Tetania is a syndrome in which neuromuscular irritability occurs. Such a disease can occur in newborns. But as a rule, within three weeks the condition stabilizes. During pregnancy, this pathology can complicate the course of childbirth. Consider the disease in more detail.
Description and classification
Tetania is a clinical syndrome characterized by muscle cramps. In most cases, the feet and hands are involved in the process. If the disease is severe, seizures can occur on the face and body. Signs of tetany most often appear at a young age, but can also occur in adults. The exact causes of the appearance of the pathological condition are still unknown. There have been cases when the disease was observed simultaneously in a group of people living in the same specific area. There were theories that certain viruses and infections could provoke signs of the disease, but this was not confirmed.
Currently, experts distinguish several forms of sensory disturbances. Their classification is related to the place of localization, the nature of the manifestations and their duration. Let us consider in more detail the possible forms of tetany.
Possible reasons
Currently, experts identify several causes of sensory impairment. The main one is a malfunction in the parathyroid glands, which are directly involved in the regulation of calcium in the body. With its imbalance, the work of both the motor and nervous systems is disrupted.
Also, convulsive seizures can provoke the following reasons:
- Pathology of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Dehydration due to vomiting or diarrhea.
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Violation of the acid-base balance in the body.
- Thyroid surgery.
- Stress and nervous strain.
- Congenital thyroid disease.
- In newborns, the cause of convulsive seizures will be a lack of calcium from the mother.
- Inflammatory processes in the thyroid gland or uterus.
- The imbalance of trace elements in the body.
Uterine tetanus can occur during pregnancy due to impaired thyroid function. The following reasons may affect this:
- Inflammatory processes in the uterus.
- Severe stress.
- Endocrine Disorders
- The presence of scars on the uterus.
- Narrow basin.
- Tumors of the pelvic organs.
Neurogenic tetany and its symptoms
This is the most common type of disease caused by an imbalance of trace elements in the body. It has the following symptoms:
- Painful muscle contractions.
- Feeling of numbness or tingling.
- Contraction of facial muscles (the so-called Hvostek syndrome).
- Decreased sensitivity.
- Toes and feet are concave inward.
- Flexion of the fingers with the formation of an angle in the elbow and shoulder joints ("obstetrician's arm").
- Heart rhythm disturbances (tachycardia) and increased sweating are also observed.
Hyperventilation tetany
This form of the disease is associated with the influence of a psychogenic factor and great physical exertion.
With psychoemotional overstrain, calcium-magnesium failure occurs in the body, which causes respiratory dysfunction. This condition provokes hyperventilation of the lungs.
Signs in this case are associated with the work of the respiratory system:
- Yawning, coughing, trying to take a deep breath.
- A feeling of lack of air, which can occur with a fear of speaking to the public, with claustrophobia and other stressful situations.
- Disorientation, fainting.
- Malfunctioning in breathing.
- Obstruction of air.
A distinctive feature of this form of tetany is the development of panic attacks.
Hypocalcemic tetany
It occurs with malfunctions of the parathyroid glands, which provoked a decrease in calcium. Symptoms include:
- Muscle spasms.
- A blood test indicates an elevated blood calcium.
- Trophic abnormalities.
- The development of cataracts.
- Hair loss.
- Thinning of tooth enamel.
Hidden form
With the latent type of the disease, the symptoms are mild. In most cases, facial muscles and upper limbs are affected. Symptoms include the following:
- Symptom Tail.
- Loss of sensation.
- Cramps.
- With muscle tension, strong pain occurs.
With the incorrect treatment of the latent form, serious complications can occur, among which:
- Damage to the lens of the eye.
- Hair loss.
- Fungal nail damage and others.
Pregnant mother
As a rule, it occurs in the first months of pregnancy and is provoked by toxicosis. Symptoms appear once or may be disturbing throughout the day.
The clinic is caused by the following symptoms:
- Cramps of the limbs, in most cases of the upper.
- Violation of the stool.
- Due to frequent vomiting, a constant tone of the stomach and intestines is observed.
- Speech impairment caused by facial muscle spasms.
- Change in heart rate.
This pathology has a negative effect on the development of the fetus, causing hypoxia.
Parathyroid form
The most rare form of the disease that occurs during surgical interventions in the parathyroid gland. The following symptoms are distinguished:
- Hair loss.
- Depressive conditions.
- Muscle cramps of the upper extremities.
- Painful menstruation in women.
- Paresthesia
- Thinning nails.
- Peeling and dry skin.
In this form, after normalization of metabolic processes, the symptoms of pathology disappear.
Baby tetany
In children, the development of the disease can occur from birth to two years. It occurs due to thyroid dysfunction, a lack of magnesium in the body, vitamin deficiency. A long exposure to the sun can provoke the development of the disease. The following symptoms are observed:
- Spasm of the hands, accompanied by pain.
- Apnea and cold sweat may appear.
- When you inhale, a whistling sound is heard. This is due to spasm of the larynx.
- Maximum flexion of the elbow joints and wrists.
- Sometimes strabismus and spasms of the masticatory muscles may occur.
Early hypocalcemia develops due to insufficient intake of calcium from mother to baby. Late hypocalcemia may occur in connection with the baby's consumption of cow's milk.
Many parents wonder: "Hidden tetany in children with what disease can occur?" Infectious diseases and rickets can provoke the development of a latent form of the disease.
Diagnostics
The following diagnostic methods are used to make an accurate diagnosis:
- Tapping with a special hammer of the facial nerve and nerve endings of the extremities.
- Establishment of a hereditary factor.
- Samples of Trousseau. To do this, the shoulder is squeezed for several minutes. In the presence of pathology in the muscles of the hand, then a spasm occurs.
- Hyperventilation test of the lungs.
- Diagnosing respiratory problems.
- Identify the relationship between emotional problems and the appearance of symptoms.
- The study of the bioelectric ability of the muscles of the skeleton.
- ECG.
- Laboratory tests are being conducted to determine the level of calcium and phosphorus in the blood.
There is also a special test with which you can find out about a person's tetany. For this, the patient is placed on his back and begins to bend his leg in the hip joint. A cramp in a flexing muscle indicates the development of a pathology.
Treatment
Treatment of the disease will be to relieve muscle spasms and prevent their appearance.
If a seizure occurs, emergency intravenous administration of a calcium preparation is necessary. Medications containing magnesium may also be prescribed. Further therapy includes the use of drugs such as:
- Antidepressants.
- Containing vitamin D: "Dihydrotachysterol", "Ergocalciferol", a Latin prescription is prescribed by your doctor.
- Calcium preparations.
- Drugs for relieving muscle cramps, such as Diazepam.
- Intravenous administration of magnesium sulfate and calcium chloride may sometimes be required.
- Preparations containing magnesium and vitamin B6. They help maintain a normal psycho-emotional state, normalize the work of the cardiovascular system.
The treatment regimen is selected by the attending physician. For example, if Ergocalciferol is prescribed, a Latin recipe might look like this:
Rp: Calciferolum 500 ME 50g
Dtd: N100 in drage
S: according to the scheme.
In addition to drug therapy, diet plays an important role in the treatment of the disease. Nutrition should include foods that are rich in calcium. A food containing a large amount of phosphorus, which prevents the absorption of calcium, should be removed from the diet. For example, the use of dairy products should be limited. Although milk contains calcium, phosphorus is also found in large quantities in it.
It is recommended to abandon bad habits, often walk in the fresh air and engage in moderate physical activity.
Possible complications
Manifestations of tetany can have a negative effect on the work of many body systems. Pathological conditions can occur in the gastrointestinal tract and in the cardiovascular system. The disease provokes panic attacks and vegetative-vascular dystonia. Often there are psychological problems. The most dangerous complication is the state of suffocation, which occurs with a spasm in the throat.
In children, the disease provokes rickets and mental disorders.
Prevention
With the normalization of the hormonal background and metabolic processes, the body is able to quickly recover. If during the disease there are no complications, preventive measures must be taken to eliminate relapse. These include:
- Proper nutrition rich in calcium.
- The exception is a long stay in the open sun.
- Avoidance of psycho-emotional stress.
- Normalization of the level of calcium and phosphorus in the blood.
- Passage of planned physical examinations.
Tetania is a disease that, with timely diagnosis and treatment, is not dangerous. But in young children and women during pregnancy, the consequences of pathology can be dangerous. Therefore, it is very important to follow all the doctor's recommendations.
Conclusion
In general, with timely treatment and the use of preventive measures, the prognosis for this disease is favorable. The exceptions are newborns, pregnant women and people with kidney failure. These categories of patients will need close monitoring by doctors. It is very important to correctly diagnose the disease, because in children the signs of tetany are very similar to the manifestations of other dangerous pathological conditions.