appear.
Diagnostic methods
The patient before starting therapy must undergo a course of examination to determine the affected areas.
Diagnostic technique:
- MRI or CT.
- X-ray.
- Rheumatic tests.
Which doctor should I contact?
If a man feels a number of symptoms that provoke SOH, it is better to immediately contact a specialist. Which one to contact:
- Therapist. They conduct an initial examination, give advice. If symptoms of SOS are detected, the patient is referred to a specialist in a narrow field of work.
- Neurologist/Neurologist. WOH is a type of neurological disease, so a man should be consulted by a neurologist (neuropathologist).
- Specialist in vertebroneurology. This specialist chooses the method of therapy and diagnoses the condition of the spinal column.
- Physiotherapist. He eliminates ailments using non-traditional methods of treatment, among which acupuncture stands out. This improves blood flow and relieves muscle spasm.
When is it necessary to contact a specialist?
- With primary symptoms of changes in visual and auditory activity.
- Pain that cannot be relieved by pharmacological agents.
- Vascular spasms that cause loss of consciousness.
Development and course of the disease
- The first degree of SHOH: minor pathologies in the area of the nucleus pulposus of the fibrocartilaginous formation. Excessive load provokes dehydration of the nucleus, which negatively affects the size of the disc and the formation of cracks.
- The second stage of SHOH: the height of the discs rapidly decreases, the spinal column begins to sag. This provokes increased mobility of the vertebrae.
- The third stage: prolapses and protrusions of the intervertebral discs are formed, which may be accompanied by the development of chronic spasm of the intervertebral joints.
Treatment
Treatment is complex therapy, depending on the stage of development of the disease, it lasts from 30 to 90 days of intensive therapy, and 12 months of supportive measures to consolidate the results, as well as prevention of relapses.
Conservative therapy of the disease - taking pharmacological drugs, performing complex gymnastics.Surgical intervention will be justified only in the absence of positive dynamics,disease progression.
Folk remedies
The celery root is crushed and taken in proportions: 4 gr. root is poured with a liter of hot water. Infused for a day and filtered. It is taken 10 grams three times a day.
In folk therapy, self-massage or the use of a needle applicator will be excellent.