There are many dangerous processes that occur in the human body that can have a significant destructive effect. But sometimes serious diagnoses are hidden behind a loss of consciousness, which may initially seem to be a consequence of weakness or exhaustion. In fact, there are many other more dangerous reasons that can lead to a similar outcome.
Orthostatic collapse
This condition is also defined as orthostatic hypotension. Such a diagnosis is used to indicate insufficient blood saturation of the brain, which was the result of a sharp change in body position. A similar reaction of the body can be observed in the case when a person stands for a long time. This condition is facilitated by lethargy of the walls of blood vessels or low blood pressure.
Most often this problem occurs in those whose vascular tone is weakened. Often such a diagnosis is made to persons who are at puberty, since during this period the development of the vascular system lags behind the constantly growing needs of the body.
What symptoms look like
There are several signs of such a problem,like orthostatic collapse. Symptoms relevant to this diagnosis are as follows:
- dizziness;
- loss of consciousness;
- feeling of emptiness or heaviness in the head;
- sudden weakness;
- veil before the eyes or flickering flies;
- vomiting of central origin or nausea;
- if it is a severe case, then involuntary urination and the development of a convulsive syndrome are possible.
Such a problem as orthostatic collapse can also develop against the background of impaired blood supply not only to the brain. In this case, you should pay attention to symptoms such as angina pectoris (signs of myocardial ischemia), pain in the neck muscles and changes in breathing.
The occurrence of such symptoms is possible both with a long stay in an upright position, and in the case of a sharp change in body position. Strong and abrupt physical activity can also lead to fainting. In some cases, signs of hypotension may occur after a large meal. This is explained by the activation of the vagus nerve.
Orthostatic collapse: causes
Quite often, when getting out of bed, redistribution of blood begins, since its main part is concentrated in the veins that are in the lower extremities. This process is a consequence of the effect of gravity on the blood.
Venous return to the heart is significantly reduced, which leads to a subsequent decrease in pressure. Baroreceptors located in the carotidsinuses and aortic arch, respond to the above process and activate the autonomic nervous system.
As a result, there is an increase in vascular tone and a return of pressure and heart rate to normal.
If we turn to the opinion of experts and try to express the essence of the problem more concisely, we can come to the following conclusion: orthostatic collapse, in fact, is not a disease, it is rather a consequence of the fact that the vessels lose their ability to hold stable pressure within the normal range. And there can already be many reasons for this, sometimes very serious ones.
What diseases can lead to collapse
The state of the vessels mentioned above can be affected by some diseases and processes:
- nervous strain and stress;
- diseases of an infectious nature;
- significant blood loss;
- diseases associated with the endocrine system;
- intoxication of the body, which manifests itself in the form of excessive sweating, vomiting or diarrhea;
- Diet abuse and malnutrition;
- The use of antihypertensive, vasodilator and diuretic drugs as a treatment for hypertension for several years.
But if you single out the key cause of the main symptom that characterizes orthostatic collapse, namely loss of consciousness, then you need to pay attention to ischemic anoxia. It is based on several mechanismsworth mentioning.
First of all, this is the inability of the myocardium to make the necessary cardiac output. Cardiac arrhythmias can also lead to collapse, preventing adequate cerebral perfusion.
It is impossible to ignore the decrease in blood pressure due to active peripheral vasodilation. The result of such a process is an inadequate blood supply to the brain.
The effects of various drugs
In addition to the influence of various diseases, it is worth considering the fact that some drugs can also lead to loss of vascular tone and not only.
Drugs that cause orthostatic collapse must be determined by the doctor on an individual basis, after which their use must be discontinued or the dose should be correctly reduced. These can be various inhibitors, nitrate blockers, vasodilators, diuretics and other antihypertensive agents.
Therefore, it is always worth remembering that Dibazol and other similar drugs can cause orthostatic collapse.
What you should know about ganglion blockers
Initially, drugs that belong to this group are designed to disrupt the conduction of impulses through the autonomic ganglia. This effect is needed to reduce the tone of the muscles of arterioles, venules and precapillary sphincters.
The result of such processes is the improvement of microcirculation in tissues, which is very important during the treatment of various widows of shock, burn disease, infectious toxicosis, pneumonia and other diseases.
Usingganglioblockers, it is possible to increase the degree of accumulation of blood in the veins and thereby reduce its return to the heart, and therefore reduce its preload. In other words, there is an improvement in the functioning of the heart.
But there is a fly in the ointment in this barrel of honey, namely, orthostatic collapse when using ganglionic blockers. This is one of the possible consequences of using this drug. Such complications have been seen in a certain group of patients. The reasons for such a reaction of the body is the inhibition of impulses in the sympathetic pathways to the veins.
Complications such as urinary retention, atonic constipation and decreased acidity of gastric juice are also possible.
Which examination can be considered relevant
If signs characteristic of orthostatic hypotension were recorded, it is necessary to palpate the organs. It is also important to check your blood pressure. An orthostatic test is also necessary. Its essence boils down to the fact that the patient gets up, and the doctor at this time observes the hemodynamic adaptation of the muscles.
A passive form of the test is also possible. It must be carried out on a rotating table, while the muscles will remain inactive.
In the process of diagnosis, the history is also studied, the study of drugs that were previously prescribed and could cause a deterioration in the condition. Along with this, other influencing factors are identified, an inspection is performed, as well asand the study of systems and organs of the patient. For these purposes, percussion, palpation, auscultation and other diagnostic procedures can be used.
It is always worth remembering that orthostatic collapse can cause certain complications, since in some cases it is the result of serious diseases (cardiomyopathy, aortic stenosis, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction). This means that with obvious signs of this problem, you need to call a doctor.
How children experience the collapse
Orthostatic hypotension at an early age is significantly more complicated than in adults. The reason for this diagnosis can be various pathological conditions. Examples include starvation, dehydration, apparent or occult blood loss, and fluid sequestration in the abdominal and pleural cavities.
In children, collapse quite often makes itself felt against the background of infectious diseases and toxicosis, and much more often than in adults. This condition is accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting and high fever.
As for impaired blood flow in the brain and lowering blood pressure, in a child's body they occur with noticeably deeper hypoxia, accompanied by convulsions and loss of consciousness.
Treatment Methods
In order to overcome orthostatic collapse, treatment must be carried out competently and with the participation of a qualified specialist. In general, methods of influencing this problem can have two main directions: lifestyle changes and the use of drug therapy.
If we talk about natural recovery methods, then they include the following actions:
- eating small meals;
- short stay in hot places;
- shaping during sleep with the help of hill pillows under the feet;
- use of isotonic loads for all muscle groups;
- frequent walks in the fresh air;
- if circumstances require, compression hosiery is used to help maintain the tone of the veins located in the lower extremities;
- protection from a sharp rise from a bed or chair (first you need to lower your legs and only then take a vertical position).
Erythropoietin, vasopressin analogues ("Vazomirin", "Minimirin"), mineralocorticoids ("Desoxycorton", "Florinef"), cholinesterase inhibitors ("Galantomine", "Prozerin"), etc. are used for drug treatment. But always it must be remembered that orthostatic collapse can be caused by a drug that was used without taking into account contraindications in the case of a particular patient or with the wrong dosage.
Do not forget about the underlying disease, which may be the cause of the collapse. Without his treatment, it is unlikely to achieve significant results.
Results
So, if orthostatic hypotension has been recorded, there is no need to panic, this problem is overcome. So that after successful treatment, the collapse does not make itself feltagain, it makes sense to remember some preventive measures.
These include the above-mentioned constant walks on the street, control of antihypertensive drugs, proper nutrition and, of course, a he althy lifestyle. It is important to diagnose without delay at the first signs of such a problem, since the cause of fainting can be a serious disease, ignoring which is fraught with significant complications.
