We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Are the Symptoms of Syringomyelia?

By Lee Johnson
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 7,158
References
Share

The symptoms of syringomyelia include headache, weakness or pain in the back, shoulders, arms or legs and inability to feel extremes of hot or cold. In addition to these potential symptoms, a person with syringomelia could also experience sweating problems, loss of sexual function and loss of bowel or bladder function. Stiffness of the limbs is another possible symptom of the condition. If a person is experiencing any combination of these symptoms, he should visit the doctor, because there is a chance he has syringomyelia.

A cyst that forms within the spinal cord is called a “syrinx,” and when this cyst grows it can disrupt some of the normal functioning of the spinal cord. The symptoms of syringomyelia are as a result of this disruption to the spinal cord and vital nerves caused by the syrinx. Syringomyelia is essentially a condition whereby a cyst growing in the spinal cord begins to disrupt the normal communication between the brain and the body. There are two different types of syringomyelia, communicating and non-communicating, communicating syringomyelia being more likely to show symptoms when the patient is between 25 and 40 years of age. Non-communicating syringomyelia can start at any time, but will usually do so after a trauma, hemorrhage or a tumor.

Whether a patient has communicating or non-communicating form of the condition can have an effect on the type of symptoms of syringomyelia experienced by the patient. Non-communicating syringomyelia will often present with pain, which is usually centered around the site of the original trauma or condition that caused the syringomyelia to develop. The communicating form of the condition can have any of the possible symptoms, but these may worsen if the person is straining or if he is performing any activity that causes a fluctuation in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. Likewise, a person with the communicating form of the condition may not experience symptoms of syringomyelia for extended periods of time.

Identifying the symptoms of syringomyelia is vital, because many patients ignore the symptoms and the condition often goes undiagnosed. The blockage or damage in the spinal cord causes pain, weakness or stiffness in the back, shoulders, arms or legs because of the effect it can have on the nerves. Inability to feel hot and cold is another telltale symptom, and this may also be accompanied by fluctuations in body temperature. Suffers from syringomyelia also experience frequent headaches, and may have sweating problems. The condition may also affect sexual function and bladder control.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Link to Sources

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-are-the-symptoms-of-syringomyelia.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.