Vegetative-vascular dystonia - treatment, symptoms, causes, diagnosis

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is a disorder in the body’s vascular system, which leads to insufficient oxygen supply to tissues and organs. Another name for this disease is “neurocirculatory dystonia”.

In many medical articles and scientific reports one can find other names for vegetative-vascular dystonia, namely, autonomic dysfunction, cardiac neurosis, functional cardiomyopathy, psychovegetative syndrome, panic attacks, vasomotor dystonia, etc. Currently, this disease is most often called autonomic dysfunction or vegetative-vascular dystonia. The question arises. Is this a disease? But there is no concrete answer. This diagnosis is now quite common. It is believed that vegetative-vascular dystonia is not an independent disease, but only a syndrome, i.e. a consequence of any condition, fatigue and diseases requiring treatment. Thus, doctors claim that one of the surest ways to treat vegetative-vascular dystonia is to find and eliminate the cause. But all doctors in the medical world are unanimous that vegetative-vascular dystonia is, of course, a pathological condition of the body that occurs due to disturbances in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system.

The autonomic nervous system is also called the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls the functioning of all internal organs and also helps maintain homeostasis. The autonomic nervous system is involved in the regulation of many biochemical and physiological processes. To summarize, we can say that the autonomic nervous system is a support within the body, ensuring internal balance. The VNS is responsible for:

Heart rate
Arterial pressure
Width of bronchi, pupils
Activity of the stomach and intestines
Levels of adrenaline and insulin in the blood
Urine production
Thermoregulation and sweating

What it is

VSD or somatophoric autonomic dysfunction (according to ICD-10) is a disease that has a whole range of symptoms and complex development mechanisms. This pathology is based on dysregulation of the ANS, as well as various disorders in the functioning of internal systems.

The causes of VSD will be different and not always easily determined. Symptoms depend on the provoking factor, but there are also general signs of this disorder in the nervous system. Pathology develops due to constant stressful situations, as well as the weak adaptive ability of the ANS. Vegetative-vascular dystonia, in simple words, can arise due to unfavorable external or internal conditions that can unbalance the nervous system, disrupt the functionality of the heart, blood vessels or other organs. As for neuroses and depression, they contribute to the occurrence of this disease, as they are diagnosed a second time.

Very often, the cause of vegetative-vascular dystonia is a violation of the development of connective tissue, which is present in all internal systems, so the situation can affect all functions of the body. This is the insidiousness of pathology.

Symptoms

The autonomic nervous system is located in the spinal cord and brain and is an integral part of the human body - this system fully coordinates the activity of all internal organs, blood vessels and glands and provides them with the ability to adapt to changes in the external environment. In particular, the autonomic nervous system regulates blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, composition and volume of intercellular fluid, blood flow, metabolic processes, feelings of thirst, hunger and satiety, function of sweat glands, kidneys, muscle tone of internal organs, circadian rhythms, and much more. .

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is manifested by many symptoms (about 50), which are also characteristic of other diseases. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult to make a definitive diagnosis. Vegetative-vascular dystonia is characterized by the fact that subjective sensations significantly prevail over objective indicators of health. However, not all symptoms occur at the same time in one person. Typically a person will experience no more than 10-20 symptoms. Another very big problem is that patients often cannot clearly formulate what specifically bothers them. The main complaints are that the patient feels unwell, he feels weakness, a feeling of dizziness and tingling in the limbs. But, nevertheless, there are symptoms that are most characteristic of vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Based on statistics, we can determine the most common symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia:

Heartache
Headache
Abdominal pain
Impotence
Dizziness
Heartbeat
Weakness and fatigue

Varieties

Dystonia comes in three types. These include cardiac, hypertensive and hypotensive. Each type is characterized by certain symptoms, which help in making a diagnosis. In this situation, you should not engage in independent diagnosis and therapy, as this can lead to serious disorders and irreversible negative consequences.

The causes of VSD of the cardiac type are varied and are determined only as a result of a thorough examination. This disorder is characterized by pain in the heart area. The pain can be sharp, burning, stabbing. It is not always possible to accurately determine its occurrence. The patient may also complain of heart failure. This type of VSD also manifests itself with such signs as tachycardia and shortness of breath. In this case, the ECG will not show any serious changes or abnormalities.

As for the hypotensive type of pathology, it is accompanied by symptoms such as:

increased weakness and lethargy;
constantly want to sleep;
the patient feels tired all the time;
chilliness of the lower and upper extremities is noted;
if you stand up suddenly, your vision may go dark;
loss of consciousness associated with low blood pressure.

Hypertensive type of vegetative-vascular dystonia: what is it in simple words? This is a disorder that is characterized by frequent attacks of cephalalgia, dizziness, and elevated blood pressure. If therapy is not started in this situation, then there is a possibility that this type of disorder will develop into hypertension.

Vegetovascular dystonia

Frequent companions

Sleep disturbances, nightmares.
Psychosomatic disorders.
Decreased background mood.
Anxiety states.
Neuroses.
Headache.
Panic attacks.

Now we can talk about vegetative-vascular dystonia only as a symptomatology that indicates the presence of dysfunction of higher nervous activity, and when these symptoms manifest themselves, a face-to-face visit is necessary, first of all, to a psychotherapist. This concept is often combined with panic attacks, which is also fundamentally wrong.

The Brain Clinic provides effective comprehensive treatment for VSD and panic attacks with the participation of a psychotherapist and a neurologist. Treatment is prescribed and carried out based on the decision of the medical council and the results of examinations.

Diagnostics

Increased fatigue, cold extremities, sometimes an incomprehensible feeling of anxiety that appears out of nowhere, as well as quickly passing, frequent headaches, insomnia (sleep disturbance), strange sensations in the heart area, panic attacks, hypertensive crises. Have you encountered this? All this is a manifestation of one symptom - vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Doctors don’t even consider such a diagnosis as a disease. However, people who have encountered similar manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia will probably say that it is better not to joke with it.

“Vegetonics” and “Hypertensives” with experience unanimously claim that such a problem is very annoying and ruins life. Sudden excitement, an attack of anxiety - and then the neck immediately begins to “burn”, the face burns, and the heat throughout the body, often the body becomes covered with red spots. Jumps in blood pressure, which is often mistaken for hypertension, can change quite quickly: low blood pressure - and immediately drowsiness, lethargy appears, and there is no performance at all. The blood pressure has increased - the heart begins to beat at a frantic rhythm, and the head is ready to explode from the throbbing pain in the temples.

“Vegetonics” and “hypertensives” consider the sudden appearance of causeless panic to be a truly terrible state, when fear becomes stronger than reason, and it is almost impossible to pull yourself together. This is the same panic attack. Vegetative-vascular dystonia is sometimes very well masked and it is not uncommon for people to be given another diagnosis - hypertension.

VSD can be detected due to heredity, hormonal changes that most often occur during puberty, pregnancy or menopause, frequent overwork, stress, sudden climate change, excessive physical activity, or vice versa, physical inactivity (inactivity), frequent and strict diets. And yet, you can live and be happy with such a diagnosis; it is enough to prescribe the correct treatment. It usually begins with mild sedatives. And if the manifestation of dystonia is so serious, and mild sedatives do not bring results, then antidepressants and tranquilizers are prescribed.

Causes

Hereditary abnormalities in various parts of the autonomic nervous system are most often the main cause of the formation of such disorders. In most cases, pathologies in the structure and functions of the autonomic nervous system are transmitted through the maternal line. In addition to deviations caused by hereditary factors, there are other reasons that are a catalyst for the occurrence of an existing latent disease of the autonomic system.

Symptoms of VSD can occur due to many factors:

inherited predisposition;
disorders of the heart and cardiovascular system (often together with organic disorders of the nervous system);
mitochondrial diseases;
puberty,
pregnancy period;
personal characteristics of the patient’s character (suspiciousness, irritability, etc.); development of physical inactivity from an early age;
osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
various diseases of internal organs (peptic ulcer of the duodenum and stomach, pancreatitis, amyloidosis, etc.),
endocrine diseases (diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, etc.);
previous head trauma;
viral infections;
allergy;
occupational and industrial diseases;
acute radiation sickness;
frequent overwork;
mental disorders, stress;
drinking coffee, alcoholic beverages in large quantities, smoking.

Various pathologies during the perinatal period can lead to the development of dystonia in young children. This is primarily due to injuries during childbirth, violations of the pregnant woman’s routine, diseases of pregnant women and some diseases during the newborn period. These factors negatively affect the formation of biologically normal somatic and autonomic systems and the correctness of the functions they perform. In adolescence, VSD is observed in 12-29% of children.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia: causes of occurrence

As mentioned earlier, VSD is a serious pathology that can provoke disruption of the functioning of organs and systems. If treatment is not provided in a timely manner, this will worsen the patient’s quality of life and affect his well-being. According to naturopaths, the causes of vegetative-vascular dystonia include such predisposing factors and provoking diseases as:

Disturbances in the development of the nervous system.
Features of genetic and constitutional type.
Pathology associated with mitochondria.
Any psychological characteristics of the individual.
Hormonal imbalances.
Weakened muscle activity of the body due to a sedentary lifestyle.
Disorders and diseases in the cervical spine.
An allergic reaction of the body to any external irritants.
Diseases of the endocrine system.
Pathologies associated with human professional activity.
Injury to the brain or spinal cord.

Also, the causes of VSD of external type include the following:

constant stressful situations;
infectious diseases;
influence on the body of physical or chemical agents, for example, currents, vibrations, alcoholic beverages, caffeine;
improperly formed work and rest schedule - as a result, the patient experiences significant constant fatigue.

If the patient is exposed to negative external factors for a long time, this can provoke a disorder in the hypothalamic-pituitary system. As a result, metabolism, water-electrolyte balance, microcirculation mechanisms and tissue oxygen supply suffer. The occurrence of oromandibular dystonia or another disorder provokes corresponding signs that should be paid attention to at the first manifestations.

What causes VSD?

Considering the causes of vegetative-vascular dystonia in women, one cannot help but note the fact that women are more susceptible to disorders of autonomic functions than men. I have already spoken about this.

Worth seeing: Atarax with VSD

This is due to the fact that the fair sex is more emotional, they take any information to heart, and in addition, they often experience various hormonal changes.

It should also be mentioned that the signs of VSD in women at 30 years old will be slightly different from the symptoms of the same disease, for example, at 35 or 40, 50 years old.

Much will depend on the cause of the disease, hormonal changes in the body, social living and working conditions.

If we talk about the picture as a whole, then it is worth highlighting several main reasons for the development of the disease:

Overstrain and excessive stress , both emotional and physical.
Disruptions in the hormonal system that occur in girls during adolescence, then during pregnancy, menopause, etc.
Pathologies of the endocrine system.
Smoking and alcohol , which are too dangerous for the nervous system of any woman.
Hereditary factor.

It is important to identify the cause of the disease at the first stage of treatment in order to have a better chance of a speedy recovery.

Only an experienced specialist can determine the exact cause during a thorough examination.

Hormonal changes in the body, pathologies of the endocrine system and many other factors can lead to VSD

Symptoms

The signs of this disorder are varied and affect individually or together the most important organs and internal systems. Without a professional examination, it is difficult to determine what exactly the patient has, so you should not pay attention to self-diagnosis, as this is ineffective. The causes, symptoms and treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia are closely interrelated and dependent on each other.

Symptoms of VSD:

Cardiovascular. In this situation, the patient will complain of disturbances in heart rhythm and blood pressure. The skin becomes pale or “marbled”, hot flashes and chilliness are noted in the lower and upper extremities. Aching and stabbing pain in the heart area is often confused with angina pectoris. These sensations are not associated with increased physical activity; they cannot be eliminated by taking special groups of medications.
A symptom related to the respiratory system. The patient notes rapid breathing, he lacks oxygen; inhalation is incomplete and difficult. Due to the fact that the blood loses a sufficient amount of carbon dioxide, it becomes saturated with alkalis, and the work of the respiratory center is inhibited. As a result, the patient is diagnosed with spasms in muscle tissue, impaired sensitivity in the oral cavity, limbs, and dizziness.
Symptom of irritable bowel. In this situation, there is discomfort in the lower abdomen, frequent urge to go to the toilet, significant gas formation, and frustration. The patient also complains of appetite, attacks of nausea, vomiting, impaired swallowing, and discomfort in the pit of the stomach. You should pay attention to this symptomatology only if gastric ulcer has not been previously diagnosed.
Problems with sweating. A person sweats constantly and intensely; the soles and palms of the hands suffer most.
Disorders of the urinary system. The patient complains of pain during urination. In this case, diseases of this system and changes in the results of urine tests are not diagnosed.
Reproductive system disorders. Vegetative-vascular dystonia in men negatively affects erection and ejaculation, and women suffer from vaginismus and anorgasmia.
A symptom of impaired thermoregulation. The patient notes a slight increase in body temperature and chills. Deviations from the norm are observed before lunch and are tolerated quite easily. In most cases, this symptom is diagnosed in patients of a younger age category.

As can be seen from the above, the causes of vegetative-vascular dystonia, as well as the symptoms, are diverse and closely related.

Symptoms depending on the type of VSD

To know what type of VSD specific symptoms correspond to, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the table:

VSD type	Characteristic signs
VSD of hypotonic type	Decreased blood pressure. General weakness. Paleness of the skin. Impaired breathing – patients cannot take a full breath. Nausea and/or heartburn. Stool disorders - diarrhea or constipation.
VSD of the hypertensive type	Nausea and vomiting are observed, regardless of food intake. Decreased appetite, up to complete loss of interest in food. Periodically occurring mild headaches. Sweating is increased; during the period of exacerbation of VSD, it is the palms that sweat a lot. There is a feeling of fear that cannot be explained logically. “Floaters” periodically appear before your eyes.
VSD of mixed type	Arrhythmia, tachycardia. An attack of fear of imminent death due to problems with the heartbeat. Respiratory dysfunction - the patient does not have enough air. Pain syndrome localized in the heart area. Presyncope – sudden dizziness, darkening of the eyes. Increased sweating of the lower/upper extremities.
VSD of vagotonic type	Heartbeat is slow. Salivation increased. Disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract. Decreased blood pressure. Breathing is difficult.
VSD of cardiac type	Cardiopalmus. Periodically appearing pain in the heart area of variable nature. Arrhythmia. Slow heartbeat. Increased sweating.

Panic attack is another syndrome that will be a characteristic symptom of vegetative-vascular dystonia. A person experiences severe fright, a feeling of approaching anxiety, and a wave of fear covers him. At the same time, the body sends signals about danger, but it does not provide options for solving the problem. Therefore, the patient experiences a strong fear of death, it seems to him that his heart stops, his breathing takes away. It is noteworthy that literally after 10-15 minutes the panic attack against the background of VSD passes, and the person’s condition returns to normal.

Diagnostics

VSD is considered an exceptional diagnosis. This is explained by the fact that after a thorough examination, a specialist may not identify any serious disorders in the body that could cause the above symptoms.

To eliminate this disorder in the body, the patient is recommended to undergo examination to determine the cause of VSD. At the same time, the specialist should pay attention to the patient’s lifestyle and concomitant pathologies.

Mandatory types of examination to identify violations include:

electrocardiogram;
Ultrasound of the cardiovascular system;
study of blood pressure;
stress tests;
X-ray examination of the chest organs;
spirometry;
examination of the gastrointestinal tract;
blood, urine and stool tests;
Ultrasound of the peritoneal organs;
electroencephalography.

If necessary, the patient can be referred for additional consultation to various specialists.

What complications can there be?

Since the causes of VSD in adults can be a variety of genetic and anatomical disorders, with a long course and the absence of appropriate therapy, all sorts of complications develop that can even lead to death. These include diseases of the cardiovascular and urinary system, neuroses, depression, increased anxiety, and pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.

If the patient believes that VSD is not capable of harming him, then he is deeply mistaken. The fact is that at first this disorder does not cause significant discomfort and does not worsen the quality of life, but over the years it only becomes more serious, and the symptoms develop more and more strongly. As a result, the treatment will no longer be of high quality, and the general condition will not be able to completely normalize.

Symptoms of VSD: what types of disorders occur with this disease?

Symptoms of VSD in adults and children are combined into several groups - syndromes :

Cardiac syndrome – pain in the heart area.
Tachycardial syndrome - increased heart rate.
Hyperkinetic syndrome - inadequate strengthening, activation of the heart.
Asthenic syndrome – chronic fatigue, fatigue, frequent mood swings.
Autonomic dystonia syndrome is a disorder of autonomic functions (impaired functioning of the cardiovascular system, internal organs, glands).
Respiratory distress syndrome is a dysfunction of the respiratory system.

This division of signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia is conditional.

Therapy

VSD without appropriate treatment can lead to vegetative crises, which are characterized by the sudden appearance of disorders on the part of this system. Non-medicinal methods play a major role in therapy. Medicines are mainly recommended for patients with advanced cases.

To alleviate the patient’s condition, it is necessary first to eliminate provoking factors. It is advisable to include constant stressful situations, harmful working conditions, increased physical or mental activity. It is also worth sanitizing foci of chronic infectious diseases, mainly the oral cavity, as well as the tonsils.

Attention is also paid to disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system. The patient is advised to avoid drinking alcohol, caffeine and quit smoking. The daily routine must also be observed. Shallow sleep damages the nervous system and aggravates the symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia. As for mental activity, it should be moderate and alternate with physical activity. It is recommended to constantly ventilate the room where the patient is, as the coolness makes breathing rare and deep. When working at a computer, you should take breaks periodically.

If adults have vegetative-vascular dystonia, then experts recommend paying attention to relaxation and visiting a psychotherapist’s office. If necessary, start taking sedatives, hypnotics or antidepressants. If the degree of the disease is moderate, then sanatorium-resort treatment is suitable. The diet for VSD should be balanced. Foods enriched with vitamins and minerals are recommended in the diet.

As for medications, they are prescribed by a specialist. The patient may be prescribed herbal medicines and adaptogens (substances that increase the body's adaptive capacity). For pain and discomfort in the heart area, it is recommended to take Corvalol, Valocardin, Validol or Valerian.

If VSD is the cause of epilepsy, then this situation requires hospitalization of the patient and constant monitoring of his condition. After examination and intensive therapy, stabilization of the situation, the patient is treated at home, but is not removed from the register.

Sleep, sports and healthy food are the main protectors of the nervous system

To prevent dystonia from becoming a curse throughout life, it is best to treat it in tender childhood. For minor or rare manifestations, the following conservative but reliable methods will help: - improving your daily routine:

You need to sleep at least 8-10 hours a day, it is advisable to do gymnastics every morning and be in the air for at least 2-3 hours a day.
- playing sports in a playful, “non-standard” mode.
It is a mistake to completely exempt children with VSD syndrome from physical activity.
Such children are recommended general strengthening activities in a health group, skating, cycling, outdoor games, table tennis, and even better - swimming. - adherence to a certain diet.
It is worth limiting the consumption of table salt, fatty meats, sweets, and flour.
It is necessary to increase the intake of potassium and magnesium into the body (buckwheat, oatmeal, soybeans, beans, peas, apricots, rose hips, dried apricots, raisins, carrots, eggplants, onions, lettuce, parsley, nuts). — therapeutic massage and physiotherapy
: electrophoresis, electrosleep, water procedures, in short, everything that stimulates the nervous system.
Any hardening procedures are especially useful, because the nervous system, like our entire body, needs training to function without failure. And only in the most advanced cases, when attacks of dystonia literally poison life or seriously interfere with normal existence, is it worth resorting to drug treatment. Treatment of patients with VSD is determined only by the attending neuropathologist, taking into account the nature of the disease. As a rule, patients are prescribed anti-anxiety, sedatives, antidepressants, as well as general restoratives. Along with drug therapy, psychotherapy
, the purpose of which is to eliminate pathological symptoms. Methods of psychotherapy can be varied - this includes suggestion, hypnosis, persuasion, and the use of group classes. They are determined by a psychotherapist in each specific case. Do not hesitate to consult a doctor with such seemingly insignificant symptoms as headache, increased fatigue and irritability, excessive anxiety, etc. The sooner you start treatment, the easier it will be to cope with such an “invisible” disease as vegetative-vascular dystonia .

Unique treatment methods

In modern medicine, various non-traditional methods have often been used to eliminate vegetative-vascular dystonia in women and men. These include:

Applied kinesiology. A technique that allows not only to identify, but also to eliminate pathologies of the spine, joints, as well as diseases of the nervous system. It is based on muscle tissue testing. Using palpation, the condition of tissues and internal organs is studied.
Leech therapy. It helps the patient not only to cleanse the blood of blood clots and prevent their formation, but also to saturate the body with a variety of biologically active substances.
Acupuncture. This therapy helps to get rid of osteochondrosis, radiculitis and other pathologies of the spine and joints. The technique eliminates pain, strengthens the immune system, and is also considered completely healthy.

The appointment of one of the above methods occurs only after examination and exclusively by a specialist. If this type of therapy does not suit the patient, then it is worth paying attention to traditional methods of eliminating the disease.

Diet for illness

When it comes to non-drug treatment, here, first of all, you should pay attention to the recommended diet.

Here are useful tips regarding the correct diet for VSD:

You should avoid strong coffee.
It is advisable to eat various types of porridges: buckwheat, oatmeal.
Drink as much fluid as possible daily.
Eat fresh vegetables and fruits.
Avoid fatty foods and fast food.

Patients at risk

The tendency to this disorder can be traced from an early age. In most cases, adolescents are susceptible to developing VSD. If the problem is urgent, the child does not study well, feels constant fatigue, becomes slow, inattentive, confused, and also has problems with sleep and appetite. In this case, it is recommended to reduce physical and mental stress, spend more time in the fresh air, and eliminate stressful situations. The diet should be balanced, fluid intake should be normal.

Patients also included in the risk group are:

with a hereditary predisposition;
with unfavorable material, sanitary, social conditions;
with increased physical and intellectual activity;
with pathologies of the nervous and endocrine systems.

Patients who are diagnosed with diseases of the cardiovascular system should not be excluded.

Preventive actions

These activities should be aimed at strengthening the performance of the ANS and increasing the body’s adaptation to the effects of negative factors. A healthy lifestyle, a properly structured daily routine, moderate physical activity, a healthy diet, and good sleep will help achieve a positive result in prevention.

The patient is advised to give up bad habits, promptly eliminate provoking factors, and treat concomitant diseases. At the first signs of a violation, it is recommended to immediately seek qualified help and not experiment with your body and health.