Painful sensations in the area of the heart force patients to consult a cardiologist. Anxiety, irritability and fear for one's own life appear. But not all unpleasant signs are directly related to heart problems. Even thoracic osteochondrosis - symptoms, sensation - pain in the heart provokes as often as diseases of this organ.
Pain can often appear behind the sternum, closer to the back or even to the diaphragm when the vertebrae are affected, regardless of the stage of the pathology. And the mechanism of occurrence of the unpleasant symptom has several features.
Mechanism of development of symptoms
Interruptions in the heart during osteochondrosis cannot occur on their own, they develop only as an echo of the underlying disease:
- Thinning of the intervertebral structures. The distance between the bone elements and the cartilage is reduced, which leads to the restriction of the nerve roots. As a result, painful sensations are formed, which, in the presence of destructive processes in the thoracic or cervical spine, often radiate to the heart.
- Changes in the heart muscle. Due to the disease, the sensations spread in the heart muscle, the so-called "echoes" of pain.
- Involvement in the process of the upper limbs. The effect of osteochondrosis on the heart can be due to excessive muscle tension in the hands. As a result, the pain is transmitted to the heart muscle, but the ECG shows no abnormalities.
- Changes in the structure of the lumbar region. The position of the abdominal organs shifts, leading to increased stress and changes in heart rate.
- Muscle spasms and changes in blood circulation. Pain in the heart with osteochondrosis occurs in response to changes in blood flow in the large arteries of the back. Heart rate increases as blood must be pumped through a narrower passageway.
- Severe destruction of the intervertebral discs. The nerves are compressed, resulting in pain in the heart area. Hypoxia gradually develops. It also involves the functioning of the brain, as a result of which the usual functioning of the internal organs is changed.
- Due to compression of the arteriesand nerve fibers, high pressure may occur. Due to this, painful sensations appear in the heart.
You can distinguish pain in the heart from the manifestations of osteochondrosis by certain symptoms.
Signs of osteochondrosis with painful sensations
Many patients develop cardiac syndrome - pain in the heart due to osteochondrosis of the chest.Symptoms will have the following characteristics:
- pressing, dull pain in heart;
- gradually increasing discomfort, muted, not too pronounced;
- the pain lasts for a long time, covers the chest, causes palpitations;
- there is no acute intensity of pain due to the destruction of the cartilage between the vertebrae;
- Almost always a symptom such as a feeling of heat behind the sternum helps to distinguish heart pain from osteochondrosis;
- heart medications (nitrates) do not help relieve pain;
- if a person begins to move his upper limbs, the pain intensifies.
If the cervical spine is involved in the process, then pain is felt in the spinal region.
Some patients note that the pain is of a different nature: discomfort covers the left side of the sternum, affects the muscles, sometimes spreads to the shoulder, neck and face, and the attack can last for several days.
If compression of the vertebral artery occurs, additional symptoms appear: weakness, dizziness, spots, and in severe cases, the patient loses consciousness. Also, with pain in the heart, there is a decrease in hearing and vision, and blood rushes to the face. If a person takes drugs for hypertension, they do not help him.
Differences in pain
There are several ways to distinguish pain in the heart from osteochondrosis, the main method is to undergo an MRI and ECG examination.In addition, you should know what happens with damage to the thoracic cartilage between the vertebrae and what does not happen with heart disease:
- the pain is moderate, increases and lasts for a long time. In heart attacks, the symptoms are more severe;
- if you press your chin to your chest, the pain of osteochondrosis will increase;
- if the pain increases with movement and exercise, it is osteochondrosis;
- With pain in the heart, panic, fear and anxiety always arise.
Neuralgia itself is safe, but it can intensify when tilting the body in different directions or during sharp turns. You can relieve the pain with analgesics.
Serious heart diseases and osteochondrosis
You need to know how the heart hurts with osteochondrosis of the chest, especially to distinguish neuralgia from life-threatening conditions. In chronic ischemic heart disease, the pain occurs very acutely, within 3-5 minutes. Sensations of a pressing nature do not allow breathing, and after nitrates the symptoms immediately disappear.
If the risk of myocardial infarction is high, then you should remember that in this condition a person may lose consciousness, experience nausea and sharp pain in the chest. Pain in osteochondrosis is never so acute.
But with VSD (dystonia), the symptoms can be similar. But unlike the pain in the heart in osteochondrosis, in this pathology a person experiences tachycardia, bradycardia, a feeling of fear, gets tired quickly and feels constant weakness. The pain is usually painful and dull, and in osteochondrosis it is compressive.
heartbeat
With osteochondrosis, the heart can not only hurt, but also worry about angina pectoris, arrhythmia and tachycardia. This happens due to spasms and compression of the artery.In osteochondrosis, the following characteristics appear:
- increased heart rate at rest, increased heart rate during exercise;
- smooth rhythm without breaks;
- hot flushes;
- tachycardia may be accompanied by presyncope.
Symptoms disappear if quality treatment of the disease is carried out.
Extrasystole
Extrasystole is a condition in which there is a sensation of a second cardiac arrest. With osteochondrosis, this complication causes real panic. However, this unusual condition is the norm for the human body. It is true that most people do not notice such a process.
Extrasystole is a type of "rest" in the work of the heart muscle. Surprisingly, such short breaks are vital for the organ.
Such "breaks" occur in people, regardless of their age, weight and daily physical activity.
Pressure in osteochondrosis
Among the symptoms of thoracic osteochondrosis is often high blood pressure. But this pathology can have other causes. With osteochondrosis, the arteries, veins and blood vessels are compressed, the nutrition of the brain and other organs deteriorates.
Patients begin to take drugs to solve this problem, as a result of which the blood stops flowing to the brain again. Oxygen starvation and lack of nutrients develop. A person is tormented by symptoms such as: weakness, drowsiness, pain and dizziness, pale skin, nausea.
Coping with painful sensations
Since it is possible to distinguish heart pain from osteochondrosis, the treatment of diseases should be differentiated. If all symptoms are related to damage to the chest, then you cannot take drugs to relieve heart pain.
Therapy should eliminate the causes of osteochondrosis or minimize them. Regular, systemic treatment has been shown to help relieve tension, spasms, and tension in nerve fibers.Since the heart and osteochondrosis are closely related, treatment should begin with the spine during an exacerbation:
- The person should not move much, bed rest is recommended.
- NSAIDs or glucocorticosteroids are prescribed to relieve acute pain.
- Local drugs are also used to relieve pain in osteochondrosis.
- Physiotherapy helps in the early stages of the disease, but is rarely used to relieve pain. Only in the recovery period after an exacerbation.
- Manual therapy is a very effective method for restoring the vertebrae, relieving spasms, tension and swelling of the surrounding tissues.
- Therapeutic exercises and sports are also prescribed, which are useful for osteochondrosis of the chest.
- In addition, you can use folk recipes - baths and compresses - they are very relaxing and have a positive effect on the emotional state of patients.
- Diet is equally important in the treatment of osteochondrosis. Adequate amounts of plant foods, healthy fats, and protein are essential to repair damaged tissue. A balanced diet also helps to get rid of excess weight.
The best way to determine whether you are worried about osteochondrosis or the heart is to undergo a medical examination. With the help of X-rays and a simple ECG, you can find out what sensations are associated with a certain disease.