The concept of vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD) includes a whole range of symptoms. The patient’s complaints are not specific; it is difficult to say in which system the violation occurred and which disease causes certain manifestations. If we evaluate the symptoms comprehensively, then they are not characteristic of any other pathology.
Most modern doctors agree that VSD does not exist - it is a pseudo-diagnosis that requires a more careful and thorough examination of the patient. It is important to establish and eliminate the underlying disease, then the symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia will gradually disappear.
Types of vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD)
Depending on how the cardiovascular system reacts to a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, 4 types of VSD are conventionally distinguished: hypertensive, hypotonic, cardiac and mixed. A more detailed study of the signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia made it possible to identify 3 more types of disorder: vagotonia, cerebral-type VSD and somatoform dysfunction.
This typology is outdated, however, it allows you to classify all symptoms of VSD. The problem of diagnosing autonomic dysfunction is acute, and patients often become victims of ignorance or inattention of doctors. Let's figure out what symptoms may indicate the presence of one or another form of autonomic dysfunction.
VSD of cardiac type
In the cardiological (as well as in the hypertensive) form of autonomic dysfunction, the diagnosis will most likely show obvious sympathicotonia, that is, functional tension in the work of the sympathetic department of the ANS. A distinctive feature of VSD of the cardiac type is pain in the heart area (stabbing, pressing or burning sensations in the chest area). Signs may resemble those of an angina attack or myocardial infarction. But upon examination, cardiac pathologies are not detected.
The cardiac type of reaction to a vegetative-vascular disorder is characterized by: tachycardia, cardiac arrhythmia, false pain in the heart area, as well as respiratory arrhythmia and asthma attacks. It is important to understand that with VSD, pain in the heart area is not a harbinger of a heart attack and does not in any way affect the cardiovascular system, which will be confirmed by the patient’s echocardiogram. Cardiac rhythmography is very effective in diagnosing this type of VSD.
Symptoms
The symptoms of neurocirculatory dystonia are very diverse and form the basis for the classification of pathology. However, it is possible to identify a number of common features that are characteristic of most types of NDC:
- frequent mood changes;
- constant fatigue and drowsiness;
- lack of strength, weakness;
- feeling of a lump in the throat;
- increased sweating;
- weather sensitivity;
- anxiety;
- feeling of lack of air, etc.
An exacerbation of the disease can be triggered by any stressful situation: an excess of positive or negative emotions, lack of sleep, or even a simple change in time zones.
VSD of mixed type
Depending on how the cardiovascular system reacts to a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, the 3 types of VSD described above are conventionally distinguished. But, as a rule, vegetative-vascular dystonia includes several types of symptoms at once.
The mixed type is characterized by a combination of the above symptoms. Blood pressure “jumps”, a person feels sometimes depressed, sometimes irritated, sometimes experiences weakness, sometimes excessive emotional overexcitation, and his mood changes sharply. With a mixed type of VSD, the whole spectrum of symptoms can manifest itself: cardiac and respiratory arrhythmia, panic attacks, pain with vague localization. This type of autonomic disorder is the most common.
Manifestation in children
It is necessary to take into account the fact that children's pulse is always faster than adults. Therefore, you should not focus on this parameter when diagnosing VSD.
But you need to be wary when:
- The appearance of a rash, dry skin, possible swelling.
- There is a feeling of restlessness, anxiety and nervousness.
- Breathing changes its character. It becomes intermittent, excessively frequent, slow.
- Decreased appetite.
- The occurrence of problems with the gastrointestinal tract, for example, gastritis or duodenitis occurs by adolescence (puberty).
- An attack of nausea accompanied by vomiting.
- Changing the stool.
- Muscle tone is impaired.
- Fluctuations in body temperature.
- Anxiety and emotional instability arise.
- A wide variety of diseases can also develop, including such serious ones as heart defects and pathology of the heart muscle.
- The hormonal system begins to work incorrectly. Its pronounced effect is changes in the timing of puberty. For many boys it is delayed. In turn, in girls, on the contrary, it occurs earlier. Signs of this are early menstruation.
If such disorders occur, it is recommended to consult a doctor as soon as possible. It is necessary to understand that vegetative-vascular dystonia should be treated not by one specialist, but by several. A neurologist, pediatrician, cardiologist, gynecologist, and psychiatrist should be involved. Only such an integrated approach has a chance of success and will relieve the child of unpleasant symptoms and will not interfere with development.
VSD of vagotonic type
Vagotonia is characterized by a wide variety of symptoms, which can raise suspicion of serious diseases of the heart, endocrine or respiratory system, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or even the psyche. A thorough examination does not reveal any pathologies in the organs and systems of the body. And as a “diagnosis of exclusion,” the patient is diagnosed with “VVD of the vagotonic type.” Indeed, a variety of symptoms that do not fit into a single pathological process are caused by vagotonia - hypertonicity of the vagus nerve (“vagus”). The vagus nerve regulates the activity of organs, glands and blood vessels, and an increase in its tone causes spasm of smooth muscles throughout all structures of the body.
With this type of VSD, the activity of the parasympathetic part of the nervous system predominates (over the sympathetic), which will be confirmed by the diagnosis of CRH. A person becomes apathetic, unsure of himself, suspicious, suffers from hypochondria, suspecting that he has the most terrible and, perhaps, still unknown disease. Memory for specific things often deteriorates: numbers, dates, details, and mental activity decreases.
Physical symptoms are bradycardia, hypotension, vestibular disorders (dizziness and fainting), fatigue, shortness of breath, pale skin, cold extremities, non-localized pain in the abdomen and chest. Despite the broken state, the person experiences difficulty falling asleep and does not sleep well during the night. In advanced cases, patients experience panic attacks, depression and suicidal tendencies. Symptoms can appear in a complex manner, or they can be localized - when complaints are limited to one of the organ systems. The disease can be chronic or manifest itself in the form of outbreaks, vegetative crises, when the condition sharply worsens. In vagotonic children, the pathology also manifests itself in an abundance of allergic reactions.
VSD of cerebral type
With vegetative-vascular dystonia of the cerebral type, the tone of the blood vessels in the brain is disturbed. The blood vessels spasm, which leads to disruption of blood supply and nutrition to the brain. Cells lack oxygen, and blood flow deteriorates.
The primary symptoms are headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, noise and pounding in the ears, and nausea. Other symptoms of VSD may also appear: pain in the heart, tachycardia, vascular instability (bouts of heat, sweating, pale skin), difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and a number of other symptoms. According to cardiac rhythmography data, VSD of the cerebral type will be expressed by hyperactivity of waves from the autonomic centers of the brain and, possibly, sympathetic waves.
Treatment and monitoring of a patient with cerebral angiodystonia
Before starting treatment, it is worth determining the etiology of dystonia. Influence on the main pathogenetic link increases the chances of a complete cure.
Directions of treatment:
- Etiological treatment is correction of the underlying disease that provokes VSD;
- Normalization of vascular tone;
- Symptomatic therapy;
- Lifestyle correction, psychotherapy.
The treatment of uncomplicated angiodystonia is based on physiotherapeutic methods (therapeutic exercises, hydromassage, manual therapy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, aromatherapy), as well as the elimination of provoking factors (giving up alcohol, tobacco, reducing stress, sanitation of foci of chronic infection, if necessary, changing place work and residence). Psychotherapy with auto-training elements is quite effective.
Drug treatment of vascular dystonia of the brain is reduced to normalizing the relationship of the hypothalamic and limbic systems with other internal organs. The course of treatment is prescribed for a long period.
Drug groups:
Herbal-based sedatives - valerian, motherwort tincture, Sedavit, Persen; if ineffective - barbiturates or bromides (Elenium, Sibazon, Fenozepam, Grandaxin, Afobazol; They relieve emotional and mental stress, anxiety, fear, and normalize vegetative reactions.- Drugs that improve cerebral blood flow (neuroangiocorrectors) – Stugeron, Cinnarizine, Cavinton;
- Drugs with nootropic effect - Piracetam, Nootropil;
- Antidepressants – Amitriptyline, Fluoxetine, Paroxetine. Caffeine-based psychostimulants, antipsychotics;
- Alpha or Beta blockers (for hypertensive type) - Anaprillin, Phentolamine, Prazosin, Sotalol, Bisoprolol; ACE inhibitors – Berlipril, Enalapril; Ca2+ channel blockers – Amlodipine, Nifedipine;
- For the hypotonic type - methylxanthines (Euphylline, Theophylline), M-cholinergic blockers (Atropine);
- Vitamin complexes, antioxidants, diuretics, adaptogens with extract of eleutherococcus, lemongrass, ginseng;
- Glycine - to reduce the excitability of the autonomic nervous system, improve metabolic processes in the brain.
As rehabilitation for VSD, they use a stay in a sanatorium with the use of water procedures (swimming, body wraps, contrast showers, hydromassage), walks in the fresh air, phyto-baths (coniferous, nitrogen, valerian, iodine-bromine, hydrogen sulfide, radon, carbon dioxide). It is also recommended to take a course of electrophoresis and electrosleep.
Somatoform dysfunction
With somatoform dysfunction, a person usually complains about a specific organ or group of organs that are regulated by the autonomic nervous system. These may be complaints about the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory or genitourinary systems. The patient associates his condition with a physical disorder, but based on the results of the examination, the doctor finds no reason for it. The true cause of the malaise is a disruption in the functioning of the autonomic nerve centers. In addition to subjective localized pain, heaviness, burning or tension, specific symptoms of VSD can be easily identified among the patient’s complaints.
The variety of symptoms of autonomic dysfunction makes it difficult for the doctor to get to the root cause of the disease. Therefore, in addition to collecting anamnesis, it is important to conduct instrumental studies of the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. Find out more about diagnosing autonomic disorders.
conclusions
It is worth considering that successful treatment of angiodystonia largely depends on the patient himself. An important component of therapy is a healthy lifestyle (daily routine, adequate sleep, alternating mental and physical stress, reducing time spent with gadgets, walking in the fresh air, playing sports, hardening). In mild forms, it is possible to do without drug support.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict the possibility of developing angiodystonia syndrome. But the real thing is secondary prevention of consequences and deterioration of the condition: observation by a neurologist, giving up bad habits, a rational work and rest schedule, correction of concomitant diseases.
