Pathologies of the spine often cause completely unexpected symptoms.
At first glance, they have nothing to do with the disease. But - a person has cervical osteochondrosis and dizziness, fears and depression can also easily become part of his life.
For successful treatment, it is important to correctly identify the root cause of these problems.
Dizziness in osteochondrosis: causes
Cervical osteochondrosis is especially dangerous because it disrupts the blood supply to the brain. Deformation of the discs and vertebrae can cause compression of the spinal artery, which provides up to a quarter of the volume of blood that the brain needs.
Dizziness is a direct result of oxygen starvation in the brain. In the milder stages of the disease it usually appears periodically and briefly. The head may feel dizzy after sleep or when there is a sudden change in body position. If the disease progresses, this condition can last for hours. It is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, visual impairment.
It is very important to correctly identify the cause of the problem. The head can be dizzy not only from osteochondrosis. The same symptom can occur from disorders of the heart and blood vessels, anemia and other diseases. In this case, treatment approaches must be completely different. Often a misdiagnosis causes people to be treated for years for hypertension or other similar diseases, instead of dealing with the spine.
Blood pressure and cervical osteochondrosis
In this case, cervical osteochondrosis can also cause manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia. The reasons also lie in the pinching of the spinal artery, as well as in muscle spasms. Intracranial pressure reacts particularly painfully to osteochondrosis.
This phenomenon can manifest itself as headache, heaviness, tinnitus and visual impairment. The use of conventional drugs to treat hypertension does not work (or they are short-lived). Again, the correct diagnosis is the key to treatment success.
High blood pressure can also cause pain, so the manifestations of VSD in osteochondrosis are very strong.
If, in addition to the neck, the chest area is also affected, there may be interruptions in the work of the heart, arrhythmia and a feeling of tightness in the chest. Again, heart medications do not work.
Osteochondrosis is very dangerous because it gives symptoms similar to those of other serious diseases. Much can be attributed to him and you can miss the moment when emergency care is needed for the heart and blood vessels.
What to do if you feel dizzy from cervical osteochondrosis
If the diagnosis has not yet been made, dizziness due to osteochondrosis may be suspected if it occurs when changing posture. Also, the neck usually cracks.
Dizziness can be eliminated by maintaining normal blood circulation in the neck. You can try self-massage as a quick-acting tool. To prevent recurrence of the attacks, you will need to undergo a course of treatment. What to do in a particular situation, the doctor will advise.
Different medications and therapies may be needed at different stages of the disease:
- A course of muscle relaxants to relieve muscle spasms.
- B vitamins - they also have a beneficial effect on blood circulation.
- Several massage sessions with a specialist, then regular neck self-massage.
- Physiotherapy is mandatory - the movements will help to release constricted vessels and will stimulate blood flow.
Prolonged exposure to fresh air works well. You should quit smoking and limit alcohol intake, as these bad habits negatively affect blood circulation. And most importantly, diagnose cervical osteochondrosis in time and dizziness, fears and depression will not have time to develop.
Reasonable and unfounded fears of osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis manifests itself not only in the physical but also in the psychological sphere. Often this disease is accompanied by panic attacks and obsessive fears.
Their appearance has objective and subjective reasons. Unreasonable panic can be the result of a cerebrovascular accident.
But even more often the fears are a consequence of other painful manifestations of osteochondrosis:
- The patient is constantly waiting for attacks of pain and is afraid of them.
- There is a fear of becoming disabled.
- The duration of treatment is frightening with the prospect of no results.
- Some symptoms cause anticipation of other diseases (heart attack, stroke, upset stomach).
Such psychological reactions can be avoided only with appropriate treatment. The patient must constantly remind himself that osteochondrosis is not a sentence. Do not neglect painkillers so that there is no fear of pain. The patient's relatives and acquaintances must constantly demonstrate confidence in his rapid recovery and maintain a constructive attitude.
Depression as a possible result of osteochondrosis
If such "psychotherapy" is not given, there is a risk of developing depression.
This condition can have a number of unpleasant consequences:
- Loss of productivity, chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Insomnia.
- Mental impairment.
- Serious self-esteem.
- Menstrual disorders in women.
- Digestive disorders.
- Numbness in certain parts of the body.
Releasing depression can even lead to suicide attempts, so ignoring its manifestations is dangerous.
Depression occurs as a reaction to prolonged pain and discomfort. Its appearance is facilitated by social problems that inevitably accompany patients with osteochondrosis.
- Feeling of losing the opportunity to lead a full life.
- Prolonged "dropping out" of the labor process.
- The realization that the disease causes inconvenience to loved ones.
- Feelings of helplessness, futile efforts - the disease does not disappear despite the measures taken.
It is important to keep in mind that some painkillers also have a depressant effect on the central nervous system and can lead to depression. Therefore, strong analgesics should not be abused, used only for exacerbation. If there is no severe pain, it is better to use ointments, massage and physiotherapy procedures. The patient's relatives should take into account that depression often prevents the patient from realizing his problem, so they will almost certainly have to "push" him to treatment.
Treatment of psychological problems in osteochondrosis
In case of severe depression with very dangerous manifestations, it is often necessary to use strong antidepressants. But you should know that all such drugs have an addictive effect and you can not use them for a long time. Immediately after the elimination of the most severe manifestations, such drugs should be abandoned.
To get rid of fears and depression, it is first necessary to treat osteochondrosis itself. A set of standard measures is suitable for this: elimination of muscle spasms, chondroprotectors to strengthen cartilage tissue, physical education, physiotherapy. But at the same time it is necessary to improve the mental state of the patient.
- Regular walks and moderate physical activity are required. Light physical activity stimulates pleasure.
- To normalize your sleep, you need an orthopedic pillow or just a low hard pillow. The bedroom should always be well ventilated.
- Others need to motivate the patient to recover.
- It is necessary, as far as possible, to involve the patient in public life, family affairs and official duties. In most cases, you can find activities that will not harm your spine. But the person will feel useful and needed.
- In severe cases, you may need the help of a psychologist or even a psychiatrist. There is no need to be afraid - visiting a psychiatrist does not mean losing your mind.
The main thing is to "call for order" cervical osteochondrosis and dizziness, fears and depression will cease to be threatening. Against the background of reducing the painful manifestations of psychological rehabilitation will go much better.
But the best thing to do is just avoid these symptoms. It is worth starting to treat cervical osteochondrosis in time and dizziness, fears and depression will never appear.