Many are interested in what it is - ganglionitis. This is a disease based on inflammation of the ganglion. This is the name of the nerve ganglion, consisting of nerve cells, their bodies, axons and dendrites. Its shell is made up of connective tissue. If two such nodes become inflamed at once, such a condition is called polyganglionic.
After determining the symptoms, diagnosing and treating ganglionitis, they begin to use medications and undergo physiotherapy.
Reasons
The most common cause of ganglionitis is infection, resulting in an inflammatory process. The source of infection is local inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx:
- sinusitis, chronic rhinitis, pharyngitis;
- less often - arthritis of the temporomandibular joint.
Ganglionitis of the pterygopalatine ganglion may occur as a result of toxic effects on the nerve ganglion in chronic tonsillitis, chronic suppurative otitis media. Factors contributing tothe occurrence of ganglionitis of the pterygopalatine ganglion are lack of sleep, overwork, stressful situations, alcohol intake, loud noise.
Symptoms
Often the symptoms of ganglionitis depend on the specific cause of the disease. Despite this, there are several common manifestations that occur in many patients: burning pains and unpleasant itching. Often, patients develop paresthesia - numbness and tingling on the skin in the area of the inflamed ganglion. If the inflammation is diagnosed as herpetic, vesicles appear on the skin, painful when touched. In the area of the spinous processes of the vertebrae, pain may also occur on palpation. The skin in the affected area changes color as well as texture.
Ulcers
Ganglionitis is easy to determine in the most difficult cases of the development of the disease, when ulcers appear on the affected area of the skin, and the internal organs lose their functionality due to damage to the nerve nodes. Muscles located in the area of inflammation also undergo degeneration. They weaken, lose their tone. The joints lose their mobility, due to which the speed of the patient's reflexes is reduced. Often patients complain of heart problems and angina pectoris, but this is caused by inflammation in the region of the stellate ganglion, which creates false secondary complaints.
Views
Ganglionitis is an inflammatory process occurring in the ganglion. The etiology of this disease is quite extensive - from lesions in viral infectionsto post-traumatic inflammation.
Species symptomatic differences of ganglionitis depend on the localization of the inflammatory process, while the common signs of this disease are: swelling of the affected area, itching, pain.
Considering the types of ganglionitis, one should dwell on the following diagnostic features:
- When ganglionitis is localized in the sternum and upper shoulder girdle, the so-called stellate node is affected. The symptoms and treatment of stellate ganglionitis are very variable and often misleading in making a diagnosis. In this case, the patient may complain of heart pain, after a detailed examination, false angina pectoris can be diagnosed.
- When the disease is localized in the region of the eyeball, inflammation affects the Gasser node, with symptoms of keratitis, photophobia, swelling in the eye area, and a rash. This type of ganglionitis may be due to a herpes infection.
- Inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, hearing aid and oral cavity (tonsillitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, otitis media, pulpitis and caries) can provoke ganglionitis in the pterygopalatine node located in one of the maxillary sinuses. This localization is characterized by soreness of almost all parts of the face and head (painful touches to the ears, eye sockets, tip of the nose, temples, sometimes pain even descend to the area of the upper shoulder girdle).
- Ramsey-Hunt syndrome can be attributed to a separate type of ganglionitis, when the focus is localized in the region of the auricle. It is the result of a herpetic infection. Tosymptoms of this type include earache, dizziness. It differs from the previous lesion of the pterygopalatine ganglion by the manifestation of paresis of the facial nerve.
- Symptoms and treatment of cervical ganglionitis are determined by the doctor. As a rule, the disease is a consequence of cervical osteochondrosis, in addition, any of the infections can be caused or develop against the background of the clinical picture of tonsillitis. Pain in this form is localized in the region of the shoulder girdle, the occipital part of the head. In addition, additional symptoms of ganglionitis of the cervical node may be redness of the face, eyes, asymmetrical appearance of wrinkles on one side of the face, difficulty breathing due to nasal congestion.
- Pain directly in the tongue, which at the same time passes into the jaw and further into the area of the temples, neck and occiput - these are symptoms of ganglionitis of the pterygopalatine ganglion. Treatment and additional diagnostics in this case is prescribed by a specialized specialist. In addition, salivation increases, the soft tissues of the tongue become hypersensitive, and it hurts the patient to move his jaws.
- Ganglionitis of the ciliary ganglion (or Oppenheim's syndrome) develops on the background of a herpes infection or as a consequence of chronic untreated sinusitis. The characteristic symptomatology for this lesion is expressed in lacrimation, localization of the pain syndrome in the region of the eye sockets and temples.
- There is also herpetic ganglionitis (symptoms and treatment will be determined by a specialist). It should be noted the characteristic rash and pain along the nerve endings of the spine.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of the disease is based on the collection of complaints, history of the disease, clinical manifestations, instrumental diagnostics.
Complaints of patients are varied and depend on the localization of inflammation. Most often, acute paroxysmal pain, swelling and itching of the affected area, fever, excessive sweating, weakness, loss of strength, restriction of movement in the joints.
A survey of the history of the disease will allow you to establish the cause and begin timely and correct treatment. The patient's body temperature, skin and mucous membranes are objectively assessed, a thorough examination of the affected area is performed.
When palpation of the projection points of the node revealed pain, impaired sensitivity. There are no specific tests that can accurately diagnose ganglionitis.
Related diseases
The disease must be differentiated from meningoradiculitis, neuritis, syringomyelia, neurovascular syndromes. For this purpose, the patient is referred for a consultation with a neurologist, ENT doctor and dentist. As instrumental research methods, pharyngoscopy (examination of the pharynx) and otoscopy (examination of the ear) are used. X-ray diagnostics is possible.
After the final identification of symptoms of ganglionitis of the stellate ganglion, treatment is prescribed immediately.
Treatment
Many patients are interested in how to treat ganglionitis. Symptomsand the treatment of the disease will depend directly on the degree and severity, localization of the inflammatory process. Medical treatment, physiotherapy, less often surgical treatment is widely used.
Medicated substances
As already mentioned, the symptoms and treatment of ganglionitis (photos of people suffering from this unpleasant disease are presented in the article) depend on the type of disease. Therapy is purely individual. But it will all come down to physiotherapy and medication. The operation requires certain actions, this issue is decided by each doctor, based on the individual characteristics of each.
To cure this ailment, you will have to take a certain course of medications. Namely:
- Reception of "Interferon". The body needs antibacterial and antiviral support.
- Treatment with drugs with desensitizing properties. These include Diazolin, Tavegil, Ketotifen.
- Also, the course of treatment involves taking analgesics ("Analgin", "Indomethacin", "Diclofenac").
- Ganglion blockers will be required. For example, "Gangleron" or "Pentalgin".
- It will not be superfluous to use vasodilators (Nikospan, Thionikol, Papaverine).
- At some stages, antihypoxants will be required: "Aevit", "Sodium oxybuterate".
- For better metabolism in tissues and activation of reparative-regenerative processes, "Pentoxyl", "Petiluracil" are suitable. Vitaluse of immunomodulators.
Physiotherapy
Any physiotherapy will be aimed at solving a whole range of problems. With ganglionitis, you must first stop the pain syndrome. The methods used are anesthetics. It is necessary to solve the problem of intoxication and inflammation. Antimicrobial and antiviral therapy will help here. In inflammatory processes, the anti-exudative method of physiotherapy will help. Allergic reactions that occur will be removed in any way possible. In order to normalize all the functions of the peripheral nervous system, they will resort to a method when all free nerve endings are irritated. From dystrophy, a trophostimulating method is used. Immunostimulating physiotherapy will be chosen to correct immune dysfunction.
Spa treatment
Sometimes patients are sent just to rest in a sanatorium. This is done at the time of the final period, when the disease is especially acute. It is carried out only in the complete absence of pronounced disorders of the nervous system and pain. Resorts are suitable for absolutely any. It doesn't matter if it's mud baths or a rocky beach. The only important thing is the process in which a person will give rest to the nervous system of the body, put himself in order. It is worth noting that this happens best by the sea due to the s alty air.
Prevention
The basis for the prevention of ganglionitis includes timely and proper treatment, prevention of the development of viral diseases.
- One should lead a correct lifestyle and abandon harmfulhabits, do not eat a lot of fatty and s alty foods.
- You need to exercise every day. Morning runs will not be superfluous either.
- Hardening strengthens the immune system, but you should not immediately douse yourself with ice water. You need to start gradually with light douches in the bath, rubbing the limbs with a cold and wet towel, and then you can smoothly move on to dousing in the fresh air, but at first only in the warm season.
- Do not forget about the headdress in the cold season. After all, no hairstyle can be more expensive than your own he alth, and without a hat in winter you can get sick with more serious diseases.
- To prevent the disease, especially in spring and autumn, you need to strengthen the immune system with vitamins, eat more fruits and vegetables.
It is also important to get vaccinated in advance, it will provide the body with strong immunity against this disease. During an outbreak, a special protective mask must be worn.
