Headaches, changes in blood pressure and sudden redness of the face do not always indicate the presence of a serious disease. In some cases, these are signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD). A large number of people are faced with a similar diagnosis. Most often, the first signs of pathology appear in childhood or adolescence. The disease rarely progresses and with the right lifestyle does not bother a person for many years. However, at any time an exacerbation of the IRR is possible. Often the symptoms of the disease are triggered by various factors. Among them - stress, a change in climatic conditions, hormonal changes.
The concept of vegetovascular dystonia
VVD syndrome consists in periodic changes in vascular tone of the autonomic nervous system. As a result of such disorders, patients may experience various pathological reactions that are functional in nature. A change in vascular tone leads to problems with the innervation of almost all organs. Depending on where the dysregulation prevails, the clinical picture may differ. Vegetovascular dystonia is not a deadly disease, but functional disorders are quite dangerous with the development of exacerbation. The most common symptoms of VVD include pressure surges, dizziness, cardialgia, and digestive upset.
Vegetative-vascular dystonia can be felt quite often or not manifest for a long time. It depends on the individual characteristics of the body, as well as on the presence of background pathologies and provoking factors. Despite the fact that this violation is not considered a serious disease, it has its own code in the ICD-10. Vegetative-vascular dystonia is indicated by the letter G. The digital value in the encoding depends on the clinical manifestations of the pathology, therefore, it ranges from 90 to 99.
Clinical forms of VSD
There are 3 types of vegetovascular dystonia. They differ in clinical manifestations. The exacerbation of each of these forms of the disease is accompanied by a sharp deterioration in the condition and possible complications. The following types of dystonia are distinguished:
- VSD hypertonic type. This kind of pathology is characterized by a tendency to increase blood pressure. Typical symptoms are hypertension, dizziness, and tachycardia. Blood pressure rises to an insignificant level (140/90 mmHg). At the same time, it can decrease on its own, without taking antihypertensive drugs. The danger of this condition is that it often turns into hypertension. An exacerbation of this type of pathology is sympathoadrenal (vaginal) crisis.
- VVD by hypotonic type. This form of dystonia is characterized by a tendency to lower blood pressure, accompanied by attacks of weakness, dizziness, and a lack of working capacity. Patients complain of periodic nausea, lack of air, a tendency to constipation. Such a diagnosis is difficult to establish, since it has similarities with the signs of many pathologies.
- Another type of dystonia is the mixed-type IRR. It includes signs of both forms of pathology. With an exacerbation of vegetative-vascular dystonia, differences in blood pressure, headache and a change in the color of the skin can be observed. This clinical form is the most difficult to diagnose.
What is the reason for the aggravation of the IRR?
Exacerbation of dystonia rarely occurs spontaneously. This is usually preceded by various circumstances. Factors that can trigger an exacerbation of the IRR include:
- Stressful situations.
- A disturbance of cerebral circulation resulting from cervical osteochondrosis.
- Head injuries.
- Exacerbation of chronic diseases.
- Poisoning and bad habits.
- Hormonal changes.
- Emotional upheaval.
Most often, there is an exacerbation of the IRR after stress. Overwork at work, lack of sleep, problems in relationships with loved ones can provoke symptoms of dystonia. In addition, stressful factors for the body include: pregnancy, the postpartum period, menopause, adolescence, premenstrual syndrome, etc.
In most cases, exacerbation of dystonia is affected by the time of year. Symptoms of pathology can be associated with any changes in weather conditions. However, most often the manifestations of the disease intensify in the spring. An exacerbation of the IRR during this period occurs as a result of activation of the nervous system, namely, subconscious reflexes. The main symptoms of the disease include depression, anxiety, tachycardia and headache.
The mechanism for the development of signs of VVD
Despite the fact that vegetovascular dystonia does not belong to organic pathologies, exacerbations can be accompanied by severe symptoms from the cardiovascular system. This occurs as a result of nervous exhaustion. Under the influence of stress, the body begins to react in a specific way: the vascular tone is disturbed. With a hypertonic form, the muscle layer of the arterioles contracts too much, leading to an increase in pressure. Often this is facilitated by stress, emotional background, and changing weather conditions. The hypotonic form develops against the background of relaxation of blood vessels. This type of dystonia occurs in adolescents due to increased growth of the body. Hormonal changes also contribute to exacerbation of the IRR. As a result of a violation from the vascular system, there is a failure of the autonomic nervous system, which affects the functions of the whole organism.
Symptoms of exacerbation of the disease
The autonomic nervous system regulates almost all organs and systems. Therefore, with a violation of vascular tone, various symptoms can be observed. Among them are pressure surges, heart pain, dizziness, etc. Depending on the prevalence of certain symptoms of exacerbation, the following types of disorders are distinguished:
- Vagoinsular crisis. This form is characterized by a decrease in blood pressure. Vagoinsular crisis occurs in the case of VVD according to hypotonic or mixed type. Symptoms of exacerbation include: excessive sweating, sudden weakness and loss of strength, pallor of the skin and decreased body temperature. Patients complain of breathing difficulties and severe headaches.
- Sympathoadrenal crisis. This form accompanies hypertensive type dystonia and develops with exacerbation of the VSD. Symptoms are as follows: increased blood pressure, heart pain, tachycardia. In the period of exacerbation, a person feels fear, anxiety. Due to nervous overstrain, a temporary deterioration in visual acuity, shortness of breath may occur.
With mixed-type IRR, symptoms of both a vagoinsular and sympathoadrenal crisis occur. In addition to the listed signs of pathology, dystonia is accompanied by asthenic syndrome. It is characterized by emotional lability, apathy, fatigue and irritability.
Severity of crisis
Exacerbation of dystonia is the development of symptoms of crisis. Often, the clinical picture of one of the forms of the disease predominates. Crisis conditions differ not only in type, but also in severity. According to the generally accepted classification, there are 3 types of exacerbations. A mild crisis is characterized by severe symptoms. The patient's condition sharply worsens and several symptoms of dystonia are observed at once. Such violations last no more than half an hour. In most cases, the symptoms go away on their own.
With moderate severity, signs of crisis are observed from 30 minutes to 1 hour. During this period, the clinical picture is pronounced. Unlike a mild degree, signs of exacerbation pass gradually. Symptoms such as headache, loss of strength and anxiety can bother a person for another day.
In severe crisis, signs of pathology last more than 1 hour. In addition to changes in blood pressure, cardialgia and respiratory failure, convulsive syndrome may develop. Symptoms of exacerbation are gradual. They are replaced by asthenic syndrome, which lasts several days.
Diagnostics of vegetovascular dystonia
One of the diagnoses of exclusion is vegetative-vascular dystonia. ICD-10 (codes G90-G99) includes several nosologies for which the IRR is set. The doctor has the right to indicate the code of this disease only after the exclusion of other pathological conditions. Therefore, when symptoms of dystonia appear, a comprehensive examination is performed. It includes a general and neurological examination. You should also check the level of thyroid hormones, since most of the signs of VVD resemble endocrine disorders. The instrumental diagnostic methods include ECG, EEG and Echo. In some cases, a consultation with a psychologist is required. Only after the exclusion of diseases of the nervous, endocrine and cardiovascular systems, the diagnosis of vegetovascular dystonia is made.
Treatment of VVD in adults and children
The main aspect in the treatment of VVD is emotional peace. To this end, one should minimize stressful situations in one's life, abandon bad habits and normalize the mode of work and rest. Treatment of VVD in adults consists of acupuncture, magnetotherapy, and the use of sedative herbal decoctions. Teas with the addition of chamomile, hawthorn, sage are recommended. Alcohol and caffeine should be excluded from the diet. The same recommendations apply to adolescents. Children with VSD should not engage in heavy sports.
Emergency relief
The development of the crisis requires urgent action. With an increase in blood pressure, antihypertensive drugs are prescribed for single use. These include Captopril, Nifedipine. In the hypotonic form of VVD, Caffeine or Citramon preparations are used. During a crisis, you should take a person to fresh air and try to calm him down. A warm bath, a decoction of valerian or motherwort will help to cope with nervous strain.
Prevention of exacerbations of the disease
To avoid exacerbations of dystonia, it is recommended to spend time in the fresh air, to avoid infections and exacerbations of chronic pathologies. You should also properly organize the day. At the same time, sleep should be given at least 8 hours a day. To eliminate stressful situations, you need to recharge with positive emotions, take time to do what you love.