Hypertensive NDC is a fairly common pathology. It is often found in adolescent children and young patients. Elderly people rarely suffer from this condition. The full name of this ailment is neurocirculatory dystonia. If the pathology proceeds according to the hypertonic type, then its signs resemble the symptoms of high blood pressure. In this case, patients do not have any organic changes, but their health is much worse. Manifestations of the disease are associated with functional disorders of the autonomic nervous system.
What is NDC
Hypertensive NDC is one of the varieties of VVD (vegetative-vascular dystonia). The autonomic nervous system functions in the body. It is divided into parasympathetic and sympathetic departments. These parts of the central nervous system provide an adequate response of the body to environmental changes. The sympathetic department is responsible for the heart rate and vascular tone. If a person is healthy, then the vascular walls are strained only when the organs need additional nutrition.
With neurocirculatory dystonia, a malfunction in the sympathetic department occurs. The tone of the vascular walls rises too often, with any emotional experience or physical stress. This is an inadequate reaction of the body to external stimuli.
In this case, the patient does not have any pathological changes characteristic of hypertension. The vascular tone is changed solely due to improper regulation by the autonomic system.
Often such a violation occurs in children in middle and senior school age. This is due to endocrine rearrangement of adolescents. Hormonal changes during the ripening period sometimes lead to malfunctions of the sympathetic department. Often, parents of children believe that all autonomic disorders will pass after the end of the puberty period. However, this is not always the case. If you do not conduct therapy in time, then unpleasant symptoms can occur at an older age. In children, this condition is treated easily, you can even do without the use of drugs. But the older a person becomes, the more difficult it is to get rid of the pathology.
Causes of pathology
The main reason for hypertensive type NDC is impaired adaptation to environmental changes due to a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system. There are unfavorable factors that can provoke a malfunction of the sympathetic department:
- stress
- congenital features of the heart, blood vessels and nervous system;
- pregnancy;
- violations of the monthly cycle in women;
- emotional characteristics (short temper, irritability, excessive sensitivity);
- overwork;
- smoking;
- severe illness;
- heredity;
- excessive alcohol consumption;
- mental illness;
- poisoning;
- severe overheating of the body;
- physical and mental trauma;
- passive lifestyle;
- radiation exposure.
Often the cause of the disease is not one, but several provoking factors. With the progression of NDC by the hypertonic type, failures arise not only in the sympathetic section, but also in the hypothalamus. This exacerbates the manifestations of pathology.
ICD code
According to the International Classification of Diseases, this pathology is included in group F (mental and behavioral disorders). This indicates the psychogenic nature of such a violation. Block F45 includes diseases with somatic symptoms, which are based on failures in the autonomic nervous system. The full NDC code for hypertonic type in the ICD is F45.3.
Symptomatology
The leading symptom of pathology is headache. It usually occurs in the evening, localized in the temples, neck or forehead and is accompanied by a sensation of pulsation in the vessels. It resembles signs of mild hypertension.
The pressure is often increased. Systolic indicators are within 160 mm RT. Art. Lower blood pressure usually remains normal. However, the pressure is unstable and can vary during the day. Tachycardia is noted, the heart rate reaches 100 beats per minute.
The clinical picture of this disease is very diverse. The patient complains of a whole complex of discomfort. In addition to headache, there are other symptoms of NDC according to the hypertonic type:
- The patient is often tormented by dizziness, a feeling of instability when walking.
- A person’s working capacity decreases sharply, he feels constantly tired.
- The hands and feet of the patient always remain cold, even in warm conditions. This is due to circulatory disorders. A person often feels chills, but sweats heavily due to a failure of the sympathetic regulation of the skin glands.
- It often becomes difficult for the patient to breathe.
- Stitching pains in the heart may occur, but no pathology is detected on the ECG.
- The patient does not sleep well, becomes irritable, nervous.
- A characteristic sign of the disease is dermographism. If you hold any object over the patient’s skin, then white strips remain for a long time.
With such unpleasant symptoms, a person can be visited by many doctors. However, studies do not show any organic disturbances. Identifying this disease is quite difficult. The manifestations of the pathology are inconstant, they can sharply increase with emotional experiences and disappear when a person is calm.
Often patients do not know which doctor to use for hypertensive type of NCD. The treatment of such conditions is usually done by neuropathologists and cardiologists. Since the disease is characterized by increased pressure, the help of a general practitioner may be required. If the cause of autonomic disorders are stress and emotional overstrain, then a consultation with a therapist is necessary.
Degrees of illness
NDC according to the hypertonic type is classified according to the severity of the course. There are 3 degrees of the disease:
- Easy. Symptoms are rare and mild. Only slight fatigue is noted. The patient does not lose working capacity.
- Medium. Signs of autonomic disorders are pronounced and observed quite often. Periodically, a person has to take a sick leave due to the inability to work.
- Heavy. The patient suffers from multiple symptoms of autonomic disorders. Manifestations of the disease are observed constantly and sharply expressed. Disability is significantly reduced. In some cases, the patient has to be hospitalized in a hospital.
With a mild degree, it is still possible to improve the patient's condition without the use of drugs. With an average degree, it is often necessary to use drugs. In severe cases, stopping unpleasant symptoms without long-term drug therapy is impossible.
NCD in pregnant women
Often, hypertensive type NDC during pregnancy is noted for the first time. Previously, the woman was absolutely healthy. This is due to hormonal changes during the period of gestation, to which the autonomic nervous system responds. Often, patients take the manifestations of NDC for the symptoms of toxicosis.
Pregnant women with this type of vascular dystonia often suffer from severe headaches and have high blood pressure. Emotional disturbances are also noted, patients complain of a sense of anxiety and panic. If during pregnancy such symptoms arose for the first time, then usually they disappear after childbirth.
During pregnancy, this disease is far from harmless. It can provoke gestosis in the later stages. An increased vascular tone can cause placental abruption and miscarriage. Therefore, autonomic disorders during gestation are subject to mandatory treatment. A pregnant woman with NDC should be under the special supervision of an obstetrician-gynecologist.
Diagnostics
When diagnosing NDC by a hypertonic type, it is necessary to differentiate this pathology from organic cardiovascular ailments, depression, myocarditis, and menopause. Identifying this disease is not always easy. It masquerades as hypertension of the 1st degree.
The doctor examines the patient and collects an anamnesis. Already at this stage, one can notice the patient’s increased nervousness, sweating, cold extremities. In order to clarify the diagnosis, the following examinations are prescribed:
- Fundus examination. With hypertension, changes in the retina are noted, but with NDC they are not.
- ECG. This study is carried out using various functional tests. Serious abnormalities with dystonia are not observed. Quiet heart murmurs and rhythm disturbances are detected.
- Measurement of blood pressure and heart rate. There is an increase in heart rate during physical exertion. The pressure is measured several times over 1 hour. The patient with blood pressure is unstable, and during this time you can get different indicators.
- Blood test for thyroid hormones. Helps distinguish manifestations of NDC from thyrotoxicosis.
- Ultrasound of the heart and kidneys. With hypertension, pathological changes in these organs are detected. With dystonia, the structure of the heart and kidneys remains normal.
Consultation with a psychotherapist and endocrinologist may also be required. This is necessary to identify neuroses and endocrine pathologies that often accompany dystonia.
Doctors Recommendations
Hypertensive type NDC treatment begins with recommendations regarding changes in the patient’s lifestyle. It is necessary to eliminate the adverse factors that caused the disease.
If the patient is often overworked, then he is advised to adjust his mode of work and rest. Excessive physical activity should be abandoned and stress and emotional stress should be avoided if possible. The patient needs to spend more time in the fresh air and devote sufficient time to sleep. It is also recommended to eat fully and exclude smoking and drinking alcohol.
With a mild degree of disease, these measures are often enough for a complete recovery. If the pathology proceeds with severe symptoms, then medication and physiotherapy are necessary.
Drug treatment
Patients are often interested in whether hypertensive pills exist for neurocirculatory dystonia. Usually the treatment for this disease is symptomatic and complex. Patients are prescribed a number of drugs that relieve unpleasant manifestations of autonomic disorders:
- Herbal sedatives. Eliminate nervousness and normalize sleep. The use of "Novopassit", "Corvalol", "Persena", "Negrustina", "Valerian Tinctures" is shown.
- Tranquilizers and sedative antidepressants. These medications are prescribed for severe nervousness, irritability and severe sleep disturbances. These include: “Phenazepam", Amitriptyline "," Diazepam "," Trioxazine. "Most of these drugs are prescription, and you can only take them as prescribed by your doctor.
- Beta blockers. They are prescribed for severe tachycardia, they reduce the heart rate. Recommended intake of "Nebilet", "Atenolol", "Karteolol."
- Nootropics. These drugs are indicated for decreased performance and fatigue. The use of "Piracetam", "Cavinton", "Cinnarizine" is shown.
- The drug "Betaserk". Recommended for severe dizziness. This medicine has a positive effect on the vestibular apparatus.
- Venotonic. These drugs have a positive effect on the tone of the veins of the brain. They effectively relieve headaches. Usually prescribed drugs: Venoplant, Vazoket, Detralex.
Beta-blockers and sedatives are usually enough to lower blood pressure. It is not necessary to take hypotensive drugs with a vasodilator effect in NCD. The increased pressure in this disease is not associated with atherosclerosis, but with a dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system. In most cases, the pressure decreases as soon as the patient calms down.
Physiotherapy
Medication complements physiotherapy. The following procedures are prescribed:
- Darsonvalization. Healing currents improve blood circulation and help lower blood pressure.
- Acupuncture. Acupuncture helps many patients. This procedure relieves headaches and neurotic manifestations.
- Electrosleep. The cerebral cortex is affected by low-frequency currents. A person is immersed in a state close to natural sleep, during which the body is resting and recovering.
- Electrophoresis with herbal remedies. Sedative medicinal substances of plant origin are introduced into the body through the skin using electric current. This helps to quickly calm the nervous system.
- Massage. The procedure has a general relaxing effect on the body and leads to increased blood flow.
How to eat with NDC
An important role in the treatment is played by adhering to a diet for hypertensive type NCD. Strong tea, coffee and alcohol must be excluded from the diet. Fatty foods should also be avoided, it worsens the state of blood vessels. It is good to eat bananas, apricots and prunes, they contain a lot of potassium. This element has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system.
If the patient has extra pounds, then a diet with a calorie restriction and fasting days is indicated. Obesity with dystonia can trigger the development of persistent hypertension. However, you should not arrange hungry days, nutrition should be complete.
Forecast
The disease is not life threatening. However, with moderate to severe pathology, there is a risk of arterial hypertension. Therefore, disorders of the autonomic nervous system need to be treated on time.
Usually, the younger the patient, the greater the likelihood that the disease will end in complete recovery. Vegetative disorders respond well to therapy in children and adolescents. At an older age, the disappearance of all symptoms is much more difficult.
Are patients to be drafted into the army?
Autonomic disorders often affect young men of military age. Young people often ask: "Are NDCs of the hypertonic type compatible with the army?"
A conscript may be deemed unfit for service if he has an average daily blood pressure above 160/100 mm Hg. Art., severe tachycardia, pronounced autonomic disorders.
If NDC was detected in a young man at the draft board, then he is sent to a hospital. There, a young man undergoes a course of treatment. After 6 months, he is examined at a second medical commission. If his condition has not improved and the pressure is still raised, then he is recognized as partially fit or completely unfit for service.
However, this rarely happens. In young men, blood pressure indicators are usually inconsistent. With NDC, several pressure surges can occur during the day. On the commission, the military enlistment office takes into account the average blood pressure per day, and often it turns out to be less than 160/100 mm Hg. Art.
Prevention
To avoid the disease, you should adhere to the rules of a healthy lifestyle. It is necessary to prevent excessive physical stress and overwork, to allocate sufficient time for sleep. Mental load should also be moderate. At the same time, one does not need to completely avoid physical activity, because physical inactivity is one of the causes of the disease. Daily gymnastics and outdoor walks will only benefit.
The influence of negative factors should be avoided: excessive overheating, exposure to radiation and toxic substances. It is important to protect your psychological health. Too emotional people in stressful situations it is useful to take decoctions of sedative herbs: Valerian, motherwort, chamomile or lemon balm for prevention.