The list of human diseases at the moment is huge, it is constantly being updated, expanded. In this rating, if I may say so, there are leaders, the most common are oncological diseases and diseases of the cardiovascular system. This material contains information on what cerebral vascular crisis is, what symptoms it has and the clinical picture, what is the treatment.
Key concepts and terms
First you need to understand the basic terms that form the name of the disease. The meaning of each of them can be absolutely understandable to a person, at the same time the full name - cerebral vascular crisis - says nothing.
The general meaning of the word "crisis" means an exacerbation of any disease that occurs suddenly, the term indicates dynamic characteristics. A disease is a pathological process that occurs in the presence of certain symptoms. With a crisis, new symptoms appear, and the old ones suddenly intensify, become more pronounced. The condition will be short-term in the provision of emergency medical care.
The definition of “cerebral” is a reference to the place of development of the disease, an indication that the pathology is associated with cerebral (cerebral) blood flow. The mechanisms of blood flow autoregulation fail when there is a sharp increase in blood pressure, provoked by a number of reasons, which will be described below.
Another component of the name of the disease - “vascular” - indicates that the vessels are primarily affected, and within them the hydrodynamic pressure rises sharply. This leads to the fact that the permeability of the vascular wall increases. Protein-rich plasma components have more opportunities to penetrate into the brain tissue, resulting in cerebral edema. The wall of the intracerebral vessels itself undergoes serious pathological changes, up to necrosis and the formation of blood clots. There are a lot of vessels in the brain, you can familiarize yourself with the blood supply to the organ in the photo below, which shows the main arteries that feed the brain.
Thus, cerebral vascular crisis is a complicated form of hypertensive crisis. It can be fatal, which is why it is so important to be able to determine the symptoms of the disease, to know how to provide first aid.
International Classification of Diseases
Many patients are interested in the ICD-10 code for cerebral vascular crisis , which the doctor makes in the medical history. What mysterious letters and numbers, where to look for an explanation? The answer is simple: the ICD stands for International Classification of Diseases, developed by major experts from the World Health Organization.
The number "10" means that the system has been reviewed 10 times, at the moment it includes 21 classes, within each group one or another disease, their codes are indicated. Cerebral vascular crisis according to ICD-10 belongs to class IX "Diseases of the circulatory system." Within it, the group “Cerebrovascular Diseases” stands out, the exact disease code (I60-I69) will be determined by a specialist based on all the symptoms in combination and the manifestation of the clinical picture.
Classification of crises
There are various classifications, based on those or other phenomena that characterize the cerebrovascular crisis. For example, the following types of crises can be distinguished:
The first species, in turn, is divided into subspecies:
- hypotonic;
- hypertensive;
- vegetative.
Among regional crises, the most common is migraine, followed by various angioedema. Their main characteristic is a violation of the blood supply to a specific organ or tissue. The increase in pressure can lead to the fact that blood flow is significantly reduced or completely stops.
Violation of vascular tone also leads to an outflow of blood from the organ / tissues, but in the veins and capillaries the opposite phenomenon develops - stagnation of blood. Regional blood flow disorders are the main cause of the following diseases:
- Migraine.
- Hypertensive (or cerebral crises).
- Raynaud's disease.
It is important to identify the reasons why a person develops a migraine or cerebrovascular crisis, the treatment in this case will be faster and more intensive. Less time will be required for treatment and rehabilitation, less effort and money.
Migraine is a common occurrence.
When trying to find out whether a person has a cerebral vascular crisis, diagnosis is an integral "tool" of a doctor, since there are various types of this pathology with similar symptoms. One of them is migraines, which first appear at the age of 20 (in some young people). Statistics say that every fifth inhabitant of the planet suffers from this disease from time to time.
Headache can occur in half or a quarter of the head, the migraine itself goes through several stages. At the first stage, a spasm of the vessels begins , but there is still no pain. The second phase is a sharp expansion of blood vessels, accompanied by severe pulsating headaches. At the third stage, the pains are aching in nature, since swelling of the brain tissue develops.
Types of Crisis
Vegeto-vascular and cerebral vascular crisis causes are different, therefore, the paths to health are different. The cause of vegetovascular disorders is an increased concentration of certain substances. The most common substances are:
- adrenalin;
- serotonin;
- acetylcholine;
- steroids;
- norepinephrine.
This series of biologically active substances can be continued further. With these pathologies, other symptoms are observed, except for high blood pressure, common to all crises. In some patients, panic attacks begin, hands and feet get colder, qualities such as anxiety, anxiety are manifested.
Division into primary and secondary crises
There is another division that allows you to define cerebral vascular crisis as primary or secondary. Primary pathologies develop due to organic damage to the brain due to a disorder of the centers of regulation of the functional systems of the body, for example, changes in vascular tone, dysfunction of internal organs.
Secondary cerebral crisis appears due to failures in the nervous system. It manifests itself through neurological disorders, pathologies of the somatic system of the human body.
Division depending on the lesion
There is another typology of the disease, at its core - the lesion focus. Allocate types:
- temporal;
- stem;
- hypothalamic.
Cerebrovascular crisis, the symptoms of which may be similar to other types of pathologies, occupies a special place. The reason is the difficulty in establishing the correct diagnosis, finding out the specific cause of the crisis, eliminating the causes and their consequences.
The upper photo shows the affected areas of the brain.
The causes of the disease
Pathologies of the organs of the cardiovascular system are caused by various reasons, crises have one thing in common - a disorder of vascular tone. Atherosclerotic changes that occur in the vessels of the brain can lead not only to cerebrovascular crisis, but also to other unpleasant consequences.
On the other hand, problems with vascular tone appear in a number of other diseases:
- hypertension;
- pathological changes in the central nervous system;
- peripheral vascular disease;
- congenital malformations of blood vessels and / or heart;
- imbalance of vasoactive substances (adrenaline, serotonin) and the pathology caused by it.
That is why it is so difficult to make the right diagnosis even for a specialist with the appropriate education and work experience.
Clinical picture
There are several difficult points associated with a disease such as cerebral vascular crisis (its symptoms and treatment are interrelated). But if a non-specialist is able to recognize the symptoms, then only a doctor with higher education can prescribe the correct course of treatment, based on data from tests, examinations, various studies.
It is important for a potential patient to know that the first sign of a hypertensive crisis is a headache. Sometimes it can be diffuse (it is difficult to determine the focus of pain), more often pain is present in the occipital region. The higher the blood pressure and the stronger the swelling of the brain, the stronger the headaches.
A high probability that a patient has cerebrovascular crisis is a symptom of vasogenic cerebral edema:
- nausea, vomiting;
- fear of light;
- violation of the vestibular apparatus;
- disorders of the functions of the organs of vision.
In the most severe cases, acute encephalopathy, seizures similar to epileptic, are diagnosed. In some cases, disorientation in space, a violation of the emotional background, the appearance of excessive anxiety can be observed.
Quite often there are signs of heart pathologies - a strong heartbeat, shortness of breath, pain in the heart. Options - fainting, short-term impaired consciousness. High blood pressure can lead to facial flushing. The crisis is replaced by general weakness, a person feels overwhelmed, tired, weak.
Important points to diagnose
The specialist makes a diagnosis based on an anamnesis, where he analyzes data from the patient’s medical history, takes into account living conditions. The recorded blood pressure indicators are also important, it is even better if they are not single, and for a number of years such data were monitored.
The developing clinical picture, that is, the rapidly manifesting symptoms of the disease also contribute to the establishment of a correct diagnosis. Another important study is fundus examination, where congestive changes in the optic nerves are visible. MRI of the brain can detect edema and other symptoms, indicating that the patient has cerebral vascular crisis.
It is difficult enough to distinguish a complex form of crisis from a stroke; specialists are guided by various factors. Short-term syncope, with a stroke - from several hours. Also, with the last disease, all the symptoms are more pronounced, accompanied by a violation of mental functions, nervous pathologies.
Treatment and its underlying principles
The main principle of crisis therapy is no self-medication, mandatory hospitalization is required. Depending on the severity, this can be:
- intensive care unit;
- intensive care unit.
And in that, and in another case, special equipment is used with which you can monitor the development of the disease, that is, carry out constant monitoring. Recommended treatment under the supervision of a resuscitator and neurologist, if necessary, involve representatives of other medical specialties.
An important principle is that drug treatment is determined individually, depending on the overall clinical picture and the degree of manifestation of individual symptoms. Priority therapy involves the following areas of care:
- decrease in blood pressure;
- carrying out measures to reduce puffiness;
- cramp control.
No less important is the correction of metabolic disorders accompanying the course of the disease. The crisis is stopped with the help of various medications, including:
- ACE inhibitors, for example Captopril or Enalapril;
- calcium antagonists;
- antihypertensive drugs.
When choosing a remedy, the doctor finds out whether there are contraindications for use in each case.
Alternative medicine is also used, but also under the supervision of a doctor, for example, warm foot baths. Mustard plasters are shown that need to be applied to the back of the neck, just above the shoulder blades. Hemorrhagic activity is suppressed with the help of rutin and ascorbic acid. Naturally, a specialist can prescribe anticoagulants, for headaches - well-known drugs:
- analgin;
- "Promedol";
- Amidopyrine.
If the patient suffers from insomnia, anxiety, is prone to panic attacks, then he is prescribed sedatives, drugs to improve sleep. Otherwise, caffeine or ephedrine.
Prevention
If you know your state of health well, then you can prevent the onset of cerebral crisis. The main thing in this case is the use of adequate therapy, a sparing regimen. Overcooling and overheating, emotional overstrain should be avoided.
Heavy physical work is contraindicated, in an inclined position or associated with lifting weights. It helps a healthy lifestyle, light physical exertion, a diet rich in minerals and vitamins. The appearance of a headache should be stopped with medications, massage of the cervical-collar region. You can take a warm shower, drink tea, bed rest is indicated.
Knowing the causes of the crisis, you can hinder its development, but if the headache does not go away and the physical condition worsens, you should immediately call an ambulance or contact the nearest healthcare institution.