Vegetative-vascular dystonia is a complex of symptoms caused by dysfunctions of the autonomic nervous system. Doctors have more than a hundred signs of the disease. In the modern world, according to statistics, about 70% of the world's population is diagnosed with VSD.
Autonomic nervous system
VVD occurs in patients with impaired reactions from the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Some experts identify the main groups of agents of influence that cause an imbalance of functions - infections of the chronic course, malfunctions of the hormonal system, mental stress, etc. Another part of the doctors believes that staying in a state of prolonged stress, emotional stress is the main factor provoking VVD.
What is simple language? To answer the question, it is necessary to understand what the autonomic nervous system is, what are its functions in the body and how dysfunction manifests itself:
- The autonomic nervous system is part of the central nervous system of the body and refers to its peripheral part.
- The autonomic nervous system is a conductor of brain commands to organs and is responsible for their automatic functioning (respiration, palpitations, temperature, pressure, etc.). Quickly responds to any changes in the environment (external and internal), adjusting the work of organs. For example, during sports, the ANS accelerates the heartbeat, narrows the lumen of the vessels so that the muscles receive a large dose of oxygen and nutrients. When the temperature rises outdoors or indoors, the autonomic nervous system regulates the sweat glands, while eating it stimulates the production of gastric juice, etc.
- It consists of two departments - parasympathetic and sympathetic systems. It is believed that the sympathetic system transmits impulses that accelerate the work of organs, and the parasympathetic weakens. All organs and systems of the body receive signals from both parts of the autonomic nervous system in equal degree and at the same intensity.
The discrepancy in the supplied pulses is the VSD. What is simple language? This is an imbalance between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. One of them gives impulses more actively, and the functionality of the second tends to a minimum.
Causes
The mechanism of the appearance of vegetative-vascular dystonia has not been fully studied, and there is no single answer to the question of why the balance in its work is disturbed.
Doctors identify a number of reasons that provoke the emergence of VVD:
- Heredity - gene mutations, temperament and the nature of parents. If one of them had a vegetoneurosis, then the child, having inherited the character traits of the parent, will suffer from this ailment. The first signals of the presence of the disease appear in adolescence.
- Chronic stress, acutely experienced negative. When a person feels a threat (moral, physical), the sympathetic nervous system activates the production of stress hormones, they allow you to react faster in the situation, the heart rate increases. If the threat is quickly eliminated, then shaking the body is only good, but if you are in a stressful situation for a long time, the sympathetic nervous system becomes disordered, its action takes on hypertrophic forms, the patient reacts sharply to irritants, shows his temper, anger. The reverse situation (apathy, hypochondria, etc.) indicates the predominance of parasympathetic reactions.
- Climate change. In this case, the imbalance arises from the need for the body and nervous system to adapt to new climatic conditions.
- Somatic, neurological disorders. VVD occurs due to acquired psycho-vegetative syndrome. Most often, it appears as a consequence of the pain that has arisen with any pathology (for example, heart disease). It is expressed in profuse sweating, tachycardia, salivation. The patient undergoes fixation, and the autonomic nervous system considers overstrain as a threat, which leads to dystonia.
- Changes in hormonal levels affect all body functions. The autonomic nervous system responds to changes in the internal environment and adapts the body to new conditions of existence. Perestroika is observed during puberty and menopause. Signs are fainting, changes in blood pressure, periodic excessive sweating, etc.
- Mental illness. The diagnosis of VVD is most often made to patients with neurotic disorders (neurosis, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, etc.).
Symptoms
Many doctors do not consider VVD as a disease that requires careful treatment. Currently, studies have appeared that prove the irreversibility of changes in many organs and body systems caused by vegetative-vascular dystonia. In this regard, in the coming years, official medicine will pay much more attention to the methods of diagnosis and treatment of pathology.
In the world classification of diseases there is no such disease as VSD. The ICD-10 code for pathologies of the nervous system covers the range G00-G99, and disorders related to the emotional state are indicated by the code R45. Due to the fuzziness and diversity of the symptoms, they were combined into groups and are considered as syndromes.
How are VSD syndromes manifested? Symptoms are as follows:
- Various disorders of the myocardium and blood vessels: interruptions in the rhythm, fluctuations in blood pressure, sticky sweat, the development of a pain syndrome that mimics ischemia, heart attack.
- Asthenic syndrome: emotional, physical exhaustion, lethargy, low blood pressure, irritability, etc.
- Neurotic disorders: depression, anxiety, suspiciousness, anxiety about health, etc.
- Respiratory syndrome: in a state of excitement, the patient does not have enough air, breathing is frequent, shallow, convulsive, etc.
- Fainting conditions: orthostatic hypotension, fainting with severe fear, excitement, etc.
- Thermoregulatory disorders: depending on the type of disorder, the patient does not tolerate cold, but calmly - the heat, or vice versa. Sometimes, temperature fluctuations in the range of 36.7-37.1 Celsius can be observed.
The patient may experience pain with VVD without any reason. Rather, they are painful chimeras, usually the diagnosis does not reveal anything except a rapid pulse, rapid breathing, profuse sweat and a pressure surge that normalizes without the use of medications.
As soon as the patient calms down, all the symptoms of a "fatal" attack immediately disappear. Nevertheless, frequent recurrence of the same disorders over many years leads to real pathologies in the organs to which complaints have been received.
Types of pathology
How to treat VVD should be determined by a neurologist. For the right therapy, the specialist needs to determine what type of disease the disease belongs to. Due to the large number of symptoms, the pathology is divided into types depending on the patient's complaints.
Next, we consider the types of VSD, their symptoms and signs:
- Mixed - the most common and diagnosed. The main symptoms are lethargy, fatigue, tachycardia or arrhythmia, dizziness, headaches, insomnia, and weather dependence.
- Cardiac. Signs - sweating, cardiac arrhythmia, pain in the myocardium, tachycardia up to 90 beats per minute or slowing of the rhythm to 50 beats, extrasystole.
- Vagotonic. Signs - bradycardia, low blood pressure, dyskinesia, shortness of breath, salivation, etc.
- Hypertensive. Signs are headache, a sense of fear, sweating, blurred vision, decreased appetite or nausea, nervous tension, etc.
- Hypotonic. Symptoms - low blood pressure, sweating, chills, weakness, lack of air, etc.
For each type of pathology, there is a certain treatment algorithm taking into account individual manifestations. The diagnosis of VVD has additional indications of the type of syndrome, especially its manifestations.
Pharmacology on guard
Therapy of vegetative-vascular dystonia sets as the primary goal the stabilization of the patient's condition. Assessing the mental, physical and emotional spheres, the doctor decides how to treat the VSD. First, anxiety states are eliminated, antidepressants are prescribed for depression, sleeping pills for insomnia, etc.
Drugs for VVD:
- Soothing - “Novo-Passit”, “Persen”, “Azafen”.
- Cardiotonic - “Valocordin”, “Corvalol”.
- Hypertensive - Normatens, Vinpocetine.
- Tranquilizers - "Seduxen" and others with a similar effect.
Vegetative-vascular dystonia is a common disorder of the body and does not have a unified treatment strategy. VVD (ICD-10 code: G00-G99, R45) is successfully treated without the use of pharmacology. The use of medications is the last recommendation of a doctor, when all the restorative methods of traditional medicine, spa treatment and physiotherapeutic procedures have already been tried.
A patient who feels a disorder of the nervous system should first of all normalize the regimen of the day and adhere to it at least for a week. If the result is unsatisfactory, you need to add a method of soothing decoctions of herbs, engage in physical activity in the gym or make banal walks before bedtime.
Sanatorium treatment: seaside and mountains
Patients with vegetative-vascular dystonia are recommended sanatorium-resort treatment in the climatic zone where they permanently reside. Changes in external conditions can provoke an attack of the disease associated with the need for adaptation. Professionals are well aware of how to treat VVD using natural factors. Patients need to undergo complex therapy in climatic, balneological resorts or in mud baths.
Climatic resorts, in each geographical area, have their own advantages and capabilities for carrying out procedures aimed at restoring and normalizing the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. Treatment is preferable to carry out at these types of resorts:
- Seaside - have a complex effect due to the healing properties of air and sea water. Trace elements of the two elements activate metabolism, restore all parts of the nervous system, stabilize the emotional background.
- Mountain - low oxygen content in the air, its saturation with negative ions improves blood circulation, activate metabolic processes in the body, strengthens the immune system, normalizes the functionality of the central nervous system.
VVD (vegetative-vascular dystonia) in climatic resorts is treated with the following methods:
- Heliotherapy, aerotherapy.
- Speleotherapy, aerotherapy.
- Hypoxitherapy, thalassotherapy.
Balneology and pyelotherapy
Balneological resorts offer patients therapy based on mineral waters of natural origin. Patients are advised to drink medicinally, mineral baths, walks and outdoor sports. The use of hydrotherapy and a range of waters are recommended by the attending specialist who has drawn up an individual plan, which describes how to treat VVD.
Balneotherapy methods:
- Healing souls (underwater, Charcot, circular, etc.).
- Bathtubs for general and individual purposes (coniferous, herbal, pearl, etc.).
- Mineral contrast baths.
Drinking regimen and the choice of healing water are carried out according to the type of VSD, the characteristics of the disease. For example, in the case of an asthenic course of the disease, it is recommended to take carbon dioxide baths; in the hypotensive type of the disease, iodine-bromine water is indicated.
Mud therapy reaches its effect due to the thermal effect and penetration of active substances of mineral mud through the skin. In mud baths for the treatment of VVD in adults, the following methods are recommended:
- Mud baths, general and local wraps.
- Local applications, electrophoresis.
In sanatoriums and resort areas of the wellness area, patients can be offered many treatment options. How is VSD treated in such institutions? The recovery procedures that are offered by most health centers include methods that help to overcome vegetative-vascular dystonia, namely:
- Massage, psychotherapy and psychocorrection.
- Reflexotherapy, exercise therapy.
- Physiotherapy.
Despite the apparent simplicity of the methods used, therapy gives good results. With VVD, the first goal of therapy is to normalize the mental and emotional state. The patient, tidying up the nerves and achieving physical health, can completely overcome the syndrome. If success is reinforced by studies with psychologists, in order to elucidate the main triggers of dystonia, the process becomes controlled by the patient himself.
Physiotherapy
Medications for VSD are prescribed with caution and are not the basis for the treatment of the disease. The strategy of therapy is based on the normalization of the autonomic nervous system and restorative methods of healing the body. Physiotherapeutic procedures have a positive effect, in particular:
- Galvanization, magnetotherapy.
- Electrosleep, inductothermy.
- Laser therapy, darsonvalization.
- Electrophoresis, aeroionotherapy.
From the entire spectrum of physiotherapy, the doctor selects an individual program to eliminate specific problems of the patient.
Folk methods
In folk medicine, there is no section that focuses on the question: "How to treat VVD?" Attention is paid to stabilizing the emotional background, stimulating vital energy, and treating insomnia.
Means for eliminating insomnia and normalizing the emotional background:
- Collection of herbs for insomnia - lavender and peppermint, taken at 50 grams, mixed with chamomile flowers and peppermint leaves, taken at 75 grams. For the broth, take 2 tablespoons of the collection, pour 1 cup of boiling water, insist. After straining, the entire portion is taken during the day, preferably after lunch.
- Before going to bed - mix in equal quantities the violet grass, lavender flowers, barberry berries, lemon balm leaves. One full tablespoon of dry ingredients is poured with a glass of boiling water. Filter after 30 minutes of infusion and take before bedtime.
- Stabilization and strengthening of the nervous system, immunity. In equal parts, mix dry ingredients - valerian root, lemon balm, peppermint, hop cones, St. John's wort grass perforated. Insist one tablespoon of the collection in 1 cup of boiling water, strain and drink in equal amounts during the day.
- Baths for calming the nervous system with herbs of lemon balm, mint, valerian, lavender, coniferous extract, etc. The main conditions for successful treatment are dim light, water of average temperature (up to 37 ° C), the duration of the procedure is about 15 minutes, rinsing with a shower. In addition to herbs, the use of essential oils is acceptable (up to 5 drops per bath).
- General strengthening agents - pomegranate juice, alcohol tincture of the temptation (pharmacy), tea from rose hips, etc.
Special cases
VVD in adolescents occurs in connection with a change in hormonal levels. The puberty is difficult for a person growing up in that, in addition to changes in the internal environment of the body, there is an increased emotional, physical and mental load. Most teenagers experience this period at school. As they grow older, the symptoms cease to manifest, and the prevailing part of the younger generation enters adulthood without complications.
Parents and doctors should pay increased attention to children during the puberty period in order to prevent a weakening of health and help them successfully survive the restructuring of the body without losing health. Having noticed the symptoms of VVD in adolescents, measures should be taken to strengthen the nervous system, immunity, for which such methods are welcome:
- Moderate physical activity.
- Metered viewing of television, restrictions on classes and games on the computer.
- Compliance with the daily routine.
- Balanced menu.
In those cases, if the measures taken do not lead to the desired effect, the specialist prescribes medication, sanatorium treatment, a set of physiotherapy procedures.
VVD during pregnancy is also a consequence of changes in hormonal levels. But in this case, vegetative-vascular dystonia can harm the development of the child. The expectant mother needs to pay attention to all the symptoms and get a doctor's consultation. In treatment, preference is given to herbal preparations. Also, in a set of measures, normalization of the day regimen, menu review, moderate physical activity are recommended.
VVD during pregnancy lends itself to general treatment aimed at eliminating the anxiety of a woman. If standard methods do not help, a specialist can prescribe tranquilizers, antipsychotics, and other drugs. Their action can negatively affect the baby, so the future mother in contact with the doctor should find opportunities and methods of gentle action - spa treatment, physiotherapy, consultations with a psychologist, nutrition correction, and folk recipes.