Men, be careful of this posture that can kill you

On April 23, 2014, Li Jianhua, 49-year-old director of the Non-Banking Department of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, died of a heart attack. More than a year later, Li Jianhua's health tragedy was fermented on WeChat and once again attracted people's attention. Recently, an article was circulated in WeChat Moments, saying that Li Jianhua apparently had a heart attack, but in fact it was caused by cervical spondylosis. Does this conclusion make sense? Director Lin Xin of the Meirui Orthopedics Department tells you: There really is a heart disease called "cervicogenic heart disease"! If it is not treated properly, it may endanger your life.

Does cervical spondylosis cause heart disease? It's possible! There is a kind of heart disease called cervicogenic heart disease

As the research on cervical spondylosis deepens, it is found that in addition to some common symptoms such as headache, dizziness, numbness and pain in the upper limbs, cervical spondylosis can often affect the cardiovascular system. The heart discomfort symptoms caused by cervical spondylosis are medically called "cervical heart syndrome" or "cervical heart disease". The main symptoms include pain in the precordial area, arrhythmia, chest tightness, palpitations, shortness of breath, etc. Pain in the precordial area is called "cervical angina" and arrhythmia is called "cervical arrhythmia".

Cervical heart disease is mainly caused by the sympathetic nerves, which are distributed from the cervical and thoracic vertebrae to the heart disease and affect the activity of the heart. When cervical vertebrae are diseased, they will compress the sympathetic nerves, thereby affecting the nerves that control the heart and causing heart disease, then manifesting symptoms similar to coronary heart disease and angina pectoris. Some patients will also experience heart disease symptoms such as tachycardia and bradycardia.

Cervicogenic heart disease is often misdiagnosed as coronary heart disease, but the angina pectoris caused by it also follows certain patterns. For example, it is closely related to the increased burden on the cervical spine due to sleeping with a high pillow, working at a desk for a long time, and cold neck. However, it must be reminded that before diagnosing cervicogenic heart disease, heart disease must first be ruled out through electrocardiogram, coronary angiography and other examination methods.

Poor sleeping posture may lead to sudden death? Usually, falling asleep leaning on the bed will cause great harm to the cervical spine

There are two analyses on the Internet about the cause of Director Li Jianhua's death. First, Director Li had a bad cervical spine and he worked overtime until the early morning that night. He also stayed in the same posture for a long time, which caused his neck to become stiff. Second, he still maintained a wrong posture after falling asleep: sleeping on his side with his head down, which caused the neck muscles to tighten, stimulating the sympathetic nerves, leading to coronary artery smooth muscle spasm, myocardial ischemia, and death from myocardial infarction. ”

So, could the "side sleeping with head down" sleeping posture also be a trigger for sudden death? Lin Xin, director of the Meirui Orthopedics Department, said that long-term poor posture, over-excitement of the sympathetic nerves, decreased blood supply, and a sudden and significant increase in the heart load can also lead to sudden death from myocardial infarction.

But in fact, such serious consequences are caused by the patients' underlying diseases and long-term fatigue. Cervical spondylosis and even sleeping posture are just triggering factors. I also hope that middle-aged elites will take good care of their bodies while working hard in the workplace, have a comprehensive physical examination every year, and control their blood pressure and weight.

It should also be reminded that many people sometimes watch TV while leaning on the sofa or bed, and fall asleep because they are too tired, which is a great harm to the cervical spine. Because when sleeping, the neck muscles relax and cannot protect the cervical spine, the weight of the head is borne entirely by the cervical intervertebral discs and small joints, which can easily cause their degeneration and damage.

How to prevent "cervical diseases" by avoiding cold and maintaining a posture for a long time

Cervical spondylosis is currently a common disease. Many people play with computers and mobile phones, work at desks in daily life, and bow their heads for long periods of time, which will cause the cervical spine to be over-strained and develop cervical spondylosis.

In daily life, avoid maintaining the same posture for a long time, especially for those who work at a desk for a long time. You should change the position of your head regularly and do neck and shoulder muscle exercises, such as flexion, extension and rotation of the head and upper limbs, which can not only relieve fatigue but also enhance muscle toughness.

The pillow you choose should not be too soft or too high. It should support the physiological curve of the cervical spine and keep the cervical spine straight.

When the weather gets cold in autumn, you should wear high-necked clothes or a scarf. Lin Xin from the Orthopedics Department of Myrtle Beach said that we should pay special attention to "wind behind the neck". Sometimes when you are working, your seat is facing the air conditioner or window, and cold wind blows on the back of your neck from time to time. This situation must be avoided. Because cold wind can cause blood vessels in the back of the neck to constrict, leading to blood supply obstruction to the muscles, ligaments and other soft tissues in the area, thus affecting the stability of the cervical spine.