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 easily become part of his life as well.
For effective treatment, it is important to correctly identify the root cause of these problems.
Dizziness in osteochondrosis: causes of onset
Cervical osteochondrosis is particularly dangerous because it cuts off the blood supply to the brain. The deformation of the discs and vertebrae can compress the vertebral artery, which provides up to a quarter of the volume of blood the brain needs.
Dizziness is a direct consequence of the lack of oxygen in the brain. In the milder stages of the disease, it usually occurs intermittently and for a short time. 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. Often it is also accompanied by nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances.
It is very important to correctly identify the cause of the problem. The head can be numb not only from osteochondrosis. The same symptom can be caused by disorders of the heart and blood vessels, anemia and other diseases. In this case, the approaches to treatment must be completely different. Often, misdiagnosis has resulted in people being treated for years for hypertension or other similar illnesses 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 vertebral artery, as well as in muscle spasms. Intracranial pressure reacts particularly painfully to osteochondrosis.
This phenomenon can manifest itself as headache, feeling of heaviness, tinnitus, visual disturbances. The use of conventional drugs for the treatment of hypertension does not give results (or are short-lived). Again, correct diagnosis is the key to successful treatment.
Increased pressure can also cause pain, so the manifestations of VSD in osteochondrosis can be very strong.
If, in addition to the neck, the thoracic region is also affected, interruptions in the work of the heart, arrhythmia and a feeling of tightness in the chest can be observed. Again, heart medications don't work.
Osteochondrosis is very dangerous because it gives symptoms similar to the manifestations of other serious diseases. A lot can be attributed to him and you can miss the moment when urgent help is needed for the heart and blood vessels.
What to do in case of dizziness due to 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 breaks.
Dizziness can be eliminated by maintaining normal blood circulation in the neck. You can try self-massage as a quick-acting remedy. To prevent the attacks from happening again, you will need to undergo a course of treatment. What to do in a specific situation, the doctor will advise.
Different drugs and therapies may be needed in different stages of the disease:
- A course of muscle relaxants to relax muscle spasms.
- B vitamins - also have a beneficial effect on blood circulation.
- Several massage sessions with a specialist, then regular neck self-massage.
- Physiotherapy is a must: movements help to release pinched vessels and stimulate blood flow.
Prolonged exposure to fresh air works well. You should stop smoking and limit your alcohol intake, as these bad habits negatively affect blood circulation. And the main thing is to diagnose cervical osteochondrosis in time, and dizziness, fears and depression will not have time to develop.
Reasonable and unfounded fears in osteochondrosis
Osteochondrosis gives manifestations not only in the physical sphere, 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 fears are a consequence of other painful manifestations of osteochondrosis:
- The patient constantly expects pain attacks and is afraid of them.
- The possibility of becoming disabled is feared.
- The duration of treatment is appalling with the prospect of no results.
- Some symptoms cause the anticipation of other diseases (heart attack, stroke, stomach upset).
Such psychological reactions can only be avoided with the appropriate attitude. The patient needs to constantly remind himself that osteochondrosis is not a sentence. Do not neglect analgesics so that there is no fear of pain. Relatives and acquaintances of the patient must constantly show confidence in his speedy recovery and maintain a constructive attitude.
Depression as a possible consequence of osteochondrosis
If such "psychotherapy" is not performed, there is a risk of depression.
This condition can have a number of unpleasant consequences:
- Loss of performance, chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Insomnia.
- Mental disability.
- Serious violations of self-esteem.
- Menstrual irregularities in women.
- Digestive disorders.
- Numbness of some parts of the body.
Running with depression can also lead to suicide attempts, so ignoring its manifestations is dangerous.
Depression occurs as a reaction to prolonged pain and discomfort. Its appearance is also facilitated by social problems that inevitably accompany patients with osteochondrosis.
- Feeling a lost opportunity to lead a fulfilling life.
- Prolonged "abandonment" from the work process.
- Awareness that disease causes discomfort to loved ones.
- Feeling of helplessness, useless efforts: the disease does not disappear despite the measures taken.
It is important to keep in mind that some analgesics also have a depressing effect on the central nervous system and can lead to a depressive state. Therefore, you can not abuse powerful analgesics, using them only for exacerbation. If there is no severe pain, it is better to use ointments, massage and physiotherapy procedures. Relatives of the patient should take into account that depression often prevents the patient from realizing their problem, so they will almost certainly have to "push" him towards treatment.
Treatment of psychological problems in osteochondrosis
In case of severe depression with many dangerous manifestations, it is often necessary to use powerful antidepressants. But you need to know that all these drugs have an addictive effect, and you cannot use them for a long time. As soon as the most severe manifestations are removed, such drugs should be abandoned.
To get rid of fears and depression, first of all, it is necessary to treat osteochondrosis itself. A set of standard measures is suitable for this: elimination of muscle spasms, chondroprotectors to strengthen cartilage tissue, exercise, physiotherapy. But at the same time it is necessary to improve the patient's mental state.
- Regular walks and moderate physical activity are required. Light physical activity stimulates pleasure.
- To normalize sleep, you need an orthopedic pillow or just a low, hard pillow. The bedroom should always be well ventilated.
- Others should 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 won't hurt your spine. But the person will feel useful and needed.
- In severe cases, help from a psychologist and even a psychiatrist may be needed. There is no need to be afraid: going to a psychiatrist does not mean losing your mind.
The main thing is to "call to order" cervical osteochondrosis and dizziness, fears and depression will cease to be threatening. Against the background of a decrease in painful manifestations, psychological rehabilitation will go much better.
But the best thing to do is simply avoid these symptoms. It is worth starting to treat cervical osteochondrosis on time, and dizziness, fears and depression will never appear.