Recently, many, and quite often very young people, have been diagnosed with dystonia. What it is? This is a violation of the coordinated work of the nervous system, in particular the department responsible for autonomous processes in the human body.
Varieties of dystonia
Signs of dystonia vary depending on the type of disease. Muscular, vascular, neurocirculatory and torsion types are distinguished.
Muscular dystonia - what is it? In this condition, a characteristic muscle contraction is observed, which is permanent or spasmodic. The regularity of such cramps cannot be predicted, they can cause significant inconvenience to the patient, which leads to the loss of normal working capacity. The main symptom of muscular dystonia is an involuntary nature of the slow movement of the muscles of the limbs. In this case, there are changes in muscle tone and unnatural postures of the body. The main reason for the appearance of this condition in children is damage to the brain of the child during pregnancy or directly during childbirth, this phenomenon is called hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
What is vascular dystonia? Another name for this disease is autonomic or vegetative-vascular dystonia. Such a disease develops due to the appearance of a complex of symptoms of various clinical manifestations affecting a number of organs and systems. Various disorders of the coordinated work of the autonomic nervous system cause vegetative-vascular dystonia . Signs of vascular dystonia begin to appear due to severe nervous overstrain. They can be observed continuously or periodically. The manifestation of this type of dystonia begins with a headache, gradually painful sensations in the heart area join it, an increased pulse rate, the face skin turns white or red. General weakness, nausea, sweating, bouts of causeless fear, fever, darkening in the eyes, and a drop in blood pressure can also be observed.
The cause of this condition is most often emotional and physical stress.
Neurocirculatory dystonia - what is it? This type of disease is very close in its signs to vegetative-vascular dystonia. In this condition, vascular tone is observed due to malfunctions of the nervous system. As a rule, neurocircular dystonia is characterized by the distribution of disorders throughout the body. Failure to work in any system to one degree or another disrupts the processes of the whole organism as a whole. The manifestation of signs with this disease is similar to the symptoms of vascular dystonia.
What is torsion dystonia? This species can be either an independent disease, or a manifestation of a number of other ailments: epidemic encephalitis, hepatocerebral dystrophy, a consequence of birth trauma, etc. The appearance of the first symptoms is observed at the age of 5-20 years. Basically, they are manifested by the involuntary movement of one limb, usually the lower one. With nervous tension or an attempt to change the position of the body, the symptoms become more pronounced. Torsion dystonia is hereditary, therefore, the diagnosis of the disease is simplified if similar cases were observed in the patient's relatives.
Diagnosis of dystonia
The main method for establishing a diagnosis is the clinical picture of the symptoms of the disease. However, to clarify it, the doctor prescribes additional tests. Also, during the conversation, the doctor will find out the questions of heredity and possible traumatic brain injuries. If more detailed data are required, a genetic analysis may be prescribed . This is necessary to eliminate suspicion of a disease with similar symptoms.
Prevention
To prevent the disease it is necessary to lead an active lifestyle. Moderate physical activity helps to eliminate emotional stress and activate the work of the whole organism. You should also adhere to the principles of a healthy diet and completely abandon bad habits. This will help reduce the risk of developing a disease like dystonia. That this is a very serious ailment requiring special attention, you now know.