Headaches, fluctuations in blood pressure and sudden flushing of the face do not always indicate the presence of a serious illness. In some cases, these are signs of vegetovascular dystonia (VVD). A large number of people face such a 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, an exacerbation of the VVD is possible at any time. Often the symptoms of the disease are provoked by various factors. Among them are stress, climate change, hormonal changes.
The concept of vegetative 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 pathologicalreactions that are functional. A change in vascular tone leads to problems with the innervation of almost all organs. Depending on where the dysregulation predominates, the clinical picture may differ. Vegetovascular dystonia is not a deadly disease, however, functional disorders are quite dangerous when an exacerbation develops. The most common symptoms of VVD include pressure surges, dizziness, cardialgia and indigestion.
Vegetovascular dystonia can make itself felt quite often or not manifest itself for a long time. It depends on the individual characteristics of the organism, as well as on the presence of background pathologies and provoking factors. Despite the fact that this violation is not classified as a serious disease, it has its own code in the ICD-10. Vegetative-vascular dystonia is denoted by the letter G. The numerical value in the encoding depends on the clinical manifestations of the pathology, therefore it ranges from 90 to 99.
Clinical forms of VVD
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. There are the following types of dystonia:
- VSD of hypertonic type. This type of pathology is characterized by a tendency to increase blood pressure. Typical symptoms are: hypertension, dizziness and tachycardia. Arterialpressure rises to an insignificant level (140/90 mm Hg. Art.). At the same time, it can decrease independently, without taking antihypertensive drugs. The danger of this condition is that it often turns into hypertension. An exacerbation of this type of pathology is a sympathoadrenal (vagoinsular) crisis.
- VSD of hypotonic type. This form of dystonia is characterized by a tendency to lower blood pressure, accompanied by bouts of weakness, dizziness, lack of performance. Patients complain of periodic nausea, lack of air, there is a tendency to constipation. Such a diagnosis is difficult to establish, as it has similarities with the signs of many pathologies.
- Another type of dystonia is mixed VSD. It includes signs of both forms of pathology. With exacerbation of vegetative-vascular dystonia, blood pressure drops, headache and discoloration of the skin can be observed. This clinical form is the most difficult to diagnose.
What is the reason for the exacerbation of VSD?
Exacerbation of dystonia rarely occurs spontaneously. Usually this is preceded by various circumstances. Factors that can provoke an exacerbation of VVD include:
- Stressful situations.
- Impaired cerebral circulation resulting from cervical osteochondrosis.
- Head injuries.
- Exacerbation of chronic diseases.
- Poisoning and bad habits.
- Hormonal changes.
- Emotional turmoil.
Most often there is an exacerbation of VSD after stress. Overwork at work, lack of sleep, problems in relationships with loved ones can provoke symptoms of dystonia. In addition, stress factors for the body include: pregnancy, the postpartum period, menopause, adolescence, premenstrual syndrome, etc.
In most cases, the 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. Exacerbation of VVD 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.
Mechanism for the development of VSD symptoms
Despite the fact that vegetovascular dystonia does not belong to organic pathologies, exacerbations can be accompanied by severe symptoms from the cardiovascular system. This happens as a result of nervous exhaustion. Under the influence of stress, the body begins to react in a specific way: vascular tone is disturbed. In the hypertonic form, the muscular 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 vascular relaxation. This type of dystonia occurs in adolescents due to increased body growth. Also, hormonal changes contribute to the exacerbation of VSD. As a resultviolations of the vascular system, there is a failure of the autonomic nervous system, affecting the functions of the whole organism.
Symptoms of an exacerbation of the disease
The autonomic nervous system regulates almost all organs and systems. Therefore, in violation of vascular tone, various symptoms can be observed. Among them are pressure surges, pain in the heart, dizziness, etc. Depending on the predominance of certain symptoms of exacerbation, the following types of disorders are distinguished:
- Vagoinsular crisis. This form is characterized by a decrease in blood pressure. A vagoinsular crisis occurs with VVD of a hypotonic or mixed type. Symptoms of an exacerbation include: excessive sweating, sudden weakness and loss of strength, pale skin and a decrease in body temperature. Patients complain of difficulty breathing and severe headaches.
- Sympathoadrenal crisis. This form accompanies dystonia of the hypertensive type and develops during exacerbation of the VVD. The following symptoms are observed: increased blood pressure, heart pain, tachycardia. During the period of exacerbation, a person feels fear, anxiety. Due to nervous strain, a temporary deterioration in visual acuity, shortness of breath may occur.
When VVD mixed type there are symptoms of both vagoinsular and sympathoadrenal crisis. In addition to the listed signs of pathology, dystonia is accompanied by asthenic syndrome. It is characterized by emotional lability, apathy, fatigue andirritability.
Severity of the crisis
Exacerbation of dystonia is the development of symptoms of a crisis. Often the clinical picture of one of the forms of the disease prevails. Crises differ not only in type, but also in severity. According to the generally accepted classification, there are 3 types of exacerbations. A mild degree of crisis is characterized by severe symptoms. The patient's condition deteriorates sharply 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 a crisis are observed from 30 minutes to 1 hour. During this period, the clinical picture is pronounced. Unlike a mild degree, the signs of exacerbation pass gradually. Symptoms such as headache, lack of energy and anxiety can disturb a person for another day.
In a severe crisis, the signs of pathology last more than 1 hour. In addition to changes in blood pressure, cardialgia and respiratory failure, a convulsive syndrome may develop. Symptoms of exacerbation pass gradually. They are replaced by asthenic syndrome, which lasts for several days.
Diagnosis of vegetovascular dystonia
One of the diagnoses of exclusion is vegetative-vascular dystonia. ICD-10 (codes G90-G99) includes several nosologies for which IRR is set. The doctor has the right to indicate the code of this disease only after excluding other pathological conditions. Therefore, when the appearancesymptoms of dystonia is a comprehensive examination. 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. Instrumental diagnostic methods include ECG, EEG and echocardiography. In some cases, a psychological consultation is required. Only after the exclusion of diseases of the nervous, endocrine and cardiovascular systems is the diagnosis of "vegetovascular dystonia" made.
Treatment of VVD in adults and children
The main aspect in the treatment of VVD is emotional peace. To this end, you should minimize stressful situations in your life, give up bad habits and normalize the mode of work and rest. Treatment of VVD in adults consists of acupuncture, magnetotherapy, taking sedative herbal decoctions. Recommended teas with the addition of chamomile, hawthorn, sage. Avoid alcohol and caffeine from your diet. The same advice applies to teenagers. Children with VSD should not participate in heavy sports.
Emergency care for exacerbation
The development of the crisis requires urgent action. With an increase in blood pressure, antihypertensive drugs are prescribed for a single use. These include medicines "Captopril", "Nifedipin". In the hypotonic form of VVD, the drugs "Caffeine" or "Citramon" are used. During a crisis, you should take a person to fresh air and try to calm him down. Helps deal with stresswarm bath, decoction of valerian or motherwort.
Prevention of disease exacerbations
To avoid exacerbations of dystonia, it is recommended to spend time outdoors, avoid infections and exacerbations of chronic pathologies. You should also properly organize the daily routine. At the same time, sleep should be given at least 8 hours a day. To eliminate stressful situations, you need to be charged with positive emotions, take time to do what you love.
