Headache is a lot of discomfort. Especially if this symptom occurs frequently, and even more so constantly. In such situations, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination. This clinical sign can be observed with a disease such as angioedema of cerebral vessels. Often, this pathology manifests itself in childhood. Less commonly, it is acquired.
It should be noted that this condition is not an independent diagnosis, but is combined with other diseases. There are several reasons for the development of cerebral angioedema. Only an experienced neurologist can determine why this syndrome arose. In order to find out the cause of the disease, it is necessary to carry out diagnostic procedures.
What is cerebral angioedema?
It is generally accepted that problems with blood vessels often worry elderly people. However, this does not always happen. In some cases, diseases develop in childhood or at a young age. An example of such a pathology is cerebral angioedema of cerebral vessels. Typical manifestations of this disease are: impaired sleep and memory, mental retardation, dizziness. Focal symptoms are less commonly observed.
Brain vascular angioedema is most often a sign of some kind of neurological disease. Nevertheless, in some cases it is not possible to establish its cause. In this case, a diagnosis is made: dystonia of a hypo- or hypertonic type. In addition to headaches, a decrease or increase in blood pressure, fainting conditions are often observed. Under this pathology is meant a change in cerebral vascular tone. Such disorders may cover a specific area of the brain or the blood supply as a whole. The clinical picture observed with the disease depends on this.
Classification
Angioedema is a vascular disease that can cause disorders of any of the body's systems. Pathology is classified by the nature of the course, localization of the lesion, the value of blood pressure, origin. The following varieties of cerebral angioedema are distinguished:
- Monoregional and systemic. In the first case, the lesion covers a specific area of the brain. In the systemic process, the tone is impaired in all cerebral vessels. In this case, cerebral symptoms are characteristic .
- Depending on the value of blood pressure, a violation of the hypo- or hypertonic type is distinguished. With reduced blood pressure, the patient has weakness, drowsiness, pallor of the skin. Hypertensive-type VSD is characterized by redness of the face during excitement, increased blood pressure, and headaches. In some cases, a mixed type of angioedema is observed.
- With the flow, a chronic and crisis form is distinguished. With the latter, sharp drops in blood pressure, focal neurological symptoms, headache can be observed.
A change in arterial tone is more common than veins. In some cases, a combined vascular pathology occurs.
Development reasons
Angioedema of cerebral vessels occurs due to violations of the valve apparatus, elasticity of the walls of veins and arteries, damage to the endothelium, etc. There are many reasons for the development of this syndrome. Why exactly angioedema occurred, depends on the background pathology. The following causes of the disease are distinguished:
- Damage to blood vessels due to head injuries.
- Violation of the integrity of the walls of arteries and veins - endothelium. It is observed with various vascular pathologies. The endothelium can be damaged due to the accumulation of fatty plaques, glycosylated protein, and immune system cells on its surface.
- Hereditary predisposition to cerebral angioedema.
- Inflammatory diseases of veins and arteries (phlebitis, vasculitis).
Brain vascular angioedema in children is most often associated with a hereditary predisposition to this syndrome. In addition, the causes may be complications during childbirth, perinatal hypoxia of the fetus, trauma.
Background pathologies
Almost always, angioedema develops against the background of other cerebral pathologies. Sometimes it occurs due to infectious or endocrine diseases. Background processes include:
- Atherosclerosis of the arteries. With this pathology, endothelial damage and the formation of fatty plaques occur. Due to the thickening of the walls of the vessels, the elasticity of the arteries decreases, as a result of which a decrease in muscle tone can occur.
- Hormonal disorders. Most often, angioedema is combined with diseases of the pituitary gland and thyroid gland. Decompensated diabetes mellitus also leads to vascular damage.
- Chronic infectious diseases affecting not only the brain, but also other organs.
- Traumatic brain injury.
- Psycho-emotional disorders, stress.
- Systemic vascular diseases are vasculitis. Similar pathologies can have both infectious and autoimmune nature.
- Allergic reactions.
If the cause of this syndrome cannot be established, this does not mean that it does not exist. In most cases, the development of dystonia is preceded by any violations of the endocrine system, head injury. In cases of injuries during childbirth, the syndrome can develop much later (at school age).
Signs of cerebral angioedema
The disease can manifest itself in different ways. It depends on the form, nature of the course, background and associated pathologies. A symptom present in any kind of disease is considered a headache. It can be concentrated in the temporal and parietal areas, the back of the head. Other signs of cerebral angioedema are dizziness, memory loss, tinnitus, nervous and mental disorders. Often patients complain of sleep disturbance, a feeling of depression, apathy. Less commonly, focal cerebral angioedema of cerebral vessels develops.
Treatment of this form should be started as early as possible, as it can lead to serious complications. Symptoms of focal disturbance of tone include: visual or hearing disorders, convulsive syndrome, flaccid paresis of limbs, muscle weakness. With any form of pathology, periodic changes in blood pressure are observed.
Diagnostics
Diagnostic criteria for angioedema syndrome are impaired blood flow, a decrease in the diameter of cerebral arteries or veins, and a decrease in the resistance of vascular walls. The research methods that can detect such changes include rheoencephalography, EEG. Also, an ultrasound scan of the brain vessels is considered an important diagnostic procedure.
In addition, it is necessary to conduct a full examination to identify background disease. This is necessary to find out the cause of the development of angioedema. This pathological condition should be differentiated with other vascular and psychosomatic diseases.
Cerebral angioedema of cerebral vessels: treatment, drugs
Before proceeding with treatment, it is necessary to try to find out the cause of dystonia. After all, only the effect on the main pathogenetic link will help to completely cope with this disease. In addition, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, alternate work and rest. One of the methods is exercise therapy, aimed at improving the vascular reaction. Symptomatic therapy is of great importance in a syndrome such as cerebral angioedema.
Treatment is prescribed for a long time. The drugs of choice include the medicines Prazosin, Pyrroxan, Phentolamine. Alternative methods are also recommended: soothing herbs, pomegranates.
Prevention
Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict angioedema syndrome in advance. Nevertheless, there are preventive measures for complications. These include: timely visits to a neurologist (at the first sign of pathology), refusal of bad habits, walking in the fresh air, blood pressure control.