Smoking and vegetative-vascular dystonia: effects on the body

VSD is a disease that includes a set of symptoms indicating a malfunction of the vascular system.

In modern medicine, vegetative-vascular dystonia is considered as a combination of various symptoms, and not as a separate disease. The main feature is that its symptoms cause illness throughout the body.

Before diagnosing VSD in a patient, the doctor must rule out other dangerous diseases.

Smoking is especially dangerous for VSD. Why and what this can lead to, we will consider in the article.

A smoker should know that smoking and VSD are incompatible. Nicotine puts a strain on the cardiovascular system, which is already suffering greatly.

Where does VSD come from?

Many experts agree that dystonia is a consequence of a psycho-emotional shock. After this, the general condition of the body deteriorates, which leads to a malfunction of all organs.

Causes:

• Emotional overload.
• Prolonged depression.
• Constant stress.
• Weak immune system.
• Physical overload.
• Insomnia.
• Problems with the spine.
• Smoking, alcohol and drugs.

How to withstand the withdrawal period and not break down?

Two powerful tips

By understanding the mechanism of how addiction works, it will be much easier for you to endure the crises of the withdrawal period. But we will offer 2 more powerful tips.

Imagine your addiction as someone unpleasant

For example, a very unpleasant slug that controls you with invisible threads. And in the most difficult moments, fight this unpleasant guy, prove that you are stronger!

Keep an anti-addiction diary

Turn your despair into an entry in this journal.

General

There is no need to talk about how harmful a habit such as smoking is. We have all heard and read many times that smoking leads to lung cancer. In addition, the condition of the skin, hair and teeth deteriorates significantly. With VSD, smoking is especially dangerous, as it significantly undermines the functioning of the entire body. The chances of recovery in this case are practically reduced to zero.

Against the background of dystonia, which negatively affects the functioning of the nervous system, symptoms such as panic attacks, depression, and various phobic reactions may develop.

Smoking only worsens all these manifestations.

Many smokers, in order to calm down, smoke cigarette after cigarette, which saturates the body with harmful substances, which in turn has a detrimental effect on the body.

To summarize, we can say that smoking only worsens VSD, which can lead to irreversible consequences.

Causes of VSD

Many doctors believe that VSD is a consequence of psycho-emotional stress, when general well-being worsens and internal organs stop working correctly. There are many reasons for the appearance of VSD: long-term depression and constant stressful situations, incorrectly calculated physical and emotional stress, sleep problems, reduced immunity, spinal diseases, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Reviews from doctors indicate that several causes intersecting at the same time are sufficient to initiate the outbreak of the disease, thereby comprehensively disrupting autonomic regulation.

One of the sources of VSD is the presence of bad habits in a person’s life – smoking and alcohol abuse. All people know about the dangers of smoking, but not everyone has information about whether you can smoke if you have VSD.

VSD after smoking

Despite the fact that many smokers claim that quitting smoking does not improve their condition in any way, but rather the opposite, this is far from true. Of course, one or two days will not change anything in the body. You need to understand that you have been smoking for a long time and have saturated your body with harmful substances. Accordingly, it will take a lot of time to remove them from the body.

Scientists have proven that giving up cigarettes improves the body's protective functions and brings them back to normal over time. Symptoms of VSD after quitting smoking begin to gradually recede.

How to quit without harming yourself

To overcome the bad habit of smoking, you first need a psychological attitude. The thought “I quit smoking” should be categorical and categorical. You need to fuel this thought in every possible way, doing everything possible so that this mood does not pass. There are a number of nicotine-containing drugs that alleviate the symptoms of VSD when quitting smoking - lozenges, chewing gum, tablets, patches... If you have chronic diseases, vascular pathologies, vegetative-vascular dystonia or health complaints, you need to consult a doctor who will prescribe an examination and supportive therapy. It is strictly prohibited to take medications not prescribed by a doctor! What may help someone else may, at best, be a waste of money for you. There are drugs that are incompatible with each other.

What is the danger of smoking with vegetative-vascular dystonia?

Smoking with a disease of the nervous system can be not only harmful, but also dangerous. This bad habit significantly worsens the condition of blood vessels, which in turn can lead to various diseases, as well as disrupt the functioning of the cardiac system as a whole.

Unfortunately, not all smokers can immediately pay attention to the symptoms of VSD. They are very similar to the negative manifestations of a heavy smoker. A person, perceiving such manifestations as a consequence of his negative habit, turns a blind eye to them. People consult a doctor, as a rule, in the later stages of the disease, when long-term and intensive treatment is already required and, accordingly, a complete renunciation of their addiction.

Literature:

1. Addictology (Federal State Educational Standard of Higher Professional Education) [Text]: illustrated textbook for students of higher educational institutions of the humanities (all levels of training) / B. R. Mandel. — Moscow: DirectMEDIA, 2014. — 535 p.
2. How to get rid of bad habits quickly and without problems: [result 100%] / I. A. Cheryasova. - Moscow: RIPOL classic, 2008. - 191 p.
3. Psychophysiological, psychological and social mechanisms of addiction formation: a textbook for university students studying in the direction 540600 (050700) Pedagogy / E. I. Nikolaeva; Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Federal Agency for Education, State educational institution of higher education. education "Russian state. Pedagogical University named after A. I. Herzen", State educational institution of higher prof. education "Eletsk state. University named after I. A. Bunin." — St. Petersburg: RGPU im. A. I. Herzen; Yelets; Yerevan State University named after I. A. Bunina, 2008. - 128 p.

Smoking and disorder

A smoker with VSD must take into account a number of factors:

• Nicotine causes tachycardia. A healthy non-smoking person has a resting heart rate of 70 beats per minute. A person who smokes has a heart rate of 80-90 beats per minute. This, in turn, prevents the heart from filling with blood to the fullest extent.
• Carbon monoxide, which enters the body along with smoke, does not allow it to be saturated with oxygen. This negatively affects the functioning of all organs, especially the heart.
• Nicotine deals a large and often irreparable blow to the nervous system.
• A large amount of it affects the reduction of the hormone that is responsible for blood thinning - prostacyclin. Thanks to it, blood pressure decreases, which eliminates the formation of blood clots. The hormone is also responsible for normal vasoconstriction.
• All smokers have high cholesterol. This in turn leads to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which cause a heart attack or coronary heart disease.
• Nicotine also replaces acetylcholine. This is a substance that controls the cells and tissues of the body. Nicotine is similar to it in transmitting impulses, which confuses the organs. As a result, the smoker experiences chronic fatigue, feels irritable, begins to complain about memory, and becomes inactive. The body ceases to recognize acetylcholine and already needs nicotine, which, in principle, leads to addiction.

All these negative manifestations have a detrimental effect even on “healthy” smokers. And with vegetative-vascular dystonia, nicotine is not just harmful to health, but dangerous.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia - causes and symptoms

This disease manifests itself differently in each person, not corresponding to the most pronounced manifestation of organ pathology. Manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia are divided into two types: vagotonia and sympathicotonia.

Vagotonia

This form of the disease is manifested by major hypochondria. A person's performance decreases and fatigue increases. In addition, sleep disorders and memory impairments are observed. People of this type are often indecisive, apathetic, fearful, and prone to depression. Sensitivity to stuffiness, cold, often a feeling of lack of air and chilliness, vestibular disorders, nausea and other symptoms. Cardiovascular disorders are manifested by bradyarrhythmia, pericardial pain, and decreased blood pressure.

Sympathicotonia

Such people are quick-tempered, temperamental, their mood is changeable, they are often distracted, often absent-minded, and neurotic states are observed. This symptomatology is characterized by a feeling of heartbeat and a feeling of heat. Such people suffer from pale and dry skin, pronounced white dermographism, numbness and paresthesia, poor heat tolerance, and atonic constipation. The heart suffers from tachycardia and high blood pressure.

Negative manifestations after smoking one cigarette

One of the dangerous manifestations may be an increase in blood pressure, which can lead to a stroke. Even after one cigarette, the smoker begins to experience tachycardia and vasoconstriction.

Smokers also often experience panic attacks and psycho-emotional agitation.

Even after one puff, arrhythmia and dizziness may occur.

A smoker suffering from dystonia should be aware that the symptoms of VSD are significantly aggravated by smoking.

Subsequently, the smoker finds himself in a vicious circle, which leads to exhaustion of the nervous system. Stress and tension force a person to smoke cigarette after cigarette, which further worsens the course of the disease. Over time, the “snowball” grows, and stopping it becomes simply unrealistic.

Is smoking a cause of VSD?

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is not a disease, but includes a number of symptoms of a physical and psycho-emotional state. Having started smoking, a person begins to notice signs of diseases that he had not seen before:

• Shortness of breath.
• Irritation.
• Cardiopalmus.
• Panic attacks.
• Coldness, tingling fingers.

These signals are signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia and the onset of serious diseases. Smoking with VSD contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases.

How does smoking affect the heart in VSD?

As we found out earlier, nicotine affects the walls of blood vessels, and carbon monoxide limits the flow of oxygen into the body. As a result, all resources of the cardiac system gradually begin to deplete.

One of the dangerous symptoms is increased blood clotting, which can inevitably lead to stroke, myocardial infarction or pulmonary infarction. Increased nicotine levels lead to increased cholesterol levels, and this, in turn, leads to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.

Experts say that the combination of VSD and smoking sooner or later leads the smoker to a hospital bed in the cardiology department.

Effects on the cardiovascular system

Now let's look at the effects on the cardiovascular system. Tobacco smoke contains many toxic components. Of these, the greatest harm to the organs of the human cardiovascular system is caused by the influence of carbon oxides (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide) and nicotine.

As a result of the action of nicotine, the heart contracts more often. The pulse becomes rapid. An increased heart rate accelerates the wear and tear of the smoker's heart muscles, causing them to become thinner. This is the cause of heart attacks.

Over time, nicotine narrows peripheral blood vessels and their lumen decreases. Blood circulation in organs decreases, oxygen deficiency in tissues occurs. Along with impaired blood supply to organs, nicotine from cigarette smoke affects cardiac activity.

It can cause arrhythmia and reduce the strength of heart contractions. In addition to direct damage to blood vessels, nicotine can disrupt the regulation of the blood formation and distribution system. Then heart disease occurs:

1. Hypertension is a persistent increase in blood pressure. Severe and prolonged migraine-like pain, a feeling of dizziness, fainting, and shortness of breath appear.
2. Angina pectoris (“angina pectoris”) is a sharp spasm of the blood vessels of the heart. There is a feeling of fear of death, sharp pains radiating to the left arm or shoulder blade.
3. Coronary artery disease (IHD) is a lack of myocardial oxygen. The last stage of IHD is myocardial infarction. The disease is often fatal.

Carbon monoxide is an equally poisonous gas. In the blood, it interacts with hemoglobin three times more active than oxygen. This is how carboxyhemoglobin is formed. This bond is stronger than the bond between hemoglobin and oxygen. This makes it difficult for oxygen to reach tissues and organs.

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Respiratory system diseases

Very often, dystonia leads to breathing problems. A person who smokes feels all the negative symptoms of this disease several times more strongly:

• Lack of oxygen.
• Heavy breathing after smoking a cigarette.
• Dizziness from lack of oxygen.

As a result of nicotine abuse, a disease such as bronchial asthma can develop.

The mechanism of addiction and smoker delusion

Why does a smoking person reach for a cigarette?

Taking out a cigarette causes a feeling of emotional or physical discomfort. Without a cigarette, it is impossible to concentrate or relax while resting, or fall asleep at night. I smoked my usual cigarette and everything fell into place.

Thus, in the smoker's mind, a cigarette is associated with pleasure or useful medicine.

Scary secret for smoker No. 1.

• In fact, a cigarette not only gives a short-term effect of relieving discomfort, but, most importantly, creates delayed discomfort itself.

Terrible secret for smoker No. 2.

• The smoker's brain does not in any way connect the state of delayed discomfort with the effects of cigarettes.

Moreover, the brain will always find a rational explanation for discomfort that is not related to cigarettes. The person is sure that the bad thing is due to specific life circumstances: accumulated fatigue, natural pressure in communication, or another rational explanation for the discomfort that prompts him to smoke.

This is the mechanism of addiction.

The brain begins to deceive a person just to force him to do the target action - smoke a cigarette and get another dose of nicotine.

Now you can understand why it is difficult for a person to quit smoking. His own brain, included in the mechanism of addiction, actually goes out of control and is constantly looking for “rational” reasons why he should smoke. The brain, knowing you very well, will definitely find this reason.

The connection between smoking and panic attacks in VSD

We all know about the negative effects of nicotine on the body. But not all smokers understand how serious the problem can be.

Not many people know that most cases of panic attacks are associated with such a bad habit as smoking.

Smoking during VSD and panic attacks greatly increases the chances of a heart attack and is strictly prohibited.

Without going into the details of psychopharmacology, it can be noted that nicotine increases the level of adrenaline and glutamate. This is what leads to a “narrowing of consciousness.”

This condition is especially aggravated by abrupt cessation of cigarettes. The condition may be similar to when a person smokes a cigarette with narcotic components or, as people call it, “weed.”

Properly selected medications will help you get rid of not only PA, but also a bad habit. Anti-anxiety medications are prescribed first. They will help the smoker not only get rid of the main problem, but also ease the course of VSD. At the next stage, the patient should be prescribed medications aimed at combating smoking. A method of gradually reducing the dosage will be effective and less traumatic for the psyche. Abrupt withdrawal from nicotine will lead to destabilization of the functioning of all organs. To prevent the body from experiencing such stress, you can seek help from a patch, nicotine tablets or electronic cigarettes. These supplements will provide only a small amount of nicotine into the body, gradually reducing its level.

The help of a qualified specialist will not be superfluous. High-quality psychotherapy with the elaboration of all problems will help you quickly and least stressfully cope with the problem of smoking, neurosis, PA and VSD.

Just as with PA, VSD, smoking with neurosis is especially contraindicated. Many smokers are misled into thinking that cigarettes help them cope with stress. Nicotine only masks the main symptoms of the disease, driving them inside.

Why does withdrawal occur after quitting smoking?

Tobacco withdrawal is the result of the body not receiving the usual doses of nicotine. When using cigarettes, the main component of tobacco affects acetylcholine receptors, the nervous system, and adrenaline metabolism. As soon as it stops coming along with tobacco smoke, serious changes occur in the course of metabolic processes. Stress reactions develop, causing nicotine withdrawal. It can last from several days to three to five weeks.

If we describe the problem of withdrawal on a psychological level, then negative changes in well-being are associated with the inability to relax in the usual way. Using cigarettes, the smoker feels inner satisfaction and slight euphoria. That's why he loves cigarettes.

But when they become unavailable, the usual “joy” remains a thing of the past. The addict leaves his comfort zone. Hence the anger, the inability to calmly react even to minor irritants.

MYTHS ABOUT SMOKING

The most harmful thing in a cigarette is nicotine.

Nicotine is primarily a drug that is addictive and makes you smoke. But along with the smoke, truly dangerous substances contained in cigarette tar enter the smoker’s body. Their ingredients, through smoke and blood, reaching any of the organs (from the mouth to the bladder), initiate the development of tumors.

Smoking calms the nerves and relieves stress.

Nicotine does not have a calming effect. In fact, the components of tobacco (tar, nicotine, smoke, etc.) do not relax, but simply “slow down” the most important areas of the central nervous system. But, having gotten used to a cigarette, a person can no longer relax without it. Smokers are calmed by the ritual - take out a cigarette, light it, take a drag, and exhale.

Smoking helps you stay slim.

There are many overweight people who smoke a lot. True, those who quit smoking regain their taste sensitivity, and at first many former smokers have an increased appetite - this is reflected in their restored health. It's time to remember about daily physical exercise, and also eat more vegetables and fruits.

The point is also that people begin to “eat up” the stress that arises when quitting smoking, and eat out of nothing to do in situations where they previously lit up.

Smoking can disrupt the body's endocrine system and lead to some weight loss. But this is not the weight loss you should strive for. Disruptions at the hormonal level are too high a price to pay for several kilograms.

Smoking improves concentration.

Stimulation of the nervous system by nicotine leads to depletion of the brain's energy capabilities. Tobacco becomes a kind of stimulant: when performing complex mental work, a person begins to smoke one cigarette after another, just so as not to lose this very concentration.

In smokers, blood vessels are clogged with calcium deposits more than in people who are not addicted to nicotine, because smoking negatively affects blood circulation and, accordingly, the supply of oxygen to the body, including the brain.

There is only one conclusion: the intellectual potential of smokers gradually decreases.

Smoking does not affect life expectancy.

In fact: there are very, very few long-term smokers. And of today’s young smokers, almost none will live to see seventy. The average age of a smoker is 54 years. And most smokers die from heart disease or cancer.

Smoking is enjoyable.

This is a rather controversial statement. Most smokers admit that the first cigarette they smoked not only did not give them pleasure, but caused an immediate deterioration in their health, and its taste seemed disgusting. The “pleasure” of smoking is just a result of habit, which does not even consist in inhaling the smoke of smoldering tobacco itself, but rather in the ritual associated with this process.

Cigarettes with filters are safer.

The introduction of filter cigarettes did not solve anything. The filter only makes things worse: while retaining large particles of smoke, it allows the smallest ones to pass through, and the smoker, trying to get more nicotine, is forced to inhale deeper, which leads to the penetration of carcinogens and soot into the smallest bronchioles, where lung adenocarcinoma develops.

Light cigarettes cause me less harm! You can also smoke half a cigarette or fewer cigarettes per day!

The fact is that dependence is formed on nicotine. Until the smoker receives his dose, he will continue to smoke. By reducing the number of cigarettes or switching to “light” cigarettes, the smoker reflexively inhales deeper or holds the smoke longer in inhalation in order to get the required dose. So there's nothing to gain by doing this!

For long-time smokers, quitting is too late and even harmful to your health!

Indeed, regular tobacco consumption causes irreversible damage to a number of vital organs of our body, however, even a heavy smoker will feel an improvement in his health a certain time after the last cigarette smoked:

• 3-9 months after quitting smoking, respiratory function improves by 10%;
• 5 years after quitting smoking, the risk of myocardial infarction will be reduced by 2 times compared to a smoker;
• 10 years after quitting smoking, the risk of lung cancer will decrease by 2 times compared to a smoker.

What is vegetative-vascular dystonia?

As we consider the reasons that cause the development of VSD, it becomes clear that the appearance of the disease is due to the psycho-emotional state of the affected people, which affects their overall well-being. Among the reasons are:

• accompanying diseases of the central nervous system;
• somatic diseases;
• presence of chronic infections;
• regular stress and lack of sleep;
• lack of physical activity;
• bad habits.

According to doctors, the development of VSD requires the intersection of several conditions that cause pathology of autonomic regulation. The disease is accompanied by stages of exacerbation, called vegetative crises:

1. Sympathoadrenal vascular crisis - expressed by accelerated pulse rhythms, redness of facial tissues, increased blood pressure, coldness in the extremities and increased agitation.
2. Vagoinsular crisis - marked by malaise, difficulty breathing, increased sweating, and a feeling of sinking in the heart.
3. Mixed type of crisis with VSD - manifestations of two crises are combined.

In addition, people affected by VSD sometimes note the occurrence of phobias, uncertainty, mood instability, and inability to concentrate. The occurrence of complaints of this kind can push a person to certain destructive habits, for example, smoking.