If you have been identified with cervical spondylosis you may wonder what it is? Cervical spondylosis is a medical condition related to age-associated wear and tear affecting the vertebral disc and facet joints. Most patients will experience mild to moderate pain and stiffness in the cervical area.
Cervical spondylosis is a widespread condition of the aged people affecting individuals who are 60 years and older. The condition generally shows no symptoms; nevertheless, degenerative spinal modifications at times squeeze or strain the nerve fibers causing numbness in legs, arms, and hands.
Can Cervical Spondylosis Affect Eyesight Or Cause Stomach Problems?
All parts of the body undergo wear and tear as individuals grow older similarly, the bones in the neck (cervical spine) slowly disintegrate as we get older. This often ends up bone degeneration. Degeneration of the bones in the neck is called cervical spondylosis.
Research shows that more than 80% of the population who are 60 years and older are affected by this condition. Although this is a form of arthritis, still it causes disability when the condition is not treated properly or when the condition doesn’t respond to treatment.
For most people, cervical spondylosis is asymptomatic. Pain and stiffness in the neck is a typical symptom of this condition. However, there are a few symptoms that occur sporadically and not everyone will experience all of these.
How Cervical Spondylosis Affects Eye?
This is very common among the elderly population and the underlying reason for this problem is due to spinal cord dysfunction. When the neck muscles are stressed, it can restrict the flow of blood in the eye muscles and often lead problems related to the eye.
Most spondylosis patients have a question if the herniated disc can cause blurred vision? The medical research says that the theory is true and also the condition is treatable. Although neck damage has lesser satisfactory results, the blurry vision has better results. Cervical spine instability causes neurological nerve imbalance, vision problems, irritation, development deformity, and swallowing difficulty.1,2
Blurred vision cannot be successfully treated unless the nerve stability is treated. The common symptoms that several patients faced in most cases are that
- They encountered a problem in reading
- Greater sensitivity to light
There are also lesser prevalent problems such as double vision and dizzy reading. When the person suffers from double vision, they could see all the images as double side by side or on top of one another. When symptoms start to worsen, the vision becomes more blurred and turns into a permanent problem.5
Stomach Problems Due To Cervical Spondylosis
Cervical spondylosis is the most widespread cause of symptoms associated with spinal cord impairment in the function of older adults. Vertigo, nerve dysfunction, tremble, vomiting, abdominal irritation, ringing noise in the ears (tinnitus), problems related to vision, and poor memory are other associated symptoms of cervical spondylosis.
Some cases of stomach pain are caused by nerve entrapment in the lateral border of the rectum. This causes pain in the abdominal muscles. Arthritis patients often experience inflammation and irritation in the intestinal tract or the bowels during the onset of the disease. When the bowel is irritated, it causes moderate to severe pain in the stomach or results in diarrhea or digestive complications.
When there is inflammation in your jawbones it can cause severe discomfort and complexity in opening and closing your jaws. Eating and drinking are typical issues of this condition.3,4
- Tidy, Colin. “Cervical Spondylosis: Neck Pain: Symptoms & Treatment.” Patient.info, 20 June 2016, patient.info/bones-joints-muscles/neck-pain/cervical-spondylosis. https://patient.info/bones-joints-muscles/neck-pain/cervical-spondylosis
- Other Conditions and Complications of Ankylosing Spondylitis https://www.healthline.com/health/ankylosing-spondylitis/other-side-effects#1
- Essilor. “Neck and Shoulder Pain Can Lead to Eye Pain.” Neck and Shoulder Pain Can Lead to Eye Pain, www.essilor.co.uk/blog/your-life-and-eyes/neck-and-shoulder-pain.
- “How Does Ankylosing Spondylitis Affect Eyes and How Is It Treated?” MedicineNet, MedicineNet, 11 Jan. 2018, www.medicinenet.com/spondylitis_and_eye_iritis_and_uveitis/ask.htm.
- “Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS).” Versus Arthritis, www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/ankylosing-spondylitis/.
Also Read:
- Can Cervical Spondylosis Go Away On Its Own & What Are Its Natural Remedies?
- What is Cervical Spondyloarthritis & How is it Treated?
- Dos & Don’ts for Cervical Spondylosis
- Physical Therapy Treatment For Cervical Spondylosis | Goal & Techniques
- Exercises For Cervical Spondylosis: Flexibility, Isometric and Stretching Exercises
- Is Cervical Spondylosis A Serious Condition & How Can It Be Treated?
- Can Physiotherapy Cure Cervical Disc Disease?
- Cervical Spine Surgery Risks & Complications
