How are headaches, spots in the eyes, and osteochondrosis related?

Characteristics of the symptom

Goosebumps is a comparative description of a sensation that is similar to a slight tingling, tightening, or moving of the skin. In medical terminology, this phenomenon is called paresthesia. It arises as a response to irritating factors of an endogenous and exogenous nature.

Paresthesia can be either episodic or chronic, depending on the triggering agents.

The symptom is a type of sensory disorder and has several characteristic features.

The following properties of pathology are distinguished:

• wave contraction of the middle layer of skin (dermis), with changes in sensitivity;
• spontaneous occurrence of sensations, without a specific chronological periodicity;
• the duration of the episodes increases, depending on the worsening of the provoking factors.

As the symptoms increase, the goosebumps may spread to the cervical spine, upper and lower extremities, or enter a more severe phase, which is accompanied by numbness and soreness of the skin.

Features of the symptom

In some cases, paresthesia is of a reflex nature and is called the pilomotor reflex or piloerection. The condition occurs in response to a pronounced emotional outburst, which can be caused by the following emotions:

• joy;
• fear;
• sexual arousal and other feelings.

In addition to the causes of the emotional spectrum, pilomotor paresthesia can be triggered by a feeling of cold, a reaction to anti-stress toys, or unexpected sounds (grinding metal, creaking foam). The effect can also be caused by dosed physical activity and massage, even if a simple hand massager is used.

Piloerection is a rudimentary reflex and is not a sign of disease.

The origin of this reflex is the stimulation of peripheral nerve endings and is manifested in the contraction of smooth muscle of conical connective tissue fibers. As a result of the contraction of the hair follicles, the hairs rise and the “goose bumps” effect is observed. The mechanical movement of the skin is accompanied by the sensation of goosebumps running over the head.

Causes of pathology

Paresthesia is a consequence of the influence of external and internal negative factors acting on nerve tissue. These include:

• exogenous factors, in which unpleasant sensations arise from external mechanical influence on the scalp (impacts, prolonged compression);
• endogenous factors in which disruption of innervation is caused by somatic pathologies (diseases of internal organs and tissues) and mental illnesses.

As a result of changes occurring under the influence of these aggressive agents, the conductivity of the nerve fibers responsible for the innervation of the dermis is disrupted. Interruptions in impulses passing through the occipital, transverse, trigeminal and other nerves innervating the scalp lead to microspasms.

If the conduction of nerve impulses is disrupted, not only goosebumps can be felt. Increased symptoms are accompanied by pain (the face and neck hurt), and the scalp becomes numb. Intense manifestation of paresthetic symptoms indicates an acute course of the underlying pathology.

Paresthesia in somatic diseases

The cause of the feeling of goosebumps running on the scalp is often diseases of the internal organs or tissues. The main diseases that can cause paresthesia of the skin are associated with the following factors:

• disruption of the innervation of nerve tissue;
• difficulty in peripheral and cerebral circulation.

Somatic causes of unpleasant sensations can be classified according to pathogenetic reactions and the mechanism of development of the root cause of symptoms.

Neurological pathologies

Degenerative or tumor processes (trigeminal neuralgia, cervical plexus neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, Bell's palsy, vegetative-vascular dystonia, diabetic and alcoholic polyneuropathy) cause changes in the tissues and fibers of the central or peripheral nervous system. Demyelination, tissue compression or gradual destruction of trigeminal nerve cells and cervical plexus ganglion fibers occurs, which leads to disruption of nerve conduction in the skin and the appearance of goosebumps on the face, back of the head, neck and upper part of the head.

Inflammatory diseases of the spine

Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cervical spine and adjacent tissues (osteochondrosis, arthrosis, spondylitis and other pathologies of the upper spine) are accompanied by the development of inflammatory processes within the fibers of smooth and skeletal muscles. Inflamed muscle tissue compresses blood vessels and nerve lines, which causes difficulty in the synaptic transmission of nerve impulses.

Cardiovascular diseases

Arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, stenosis, atrial fibrillation, ischemic stroke and other pathologies, which are characterized by thickening of the vascular walls and narrowing of their lumen, are accompanied by impaired cerebral circulation. Narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels leads to insufficient nutrition of the brain. Hypoxia and nutrient deficiency cause discirculatory encephalopathy (with gradual death of neurons). Focal damage to brain tissue is accompanied by various neurological symptoms, including paresthetic ones.

Paresthesia in mental disorders

Sensitivity disorders in patients with mental illness are observed quite often. The sensation of tingling and crawling is recorded in symptom complexes of such nervous disorders as:

• depression;
• schizophrenia;
• neurotic somatoform disorder (hypochondriacal, dysfunctional);
• anxiety disorders.

In most patients, the sensory disorder is hallucinogenic or imaginary and refers to perceptual disorders. This manifestation of symptoms is called sensopathy.

Sensopathy is characterized by a sensation of pins and needles not only on the surface of the body, but also under the skin.

The similarity of paresthesia and sensopathy makes diagnosis difficult only at the initial stage of symptoms. If the pathogenesis of a symptom is of physiological origin, then it is characterized by constant localization. The sensitive symptom can move and is determined in the arms, legs and other parts of the body, since it is a projection of the patient’s state of mind.

Additional factors

There are several other pathological causes that can cause paresthetic symptoms. The table shows some conditions that may be accompanied by a feeling of goosebumps.

The feeling of crawling sensations, not associated with a violation of innervation, can be caused by pediculosis (lice), seborrheic dermatitis, follicular hyperkeratosis, a reaction to shampoo or hair styling and coloring products (the skin becomes covered with keratinized scales). An allergic reaction to medications may also be a factor in causing symptoms.

How are headaches, spots in the eyes, and osteochondrosis related?

Osteochondrosis affects the cartilage tissue in the part of the spine in which it occurs. The discs between the vertebrae are more often affected - they withstand greater loads. When cartilage is deformed, nerves and blood vessels are pinched, which ultimately leads to side symptoms. If a patient is diagnosed with osteochondrosis in the cervical region, vision problems may be a consequence of this particular disease. They manifest themselves in the form of dysfunction of the visual organs, the appearance of spots in the eyes, and increased pressure in the eye area. How do changes in the spine lead to eye dysfunction? Let's figure it out.

The relationship between the underlying disease and secondary symptoms

When deformed, the disc loses strength, shape and elasticity (stretches), and a hernia appears. The spaces between the vertebrae decrease, and the spinal column becomes curved. The canal in which the spinal cord, arteries, and veins are located also bends. As a result of its bending, the contents are compressed.

The vessels of the circulatory system are responsible for the blood supply to the brain. In the absence of proper nutrition, ischemia occurs. As a result:

• Headache;
• Dizziness;
• Extraneous noise in the ears;
• Discomfort in the organs of vision.

Symptoms

Painful sensations appear due to impaired venous outflow. Where blood stagnates, the walls of blood vessels become thinner. As a result, plasma components change location and enter the interstitial space. Swelling and pain appear. Nerves are compressed and ischemia worsens. The lesion occurs on the left or right side, respectively, the functioning of the left or right eye is disrupted.

With some diseases, patients experience floaters and flare-ups. Such phenomena as tinnitus, nausea, and dizziness are also not uncommon. There are many reasons, one of them is neck osteochondrosis.

Front sights

This symptom manifests itself when the patient moves parts of the body and turns his head. In these cases, blood flow is reduced. Sufficient pressure is important for all components of the visual organ, especially the retina. If blood does not flow to distant areas through small vessels, a deficiency of oxygen and nutrients occurs.

The retina, which is responsible for the perception of light impulses and transformation into nerve messages, suffers. The latter, in turn, enter the brain through channels. He perceives them and analyzes them. When there are not enough nutrients and oxygen, the cell does not convert light impulses, the area remains “dark” - these are flies.

Lightning

This no less popular symptom appears due to deformation of the vitreous body. Let's imagine the eyeball - it has a transparent structure, reminiscent of jelly. This mixture includes proteins, water, salt, hyaluronic acid, elastic fibers, collagen. This mixture of ingredients provides a spherical shape. The eyeball can stretch forward and return to its previous position.

Since the internal contents are colorless, light passes through freely. There are not even vessels through which blood moves in the structure. Everything that is needed to nourish the cells comes through the walls. If nearby vessels are compressed, swelling occurs. There is more collagen, its fibers become thicker. The result is light flashes or circles.

Ghosting

Double image in diseases of the spine is a common symptom. Its appearance is caused by compression of blood vessels. Diplopia indicates that the blood circulation in the brain is impaired; negative consequences in the form of a stroke may soon appear.

To avoid this, you need to consult an ophthalmologist.
The earlier the better. Checking the field, visual acuity, pressure, diagnosing changes in the fundus - all this can reveal osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. After this, the doctor will prescribe treatment to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr

Features of symptoms in women

If goosebumps appear on the head in women, the reason may lie in the hormonal changes in the body that occur during menopause. Symptoms of paresthesia can occur at any stage of the menopause, but they are more pronounced in the premenopausal and menopausal phases, when hormonal surges are most active.

Provoking factors that cause sensitivity disorders in women include vitamin deficiency. The feeling of goosebumps occurs when there is a lack of elements such as:

• vitamins A, D, E, C and B vitamins (cyanocobalamin, folic acid);
• trace elements zinc, copper, iodine.

If the content of useful substances in the body is low, especially during pregnancy, dry skin, dizziness, general weakness and sensitivity disorders of the skin may occur.

Description of the phenomenon

Goosebumps appear when nerve endings in the spinal cord or brain are irritated. The reason is the stimulation of individual nerves, which has such an effect on their endings. The irritation causes muscle contraction, causing a sensation as if the hair on the head has risen, and tiny bugs have begun to run across the skin itself. This phenomenon can affect not only the head, but also any other part of the body where there is at least a little hair.

Goosebumps can be one-time (temporary). In this case, they appear for completely natural reasons in a healthy person. Sometimes they can be combined with seizures, loss of sensation, dizziness, but no medical intervention or medication is required. Goosebumps appear for the following reasons:

• Emotional arousal (joy, surprise, fear);
• Touching sensitive skin;
• Low air temperature, hypothermia;
• High body temperature;
• Poor health (weakness, fatigue, headache).

When such sensations appear under the conditions listed above, there is no need to worry. After some time, the goosebumps will disappear on their own, and not a trace will remain of the unpleasant feelings.

Sometimes goosebumps may appear during sexual arousal. Humans experience this much less frequently than most living beings.

Significance in diagnosis

Symptoms, accompanied by a feeling of goosebumps running in the head, have important diagnostic significance. Such manifestations mean that a pathological process is occurring in the body, which may be a consequence of the following factors:

• disruption of the innervation of the neck, head and brain;
• problems with blood circulation;
• hormonal disorders;
• consequences of mechanical damage.

Paresthesia is also of differential importance in the diagnosis of mental disorders.

The benefit of goosebumps is the possibility of early diagnosis. Making a diagnosis at an early stage allows you to avoid the development of acute life-threatening conditions (vascular obliteration, stroke). Since paresthetic effects appear in the first stages of the pathological process, timely treatment helps prevent chronic disease.