Astheno-vegetative syndrome: what is it, symptoms

Reasons for the development of astheno-vegetative syndrome

The human nervous system is divided into central and peripheral. The latter, in turn, is differentiated into somatic, under conscious control, and vegetative, beyond the control of will, feelings and consciousness.

Autonomic, autonomous or ganglion (these synonyms are equivalent) structures regulate the activity of blood and lymphatic vessels, the functioning of organs, exocrine and internal secretion glands. They are responsible for the constancy of the internal environment of the body (homeostasis), as well as for the response to stress.

The activity of the ANS is carried out by the opposing sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The first responds to stressful situations: it sharpens the functioning of the senses, increases blood pressure and heart rate, and affects breathing processes. The second is responsible for relaxation: it dilates blood vessels, reduces the heart rate, and constricts the pupil.

If disruptions occur in the functioning of autonomous structures, dysfunction can occur in various organ systems.

In children

Astheno-vegetative syndrome in children is a common phenomenon. More often, this condition occurs in schoolchildren living in large cities.

The main factors in the development of the symptom complex in childhood:

1. Increased mental stress: a situation when parents send their child to developmental classes beyond the age norm, in pursuit of “early development.”
2. Psycho-emotional stress. Pressure from parents, peers, teachers.
3. Physical overload. This factor provokes the development of astheno-vegetative syndrome in children involved in professional sports.
4. Traumatic brain and spinal injuries.
5. Nutritional imbalance.
6. Immaturity of the child's nervous system.
7. Frequent infectious and viral diseases against the background of weak immunity.

In adolescence, the syndrome can develop against the background of hormonal changes, when the mechanisms of endocrine and nervous regulation undergo changes.

In adults

In conditions of poor ecology, stress, and unbalanced nutrition, there are many prerequisites for the occurrence of pathology in adults. The most significant factors in the development of the syndrome:

1. Diseases of the nervous system (congenital and acquired).
2. Lack of foods in the diet that contain vitamins and minerals responsible for the functioning of the nervous system (B vitamins, magnesium, potassium and others).
3. Frequent stressful situations.
4. Chronic fatigue syndrome.
5. Consequences of severe infectious and viral diseases.
6. Systematic increased mental or physical stress.
7. Multiple climate changes and dramatic changes in time zones.

Deviations in the functioning of the nervous system can also be caused by metabolic disorders in the body.

How does the disease begin?

This disease makes itself felt in adolescence; during this period, hormonal changes in the body lead to its depletion or are accompanied by the presence and progression of pathologies that could have arisen in the initial period of development:

• Physical or psychological trauma that was accompanied by constant stress or emotional overload;
• Disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system, as a consequence of a previous infectious disease;
• Weakening of the liver and kidneys, decreased immunity due to long-term use of antibiotics;

Indirect reasons for the occurrence of the syndrome can be an unbalanced diet:

• Due to abnormal intake of vitamins or minerals into the body, which normalize the rapid development of organs;
• Metabolic disorder, which manifests itself in the inability to digest healthy foods;
• Abuse of food that helps deteriorate the intestinal microflora and the functioning of the digestive tract: sweet carbonated drinks, fast food.

At an early age, the cause for the onset and progression of the syndrome can be the manifestation of disturbances in biorhythms, heavy mental work and lack of physical activity - physical inactivity.

Characteristic signs

The symptoms of astheno-vegetative syndrome in children and adults are similar, the main ones are:

• Headache - sometimes caused by vasospasm.
• Feeling of weakness and fatigue.
• Disturbances in the functioning of the digestive organs. With changes in the functioning of the sympathetic system, a decrease in the production of gastric juice and pancreatic juice may be observed, intestinal motility and stomach contractions slow down.
• Increased sweating is caused by changes in the functioning of the sweat glands.
• Jumps in blood pressure due to narrowing or dilation of blood vessels.
• Fainting – occurs due to vascular spasms.
• Shortness of breath is caused by the peculiarities of the nervous regulation of breathing processes.
• Sleep disturbances (insomnia), depression, depression are caused by weakness of the autonomic nervous system.

Astheno-vegetative syndrome leads to more serious disorders. If the disease is not diagnosed and treated, there is a risk of complications. Among them are dysarthria (speech disorders), cerebral angiodystonia (tonic disorder in the vessels of the brain) and other pathologies of the central nervous system and various organs.

Symptoms

The phenomenon of asthenovegetative syndrome occurs in both children and adults. The main symptoms are the same for everyone:

• minor physical activity is accompanied by rapid heartbeat;
• digestive system dysfunction;
• chronic state of weakness and fatigue;
• profuse sweating;
• dull headache;
• frequent darkening of the eyes and fainting.

People with vegetative syndrome usually have cold extremities, and fainting may occur in a stuffy room.

In adolescents, in their puberty, even without this illness, their character deteriorates. But astheno-vegetative syndrome further aggravates the picture:

• causeless irritation quickly gives way to laughter;
• during a fit of rage, the child, clearly suffocating, gasps for air;
• may withdraw into himself for several days, strongly experiencing some emotions, while the teenager cannot hold one position for a long time, fidgets all the time, twitches his shoulders or mouth;
• lack of interests;
• absent-mindedness and memory problems.

Astheno-vegetative syndrome is characterized by physical symptoms in children:

• the child often complains of abdominal pain, headache or heart pain;
• cannot fall asleep for a long time, sometimes insomnia can torment several days in a row;
• slow physical reaction.

Unfortunately, the symptoms of asthenovegetative syndrome do not appear immediately. Neurological diseases have a long incubation period. Children are often brought to doctors with already significant autonomic disorders. Therefore, you need to monitor the child’s nutrition and daily routine, his physical and mental stress from birth.

Diagnostics

Since the manifestations of the syndrome affect various organ systems, differential diagnosis is an important step to exclude the possibility of independent diseases.

Diagnostic methods:

1. Anamnesis collection. Allows you to identify the main prerequisites for the development of the syndrome.
2. Physical examination. When it is carried out, increased sweating is recorded, in particular of the palms, a rapid or slow heartbeat, and a change in breathing rate are recorded.
3. If the development of independent pathologies is suspected, appropriate instrumental examinations are carried out: ultrasound, MRI, CT. Blood, urine, and stool tests may be prescribed. The results of such studies make it possible to exclude other diagnoses.

A neurologist should examine the patient. If you have mental disorders, you may need the help of a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Treatment methods

Treatment for astheno-vegetative syndrome should be systemic. If the disease is diagnosed in time, it responds well to treatment.

Treatment of pathology is pathogenetic and symptomatic, implemented through the use of drug therapy, physiotherapeutic procedures, lifestyle correction, and the use of traditional medicine. An important role is played by establishing sleep and wakefulness patterns and adjusting the diet.

Massage, balneotherapy, and electrosleep effectively relieve the vegetative manifestations of the syndrome and improve the patient’s psycho-emotional state.

Drugs

Conservative treatment involves the use of drugs from the following groups:

• General strengthening vitamin and mineral complexes (“Berocca Ca + Mg”).
• Sedatives and tranquilizers (Persen, Novopassit, Adaptol, Azafen, Amitriptyline).
• Drugs for normalizing the activity of the cardiovascular system (Adelfan, Anaprilin, Andipal).
• Medicines for the treatment of digestive disorders.

Symptomatic therapy involves the use of drugs that act on a specific manifestation of the syndrome.

Folk remedies

Traditional medicine in combination with medication and physiotherapeutic treatment gives good results in the treatment of the syndrome.

Decoctions of lemon balm and mint herbs are used as sedatives. To normalize the activity of the digestive tract, chamomile, calamus, and corn silk are used. In the treatment of vascular manifestations, garlic, onions, coltsfoot, and dandelion root are effective.

Treatment options

The main thing is timely detection of symptoms and manifestations and their elimination.

If you suspect astheno-vegetative syndrome in childhood, you must show the child to a pediatrician.

If this disease manifests itself in an adult, you should immediately contact a psychiatrist or neurologist.

In the early stages, treatment of this disease is carried out with mildly acting drugs or systematic use of antidepressants.

In the absence of serious acquired or congenital neurological diseases, non-drug therapy is carried out:

• Prescribing a strict diet or using a balanced diet.
  You need to saturate your diet with a sufficient amount of potassium and magnesium, which are found in dried fruits and most cereals, and B vitamins. You should avoid drinking strong coffee or black tea. If you have difficulty waking up, you need to brew tea from ginseng root or add a couple of drops of eleutherococcus to green tea.
• Potent drugs are prescribed for severe stages, and for early manifestations, doctors prescribe a course of nootropic drugs, for example, glycine.
  To eliminate minor nervous manifestations that are observed with vegetative disorders, it is enough to use herbal decoctions that have a sedative effect: valerian root, motherwort or mint.
• To achieve a calming effect, you can perform aroma therapy, which consists of taking a warm bath with the addition of various essential oils.

Astheno-vegetative syndrome cannot be relieved by all these methods, but its manifestations are eliminated using methods of complex symptomatic therapy using:

• Massage;
• Electrophoresis;
• Preparations that contain a loading dose of potassium, magnesium and B vitamins;
• Normalized physical activity;
• The use of drugs that are prescribed individually depending on the symptoms that appear. For example, medications that improve brain activity, stomach or liver activity.

Prevention recommendations

Since the development of the disease is largely due to the characteristics of a person’s lifestyle, preventive measures include:

• Maintaining a daily routine with sufficient sleep at night.
• Balanced diet.
• Avoidance of physical and mental overload, properly organized rest regime.
• Timely treatment of infectious and viral diseases.
• Strengthening the immune system.

Astheno-vegetative syndrome is a disease that is highly treatable if diagnosed early. Lifestyle correction and the use of traditional and folk medicine ensure the patient’s recovery and return to a full life.

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Etiology of the disease

Asthenovegetative syndrome can develop for reasons similar to any disorder of the autonomic nervous system. This set of reasons may include a long course of infectious diseases, malnutrition, hypoxia, various unfavorable environmental factors, such as stress factors, a difficult situation in the family or conditions outside it. It is worth noting that the disease manifests itself with approximately the same frequency regardless of the patient’s gender and age.

Asthenovegetative syndrome in some cases can be a signal for psychiatrists regarding children raised in dysfunctional families or adults suffering from chronic alcoholism or drug addiction.

Often, in such cases, the clinical manifestations of the syndrome may indicate the early stages of complex psychopathological conditions.

It is worth noting that modern living conditions have made this disease somewhat “younger”. In recent years, cases of manifestations of the first symptoms of the syndrome in children of middle and primary school age have been increasingly recorded. As a rule, such manifestations disappear after a long rest and a change of environment, however, with longer exposure to risk factors, the disease completely adapts and progresses.

The most common causes of ABC are:

• Excessive brain activity, which is especially common in school-age children who spend too much time on schoolwork and homework.
• Long-term infectious diseases.
• Traumatic brain injuries.
• Psychological stress of moderate to severe severity.
• Physical working conditions are too difficult.
• Chronic lack of sleep. This reason is most often seen among women.
• Sudden and frequent changes in work rhythm - changes in schedules, lack of vacation, and so on.
• Changing time zones with a difference of several hours. In this case, asthenovegetative syndrome often occurs in combination with culture shock.
• Other causes that affect the central nervous system by altering homeostasis.

In many cases, the syndrome can masquerade as an organic disease. Clinical signs are formed in the form of disorders in the digestive, cardiovascular systems, endocrine disorders and other disorders. An objective examination often actually reveals pathological changes in the systems that reflect the symptoms. Sometimes they say that almost any serious organic disease begins with ABC, but the signs of the syndrome are not always clearly visible, so minor deviations in this area are simply not paid attention to.

In addition, at the recovery stage, asthenovegetative syndrome often ends the course of severe diseases associated with the activity of the central nervous system. These include the consequences of mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries, various vascular diseases and destructive changes in neurons. It must be emphasized that ABC does not manifest itself in the case of incurable diseases, therefore, in some way, its symptoms can be attributed to a favorable prognosis.