VSD of the hypertensive type (vegetative-vascular dystonia): symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, army, prognosis

Description

VSD of this type is not included in the ICD, because Most often, the diagnosis is made on the basis of symptoms that indicate other pathologies. Most patients who come to the doctor with such a problem undergo a full diagnosis, proving abnormalities in pressure. After this, they are diagnosed with code I10 or I15, which indicates the development of arterial hypertension.

The concept of VSD refers to a complex of symptoms, which is why most doctors tend to avoid classifying dystonia as a disease. However, disorders that cause such symptoms can be called a disease. With VSD, deviations occur in the functioning of the autonomic division (ANS), which is part of the autonomic nervous system. It ensures the functioning of important body systems, the tone of blood vessels, breathing and heartbeat. This makes disruptions in the ANS very dangerous.

Features of blood pressure

With such VSD, blood pressure can constantly change. Average indicators during illness: 140 to 100. Overwork or psycho-emotional stress can lead to an increase in pressure up to 180 to 140, but in some cases the indicators can be even higher.

A common problem with this type of VSD is nervous crises. They represent sudden surges in the activity of the nervous system, which causes the release of adrenaline into the blood, and the pressure rises sharply. Many doctors call this condition a panic attack, because... Most patients during a nervous crisis experience a feeling of anxiety.

Such outbreaks can appear from a couple of minutes to several hours. In this case, an exacerbation of all existing symptoms occurs. Gradually, from such frequent crises, the severity of dystonia itself will decrease, but in parallel with this, mental disorders will begin to develop.

Classification

Vegetative-vascular dystonia of the hypertensive type is divided into several types, which correspond to the severity of symptoms and the frequency of exacerbations. The higher the degree, the more difficult it is to achieve positive results in treatment.

There are 3 degrees:

Easy. The symptoms are quite mild, appear rarely, and during exacerbations there are no problems with performance.
Average. The manifestations are more pronounced, exacerbations appear for a long time, panic attacks become regular.
Heavy. The symptoms are pronounced, the pressure is very high, nervous crises cause pain, performance is extremely low or absent.

Many patients with RVNS of the hypertensive type during nervous crises are sure that they have a serious illness that causes such sensations. They become much more afraid, and confidence in dangerous pathologies remains even after an attack.

Dystonia comes in several types: vascular, cerebral, hypertonic, hypotonic, vagotonic, cardiac, mixed. They all have different symptoms.

Signs and symptoms

The syndrome of vegetative-vascular dystonia of the hypertensive type has intense manifestations. With VSD of the hypertensive type, the symptoms are as follows:

strong surges in blood pressure;
acceleration and increased heart rate;
pain in the heart area;
drowsiness;
constant fatigue;
apathy;
redness of the facial skin;
increased sweating;
feeling of physical weakness;
an attack of prolonged headache;
nausea;
noise and ringing in the ears;
impaired coordination of movements;
decreased performance;
attack of lack of air;
loss of appetite or complete refusal to eat;
tremor of the limbs;
the occurrence of a panic attack;
unreasonable nervousness;
excessive emotional arousal.

Important information: Symptoms and methods of treating panic attacks with VSD

Signs of VSD appear immediately after the influence of a provoking factor has been exerted on the body. For example, a person found himself in a stressful situation, and it provoked these symptoms. In most cases, the attack begins with the appearance of pain in the head. The pain syndrome is localized in the back of the head, the nature of the pain is compressive, paroxysmal, migraine-like.

Description of the patient’s emotional state during the attack: a feeling of strong fear for one’s life, the appearance of a sudden fear of loneliness, panic. A person hears the sound of his heart beating, which intensifies the panic attack. The duration of a panic attack varies from 10 minutes to several hours.

Women are more susceptible to VSD. This is due to changes in hormonal levels during menstruation, pregnancy and menopause.

Causes

Dystonia can occur in people of any age. There are not many reasons why symptomatic signs of VSD appear, which makes it possible to quickly determine the genesis of the disease during diagnosis. However, in some cases this is not possible.

The main reasons for the appearance of this type of VSD are:

Regular stress;
Increased physical activity for a long time;
Lack of sleep, insomnia;
Genetic predisposition;
Bad habits;
Poor nutrition;
Lack of vitamins or minerals;
Decreased immunity;
Infectious diseases;
Rachiocampsis;
Traumatic brain injuries;
Pregnancy, menopause, puberty.

Most often, VSD is found not in adults, but in adolescents. This is due to the accelerated growth of internal organs and the rapid development of the nervous system. In such situations, the child’s body does not have time to cope with the changes, which is why various malfunctions occur. For the same reason, dystonia occurs in pregnant women, because rapid hormonal changes cause disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system.

Symptoms, complications

With VSD, people experience a large number of symptoms that cause discomfort. If left untreated, the disease can lead to serious complications that will take a long time to resolve.

Symptoms

Symptoms play a major role in identifying VSD. Exactly how it manifests itself allows you to narrow down the search for the disease during diagnosis. Therefore, it is very important to monitor yourself in advance and write down all the symptoms you have. People with dystonia may feel completely different, which is why some symptoms may not appear at all.

Symptoms of VSD of the hypertensive type:

Constantly elevated blood pressure;
Hypertensive crisis (sudden surges in pressure);
Accelerated heart rate;
Damage to arterial and venous vessels;
Panic attacks, fear of death;
Suspiciousness, anxiety;
Increased irritability, short temper;
Decreased memory quality;
Feeling of lack of oxygen;
High sensitivity to room temperature;
Problems sleeping, insomnia;
Nausea, lack of appetite;
Cephalgia, dizziness;
Noise in ears;
Floaters before the eyes;
Easy fatigue, decreased performance;
Weakness, feeling tired;
Coldness and trembling of the extremities;
Impaired coordination of movements;
Increased sweating.

If you experience at least a few symptoms, you should consult a doctor to get diagnosed and receive timely treatment. In some cases, some of them may be missing, which is the norm for VSD. Also, sometimes symptoms can be supplemented by other sensations associated with exacerbation of other diseases or the root cause of disorders in the nervous system.

Complications

The lack of proper treatment always leads to unpleasant complications, which will be very difficult to cope with. VSD is no exception. If it is not treated, then after a while a person will experience more frequent nervous crises, and then mental disorders and dangerous pathologies will begin to develop.

What can the patient expect:

Diseases of the cardiovascular system. Most suffer from hypertension, coronary artery disease, angina, heart attack or stroke. Any of the diseases can occur already in the first months of VSD manifestation.
Gastrointestinal diseases. Most often, VSD causes atony, gastritis or inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
Nervous system disorders. Almost all patients with VSD experience asthenia or seizures after some time.
Pathologies of the genitourinary system. Urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, early menopause are quite common consequences of untreated dystonia.

There are cases when no complications arise at all in patients who refuse treatment. However, the likelihood of their occurrence is still very high.

Some people only go to the doctor when complications arise. Then the VSD itself is detected.

Why does hypertensive type vegetative-vascular dystonia syndrome occur?

The diagnosis of VSD of the hypertensive type is made in cases where a violation of the interconnected functioning of all parts of the nervous system is detected. For this problem to arise, the negative influence of a combination of external and internal factors is sufficient.

For the development of hypertensive type VSD, exposure to the following internal factors is required:

osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
genetic predisposition;
head and brain injuries;
dysfunction of the central nervous system;
changes in hormone levels during pregnancy or puberty;
pathologies of the endocrine system;
inflammation of various localizations;
suspiciousness and anxiety as characteristic personality traits;
chronic diseases in the acute stage;
allergy;
low level of physical activity.

External factors include:

bad habits;
constant stress;
regular lack of sleep;
frequent drinking of coffee;
sudden climate change.

VSD syndrome in combination with hypertension most often develops in the following categories:

Women: they are more emotional than men and have an unstable nervous system. In addition, representatives of the fair sex more often experience hormonal surges that occur as a result of natural processes in the body (pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstruation, menopause).
People engaged primarily in intellectual work: constant mental stress weakens the nervous system. Therefore, VSD of this type often occurs in teachers, accountants, doctors and workers in management positions.
People who often experience stress: situations that require a lot of nervous tension often cause blood pressure surges.

Diagnostics

Dystonia of the hypertensive type is very difficult to diagnose. This is due to the fact that it is very often confused with ordinary hypertension or other heart pathologies. Accurate identification of the problem requires the most serious approach. Therefore, it is important to consult an experienced doctor who can correctly make a final diagnosis.

The main part of diagnosis is interviewing the patient. The doctor must carefully study the patient’s complaints and conduct an examination, on the basis of which he can prescribe the necessary examinations.

Diagnostic methods:

Measurement of blood pressure, ABPM. The doctor will measure the pressure while the patient is at the appointment, and will also prescribe daily monitoring using a special device. This will allow you to track all changes in blood pressure.
ECG, ultrasound of the heart, blood and urine tests, fundus examination are the simplest studies that allow you to obtain a lot of important information.
Rheovasography. The procedure allows you to track pulse fluctuations as blood vessels fill with blood.

After completing all the examinations, the doctor will give a referral to other specialists if it is necessary to determine the cause of VSD. The patient will also need to see a psychotherapist, because... it is he who will help in the fight against the disease.

Diagnostic methods

Diagnosis of vascular hypertension presents some difficulties, since in the absence of an attack, abnormalities in the functioning of the heart muscle or damage to blood vessels are not detected. To make a diagnosis, the specialist performs the following procedures:

Analysis of the patient's medical history. With this disease, the main indicators are the symptoms that appear during attacks. Depending on the type of disease, clinical signs may vary.
Inspection. To establish neurological disorders.
ECG. Prescribed to detect the presence of heart murmurs or arrhythmias.
Rheovasography. This method of diagnostic research allows you to determine the level of blood supply to blood vessels in the organs and tissues of the body.

In addition, an examination by a neurologist, endocrinologist or cardiologist is prescribed in order to identify or exclude other diseases.

Treatment

Getting rid of VSD with high blood pressure is quite difficult. Treatment includes medications and physical therapy. An integrated approach will allow you to achieve a positive result in a short period of time.

Drug treatment

Anti-VSD medications are aimed at eliminating symptoms and normalizing the state of the patient’s nervous system. In most cases, the main drug becomes one of the group of sedatives in order to quickly normalize the patient’s mental health.

The doctor prescribes the following groups of drugs:

Sedatives (relieving anxiety, fear, nervousness) – “Novopassit”, “Persen”;
Herbal sedatives (mild analogue of sedatives) - “Valerian”, “Peony”;
Tranquilizers (decreased activity of the nervous system) - “Diazepam”, “Gidazepam”;
Antidepressants (elevating mood) – “Amitriptyline”, “Paroxin”;
Nootropics (improving brain function) – “Piracetam”, “Glycine”;
Hypotensive (pressure reduction) - “Atenolol”, “Equator”.

Doctors also prescribe additional vitamin complexes that help strengthen the nervous system and immunity. In some cases, it may be necessary to take other medications to get rid of the symptoms of VSD, as well as improve the patient’s condition.

Homeopathic remedies

The effectiveness of homeopathy has not been proven by medicine. However, some doctors believe that such drugs are a good complement to the treatment of VSD of the hypertensive type. The main purpose of taking them is to strengthen the patient’s nervous system.

The most popular means:

"Notta" - tablets to reduce the excitability of the nervous system, improve sleep quality, and relieve anxiety.
“Kralonin” - drops to reduce blood pressure, which have sedative properties, also relieve cardiac disorders - granules that normalize blood pressure and heart rate, relieve chest pain, and help the functioning of the heart.

Treating VSD with homeopathic remedies is a controversial choice. It is recommended to give preference only as an additional therapy or when prescribed by a doctor. In other cases, it is recommended to use other methods.

Physiotherapy

VSD can be treated very effectively with physiotherapy. Most of her methods are aimed at improving blood circulation in the brain, which is very important for such a diagnosis. It will be useful to almost all patients, but it should only be used as prescribed by a doctor, because... Sometimes physical therapy may be contraindicated.

Suitable physiotherapy methods:

Physiotherapy;
Electrophoresis using vasodilators;
Massage of shoulders, neck, head;
Magnetotherapy;
Acupuncture.

The correct combination of physiotherapeutic procedures with drug therapy allows you to very quickly and effectively treat VSD of this type. The risk of complications or relapse will be extremely low.

Prescribing treatment on your own is strictly prohibited. This should only be done by the attending physician.

Drug therapy

For the treatment of vegetative vascular dystonia of the hypertensive type in advanced stages, medications are used. Such therapy is always carried out strictly under the supervision of the treating doctor.

The following medications are usually used:

Psychotropic medications. They minimize feelings of panic and fear of death. These include sedative medications: tranquilizers, antidepressants, antipsychotics.
Nootropics to improve brain function.
Metabolite medications, the most popular of which is glycine.
Medicines to increase defenses. Prescribe vitamin C, B, medications with selenium and zinc.
Enzymes and beta blockers are often used in complex therapy for dystonia.

The duration of drug therapy is several months. Self-medication is strictly prohibited, as it can cause significant complications.

Folk remedies

You can also achieve positive results using traditional methods. For mild VSD that does not require serious treatment, such remedies will be very effective. But before taking it, you should consider possible contraindications and side effects.

Various decoctions and tinctures of sedative herbs (motherwort, valerian, St. John's wort, lemon balm) show the greatest effectiveness. It is enough to pour boiling water over any of them and let it brew. It is recommended to determine the proportions yourself, based on the sensations and taste properties of the drink.

Also, the following recipes are suitable as home remedies against vegetative-vascular dystonia of the hypertensive type:

Mix honey (2 tbsp) with propolis powder (25 g) and oil (1 tbsp) until a paste forms. Rub the mixture into the skin on your head and legs before going to bed. The course of treatment is 2 weeks.
Take birch buds, chamomile, rose hips, elecampane root and St. John's wort (100 g each), chop, add water, bring to a boil. After cooling, the broth should be strained and diluted with water to form about 300 ml of the drink. Additionally, it is recommended to add honey (1 tbsp.). Take in the morning before meals and in the afternoon after dinner. The course of admission is 1 month.
Grind valerian root (10 g), pour boiling water (100 ml), cover with a lid, leave for one night. After straining, drink 30 ml before meals three times a day. Take one month.

The use of folk remedies requires special attention to your well-being. If unpleasant symptoms appear after them, the course of treatment should be stopped and you should visit a doctor for consultation.

Prevention

One of the most important components of the fight against VSD is prevention. It helps not only those who want to recover from the disease, but also everyone who wants to protect themselves from this disease. Preventative measures are very simple:

Get enough rest.
Eliminate all stress from life.
Lead an active lifestyle and play sports.
Spend more time outdoors.
Normalize sleep, increase its quality and duration.
Limit the time allocated to TV and computer.
Take a contrast shower every day.
Eat right, eliminate junk food from your diet.
To refuse from bad habits.
Work on yourself with the help of a psychologist.

Such basic rules have a significant impact on human health and help fight a large number of diseases. Therefore, it is recommended that everyone always adhere to this list.

In severe forms of VSD, combined with a significant increase in blood pressure, young people may be exempt from military service.