Pathological condition in a child - vegetative-vascular dystonia

Symptoms

Most often, vegetative dystonia in children is observed at the age of 4 or 5 years.
When visiting kindergarten, various stressful situations may arise. Adaptation to the new environment and new rules occurs. The rapid development and growth of the body, the lack of a proper daily routine, poor nutrition, heredity and many other factors cause the appearance of various symptoms in which we can talk about the presence of vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Primary school students experience exacerbation of VSD most often with attacks that appear during periods when the child’s immunity is weakened or he is exposed to great emotional stress. Signs of dystonia may also appear after a viral illness, especially during the cold season. The child may have poor sleep and appetite, often be capricious, behave unusually, complain of headaches and some other ailments.

What is VSD

Vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD) are symptoms of various clinical manifestations that affect various organs and systems. As a result, deviations occur in the structure and function of the central and/or peripheral parts of the autonomic nervous system.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is not an independent nosological pathology, but together with other pathogenic stimuli it can provoke the development of many diseases and conditions, most often based on psychosomatics (arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, bronchial asthma, peptic ulcer, etc.). Autonomic changes determine the development and course of many diseases in childhood. In turn, any disease, including somatic disease, can potentiate autonomic disorders.

Classification of vegetative-vascular dystonia

Until now, a traditional classification of vegetative-vascular dystonia has not been developed. When formulating a diagnosis, as a rule, the following are taken into account:

• causal factors;
• type of autonomic disorders (vagotonia, sympathicotonia, mixed);
• prevalence of autonomic disorders (general, systemic or local form);
• systems and organs that are most actively involved in the development of pathology;
• functional state of the autonomic nervous system;
• severity (moderate, moderate, severe);
• nature of the disease development (periodic, constant, paroxysmal).

Diagnosis of the disease

If symptoms of vegetative vascular dystonia appear in a teenager or infant, he must be shown to a pediatrician. After a complete examination of the patient, the doctor will refer you for a consultation to specialists - a neurologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist and ophthalmologist. The pediatrician refers you to these specialists based on the cause of the pathology and the accompanying symptoms.

1. To determine autonomic tone and reactivity, the doctor listens to the patient’s complaints and studies the results of ECG and Holter monitoring.
2. To assess the functioning of the central nervous system with autonomic dystonia in children, it is necessary to undergo EEG, REG, echocardiography and rheovasography.
3. During the examination, the doctor excludes other diseases that have similar symptoms, such as rheumatism, asthma, mental disorders and others.

Symptoms

VSD in children manifests itself in different ways, the symptoms depend on how severely the functioning of vagotonia and sympathicotonia is impaired. The clinical picture is varied. However, the main signs that can be used to suspect vegetative-vascular dystonia in a child have been identified:

• Excessive fatigue, not typical for childhood.
• Sleep problems.
• Deterioration of cognitive abilities. First of all, memory suffers. This affects school performance and the overall development of the child.
• Headaches and dizziness.
• Disturbances in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus, motion sickness in transport.
• Increased anxiety, worsening mood.
• Irrational fears.
• Mental instability, hot temper. In severe cases, hysteria is observed and depression may develop.
• Dyspnea. It occurs both at rest and after physical activity.
• Feeling of lack of air.
• Periodic increase in body temperature to subfebrile levels.
• Feeling of chilliness.
• Feeling worse when exposed to heat and cold. Intolerance to stuffiness.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Pain in the heart area.
• Change in appetite. The child may experience bouts of hunger or refuse to eat completely.
• Abdominal pain. During the examination, the causes of the unpleasant sensations cannot be identified.
• Retention of stool.
• Swelling of the face and limbs.
• Pale skin, increased activity of the sebaceous glands, sweating.

Vascular dystonia does not have a smooth course; symptoms in sick children either gain intensity or disappear. In preschoolers, they rarely manifest themselves in full force, but already in adolescence, vegetative-vascular crises occur.

When dystonia worsens, the child may complain of a lack of heartbeat. Sometimes an attack of suffocation develops. During this period, sweating increases and blood pressure decreases. After the crisis is over, children feel a loss of strength.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

Dr. Komarovsky believes that vegetative-vascular dystonia is not a pathology. This is a natural state of a fragile nervous system.

According to Evgeniy Olegovich, incompletely formed vessels in a child’s body periodically come into a state of tension - tone.

The reasons are poor lifestyle, poor nutrition, excess physical activity, and stress. This causes headaches, tearfulness, apathy, and problems with appetite.

Komarovsky argues that this condition should be treated not with medications, but with the formation of an attitude towards a healthy lifestyle:

• hardening from an early age;
• staying in the fresh air;
• physical activity according to age;
• restriction in watching TV, refusal to use a computer.

For greater reassurance, Komarovsky recommends undergoing an ultrasound of the heart to make sure that there are no congenital pathologies.

Dr. Komarovsky about VSD in children:

Causes of VSD in children and adolescents

Cases of diagnosing a disease such as vegetative-vascular dystonia in children are quite common. The pathology requires complex treatment and maximum parental participation. The following factors can provoke the development of the disease:

• infectious diseases;
• heredity;
• frequent stressful situations;
• negative influence of chemical and physical environmental irritants;
• pathologies during pregnancy;
• parents' addictions to alcohol and smoking;
• excessive physical activity;
• poor quality, inadequate sleep. Lack of time to rest during the day;
• scoliosis, osteochondrosis and other pathologies of the spinal column;
• diabetes;
• poor nutrition, lack of vitamins;
• decreased physical activity;
• hormonal changes in adolescence;
• excessive mental stress.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia symptoms and treatment in children

An exhaustive list of factors in the development of pathology has not been established by medicine to this day.

However, special attention must be paid to the psychological climate within the family, since children are especially susceptible to changes in emotional tension between parents

Diagnostics

In children under 12 years of age, it is quite difficult to identify such a condition of the body as vegetative-vascular dystonia without the necessary diagnostic tests. An accurate diagnosis can only be made once the child reaches the age of twelve. If the child has the above symptoms, then there is a need to conduct a number of studies:

1. Consultation and work of psychologists, social educators, psychotherapists to establish the causes contributing to the development of autonomic dysfunction.
2. Examination of a child for hereditary, acquired or congenital diseases that have not been previously identified.
3. Constant monitoring of the child by a pediatrician.

Differential diagnosis is necessary to exclude those ailments that are similar in their symptoms to vegetative-vascular dystonia. Prescribed in the following cases:

• If you complain of pain in the heart, check for the presence of rheumatism;
• If there are changes in breathing, bronchial asthma is excluded;
• In case of fever, laboratory tests are prescribed to determine whether the illness is oncology, acute respiratory infections, endocarditis or sepsis;
• If blood pressure is high, primary hypertension is excluded;
• If there are changes of a psychological nature without additional symptoms, they are examined only by a psychotherapist.

Only when the diagnosis is finally made does the doctor prescribe adequate treatment. Until autonomic dysfunction is established, the child needs to be provided with a calm environment, a friendly and peaceful atmosphere at home and in places where the child visits.

VSD signs

This disease has a second name - neurocirculatory dystonia, which is characterized by disorders of the neuroendocrine regulation of the S.S.S. function. Such changes, which appear as a result of disturbances in the functioning of the autonomic system, can cause the development of autonomic dystonia. Very often this is manifested by a disorder in the activity of the S.S.S. and the occurrence of vascular dystonia.

The first signs of VSD are noted from the first days of birth, which manifest themselves in poor tolerance of weather conditions, redness or pallor during excitement, and the appearance of profuse sweating. In children, VSD is manifested by urinary incontinence at night. And in adults, especially women, changes in the nervous autonomic system occur in the form of autonomic crises. Vascular dystonia can develop as a result of nervous strain, as well as after various infectious diseases of both acute and chronic nature, insufficient amounts of vitamins in the body, poisoning and breakdowns of the nervous system.

Signs of VSD can be either constant attacks or paroxysms of the autonomic-vascular system. Constant signs of VSD are characterized by congenital instability of the nervous system. At the same time, patients do not tolerate various types of weather well; their skin quickly becomes pale and red due to various physical activities or emotional experiences; they experience increased heart rate and sweat profusely.

Signs of paroxysms include pain in the head or heart, palpitations, redness or paleness of the face. Then blood pressure rises, the pulse beats become much stronger, there is a rise in body temperature and chills appear. Sometimes patients with VSD experience a feeling of fear for absolutely no reason. In some cases, patients develop weakness throughout the body, they feel dizziness and darkness in their eyes, they begin to sweat, they feel nauseous, their blood pressure decreases and their pulse becomes slower. Such attacks can last from several minutes to three hours, which sometimes disappear without appropriate treatment.

With an exacerbation of VSD, the hands and feet become cold and damp to the touch with a purplish-bluish tint. A feeling of numbness and crawling sensations appears in the fingers, as well as tingling and even in some cases pain. In such patients, sensitivity to cold increases, fingers become puffy, especially after prolonged hypothermia of the feet and hands. Attacks become more frequent due to overwork and anxiety, and then the presence of malaise and general weakness arises.

Fainting is considered one of the signs of VSD. In this case, darkness suddenly appears in the eyes, the face becomes pale and weakness sets in throughout the body. After this, loss of consciousness occurs and the person falls. As a rule, convulsions are not observed.

Depending on the defeat of S.S.S. There are three main signs of VSD. These include cardiac dystonia, hypotensive dystonia and hypertensive dystonia.

Signs of the first lesion are palpitations, lack of air, tachycardia, respiratory arrhythmia and extrasystole over the ventricular area. The ECG does not show any changes or only the T wave changes.

Signs of hypotensive dystonia are characterized by fatigue, muscle weakness, headaches due to hunger, chilliness in the legs and arms, and a tendency to faint. In this case, patients are very pale, their hands are cold and clammy, and systolic pressure drops below 100 mmHg.

Signs of hypertensive dystonia are characterized by increased blood pressure without changes in the fundus, which is characteristic of hypertension. In some cases, patients complain of headaches, rapid heartbeat and increased fatigue.

Treatment

Treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia requires an integrated approach, since in children the disorder has a specific course. Taking medications in combination with other therapeutic measures is indicated. If the child’s syndrome manifests minor symptoms, then the medication is stopped altogether. In this case, you can use folk remedies in the form of decoctions of medicinal herbs that have a sedative effect (motherwort, valerian, chamomile, mint). However, if the doctor insists on additional drug correction, then it should be rejected.

Parents should pay special attention to the child's daily routine. It is important to exclude such a factor in the development of dystonia as physical inactivity. Children should receive adequate physical activity. The optimal sports are:

• Skiing and ice skating.
• A ride on the bicycle.
• Walking.
• Swimming in the pool.

It is recommended to limit jumping; you should not enroll your child in karate or wrestling. The practice of exempting children from physical education classes is unfounded. This only aggravates the problem, promotes a sedentary lifestyle, increases psychological stress, and leads to weight gain.

Sleep should be long, for which it is necessary to create optimal conditions. It is important to ensure that the child spends as little time as possible at the computer and does not watch TV in the evenings.

A proper diet that is age-appropriate can reduce the manifestations of VSD. If the symptoms of dystonia of the hypertensive type predominate, it is recommended to limit the consumption of salt, fatty and fried foods. This will prevent the development of vascular atherosclerosis at an early age. Patients with diagnosed metabolic disorders, in particular diabetes mellitus, need to follow a strict diet. Children of preschool and primary school age should not be offered coffee and strong tea, and adolescents are advised to limit their consumption of these drinks.

Psychotherapy and physiotherapy

Psychotherapy in the form of auto-training, relaxation, individual and group sessions is of no small importance. The psychologist should involve close relatives, classmates and friends of the child in the work.

During the conversation, it is important to find out what kind of psychological climate reigns in the family. Sometimes this makes it possible to isolate a factor that injures the nervous system and contributes to the progression of vascular dystonia in children growing up in the same home. Often this influence on the child is exerted by the mother, who does it unconsciously.

The most effective methods of physiotherapy for VSD include:

• Ultrasound treatment.
• Inductometry.
• Electrosleep.
• Paraffin applications.
• Ozokerite on the neck and back of the head.

Vagotonic dystonia requires electrophoresis with calcium or caffeine.

If disorders of the parasympathetic nervous system come to the fore, then electrophoresis with aminophylline, magnesium, and papaverine is practiced. The average course duration is 10 weeks. After 2 months, the treatment is repeated. Therapy can last a year or more.

Medication correction

Medication correction is started with drugs that have a minimal set of side effects. If no positive dynamics are observed, then they move on to tranquilizers and antipsychotics. Standard therapy regimen:

• Sedative drugs. Infusions of plants are used: sage, motherwort, valerian. It is possible to use Pavlov's mixture. Reception lasts for at least a year, in courses of 14-28 days.
• Tranquilizers. They have vegetotropic properties, reduce anxiety and pathological fears, relieve surges in blood pressure and heart rhythm disturbances. The drugs of choice are Seduxen, Elenium, Diazepam, Oxazepam. For mixed type of dystonia, Meprobamate is prescribed. Tranquilizers are used in minimal dosages. The average duration of the course is 1 week, after which a break is required.
• Mild antipsychotics, for example, Teralen. They reduce the influence of external stimuli on the child’s psyche and help balance the functioning of the autonomic system.

Antidepressants and psychostimulants are indicated for use in cases of VSD accompanied by neurotic disorders. Treatment is selected by a neuropsychiatrist.

The pediatrician can supplement therapy with vitamins: ascorbic acid, vitamin B1, B6, E.

Manifestations of dystonia in children and adolescents

At an early age in children, symptoms of VSD affect various systems and manifest themselves in constant crying for no reason, shallow sleep, allergic rashes, regurgitation, bloating, insufficient weight gain, refusal to eat, persistent diaper rash, and diathesis.
These signs most often occur in combination. When other causes of these symptoms are excluded, the diagnosis of VSD in the child is clarified and established. In older children and adolescents, symptoms of VSD are complemented by increased susceptibility to infectious and viral diseases, fearfulness, increased impressionability, tearfulness, isolation and reluctance to communicate with peers. In adolescents, vegetative-vascular dystonia is characterized by increased fatigue, nightmares, pallor, constant headaches and fainting.

In addition, VSD is manifested by specific syndromes:

1. A vegetative-vascular crisis begins with a headache, pain behind the sternum, unreasonable fear, dizziness, palpitations, a feeling of palpitations and pulsation of the aorta, pallor, increased temperature and blood pressure, sweating, hyperemia of the skin in certain places. Then comes a peak in the form of chills and the urge to urinate, after which asthenia occurs, expressed in indifference, fatigue, muscle weakness, lack of motivation, decreased concentration and attention.
2. Cardiac or cardiac crisis with VSD, which is manifested by pressure surges, sudden sharp pain in the heart, bradycardia or tachycardia, arrhythmia, extrasystole, sweating, a feeling of lack of air, sleep disturbances.
3. Respiratory or pulmonary syndrome is shortness of breath at rest and stress. It is heard because the child, feeling the lack of air, tries to breathe noisily. Respiratory function and acid-base balance in the body suffer.
4. Thermoregulatory syndrome is manifested by persistent low-grade fever, even in the absence of infectious diseases, which lasts for months. Initially, temperature jumps occur when the situation or certain conditions change, then the temperature does not decrease for a long period.
5. Neurotic syndrome is characterized by the gradual development of symptoms: first, sleep is disturbed, mood decreases, then suspiciousness, unreasonable ambitious behavior, various fears and mental imbalance are possible.

The danger of vegetative-vascular dystonia in children and adolescents can lead to mental disorders, various phobias, inappropriate behavior and dysfunction of internal organs.

Causes

The main reason for the development of VSD in a child is considered to be poor heredity. Pathology is transmitted through the maternal line. If a woman suffered from abnormalities in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, then with a high degree of probability the regulation of the functioning of internal organs will be disrupted in her children. Risk factors that can provoke dystonia include:

• Features of the course of the gestational period and labor. Risk triggers are considered to be: toxicosis during pregnancy, oxygen deprivation of the fetus, previous infectious diseases of the mother, difficult childbirth, injuries sustained by the baby, etc.
• Pedagogical neglect of the child, or overprotection on the part of the parents.
• Psychological trauma and stressful situations. These include serious conflicts with peers or within the family, increased workload at school, parental divorce, or the loss of a loved one.
• Various diseases, the list of which is extensive. It includes endocrine pathologies, allergic reactions of the body, foci of chronic infection, for example, sinusitis or tonsillitis.
• Received traumatic brain injuries with and without concussion.
• Maintaining a sedentary lifestyle, serious errors in nutrition, violations of routine, lack of sleep, living in unfavorable environmental conditions. The combination of two or more factors can serve as an impetus for the development of VSD in a child.
• Puberty and stages of active growth. At this time, the body experiences enormous stress, so the vegetative system may fail. In adolescents, the situation is aggravated by hormonal changes.

It is difficult to identify the exact cause of VSD in a child, since the pathology is often multifactorial in nature. Therefore, the approach to treatment must be comprehensive.

Causes and types of VSD

Vegetative-vascular dystonia or VSD is not a specific disease, but a complex of symptoms of various manifestations affecting many human organs and systems. Vegetative-vascular dystonia is considered by doctors as a consequence of the presence of disorders in our body, when the interaction of the autonomic and vascular systems is disrupted, and an important role in this belongs to the nervous structures on which the regulation of emotions depends.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia, if not treated, together with other factors can lead to the development in children of various diseases that have both psychological and somatic (i.e., manifested physically) components, including:

• asthma;
• high blood pressure;
• stomach ulcer;
• cardiac ischemia.

Somatic diseases lead to increased autonomic disorders, which have an adverse effect on the appearance and further course of many diseases in children.

There are many reasons, according to doctors, that influence the development of autonomic disorders in a child. It is believed that the main factors are disturbances in the functioning of our autonomic nervous system, transmitted mainly through the maternal line. Other factors most often act as triggers that manifest existing disorders. Nowadays, treatment is carried out with the help of medications, herbal infusions, and the help of a psychotherapist is used. For general health promotion, feasible physical exercises, physical therapy, and a balanced diet are highly recommended.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia in children occurs as a consequence of damage to the central nervous system received during childbirth. Lesions lead to disruption of liquor dynamics and can cause damage to the hypothalamus, the development of hydrocephalus and cerebral vascular disorders. If the central parts of the autonomic nervous system are damaged, this often leads to disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system and psyche, and emotional instability. This also leads to inappropriate reactions to stressful situations. Traumatic effects on our psyche play a big role:

• the child is isolated from peers or overly protected by parents;
• he has frequent conflicts at school and family;
• he is brought up in a single-parent family;
• his parent or parents are alcoholics.

All these influences often lead the child to mental maladjustment, which contributes to the manifestation or deepening of autonomic disorders. The presence of chronic stress, constant mental overstrain, and frequent emotional overload in a child’s life has the same effect.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia in children can also appear and/or intensify under the influence of neurological, somatic and endocrine diseases. Children prone to allergic conditions and with constitutional anomalies are at risk. A certain risk comes from climate features and unfavorable meteorological conditions in the region where the child lives. To one degree or another, excessive physical activity, non-compliance with the diet by children, hormonal changes in the body during adolescence, and poor environmental conditions can also have an impact. In children and adolescents, the symptoms of VSD have a wide variety, which depends on the age of the child. However, most often their health problems concern the cardiovascular system.

Treatment depends on what type of VSD the doctor determines in the patient. According to the level of blood pressure, hypertonic, hypotonic and mixed types are distinguished, which manifest themselves through crises. For the first type, they manifest themselves in the form of sudden excitement, anxiety; in children, the heart rate may increase and blood pressure may increase. Some experience symptoms of a panic attack, and children feel chills and coldness in their extremities. Vegetative vascular dystonia of the hypotonic type manifests itself in the form of nausea, shortness of breath, general weakness, interruptions in heart rate, low blood pressure and sweating. A child with a mixed type exhibits symptoms of both types described above more or less strongly.

Drug therapy

Medicines are prescribed if VSD in children and adolescents is very severe. The main goal of drug therapy is to restore normal functioning of the nervous system.

The child is prescribed to use:

1. Nootropics.
2. Antispasmodics.
3. Psychostimulants.

The drugs are prescribed by a neuropsychiatrist.

Use of nootropics

These drugs help improve metabolic processes in nerve cells. They also normalize microcirculation in the brain.

The best drugs in this group are presented in the table.

The dosage is prescribed individually.

Use of antispasmodics

These drugs are prescribed when pain occurs. The best medicines in this group are No-shpa and Papaverine. It is recommended to combine them with taking B vitamins.

Use of psychostimulants

Drugs in this group are prescribed when significant psychosomatic reactions occur. The best psychostimulants are presented in the table.

Treatment methods for vegetative-vascular dystonia

VSD is a complex disease that requires an integrated approach to treatment

It is very important to reduce the load on the nervous system and introduce healthy lifestyle rules. Properly selected individual treatment, started on time, can save the child from pathologies forever

A late visit to the doctor usually leads to the fact that the VSD becomes a constant companion of the child and remains in adulthood.

In the case of chronic dystonia, one can only achieve temporary remissions of the disease, but when the body weakens (cold, infectious disease, stress), the symptoms again make themselves felt.

Non-drug treatment

Doctors prefer to treat vegetative-vascular dystonia in children with non-drug methods. Pediatricians recommend that parents do everything to strengthen the autonomic nervous system:

• Protect your child from stressful situations as much as possible. To do this, you should create a warm and positive atmosphere at home in which he will feel comfortable.
• Reduce the intensity of your school workload as much as possible. You can refuse electives and extra classes, organize breaks while doing homework.
• Create and maintain a daily routine. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, with at least 8 hours of sleep. It is necessary to create a balance in the ratio of physical work-intellectual work-entertainment-rest. Stop using TV, tablet, computer, mobile phone.
• Try to give your child as many positive emotions, warmth and love as possible. Tell him more often that you love him, laugh, praise him for his achievements, walk together, visit interesting places. A positive psycho-emotional state of a small patient is the key to a complete recovery.
• Proper and regular nutrition will help quickly restore the strength and protective functions of the body. Add natural sources of vitamins and minerals to your diet - fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes. It is necessary to avoid overly salty, spicy, smoked, fried and fatty foods, fast food, carbonated drinks, and confectionery.
• As prescribed by your doctor, undergo a course of physiotherapeutic procedures - electrophoresis, electrosleep, water procedures, massage, magnetic laser treatment, acupuncture, herbal and aromatherapy.

Lifestyle recommendations for children with vegetative-vascular dystonia

Types of physiotherapy for children with vegetative-vascular dystonia
Relief of the patient’s condition usually occurs after a week of such treatment, the child’s emotional background improves, the mood rises, sleep becomes sound, and performance is restored.

Gradually, over the next couple of months, all other symptoms of VSD in children disappear

It is very important not to stop treatment at the first signs of recovery; relapse of the disease can cause much greater harm to health

Treatment of VSD with drugs

In severe cases, if vegetative-vascular dystonia was diagnosed in the late stages, is difficult to treat, and the symptoms interfere with normal life, doctors prescribe medication. The pediatrician selects medications and dosage individually, taking into account age, body weight, body characteristics, the presence of concomitant diseases, and the severity of symptoms. The most commonly prescribed drugs are:

1. tranquilizers (sedatives);
2. antidepressants (to improve mood, relieve anxiety and hysteria);
3. nootropics (stimulating mental performance, intelligence, memory);
4. blood circulation stimulants;
5. neuroprotectors.

Drug treatment cannot be used independently; it must be part of comprehensive measures to eliminate vegetative-vascular dystonia in children. It will be effective only if it has a comprehensive effect on the autonomic nervous system.

Treatment of autonomic dysfunction syndrome

Non-drug treatment methods:

Proper physical activity

What does adequate load mean? The child should do morning exercises every day. Swimming, skiing, walking, light jogging, and dancing are useful.

When the pressure rises above 140/90 mm. rt. Art. Classes in the main physical education group are not recommended.

Work and rest schedule

The child should sleep 8 hours a day. It is advisable to go to bed and get up at the same time, following your biorhythms. An hour before bedtime there should be no “hanging out” on computers, tablets, or phones. During the day, the child should not be overloaded mentally and emotionally. After school, an hour's rest is required.

Nutrition

The child should eat three full meals a day plus two snacks.

Foods containing potassium and magnesium are especially useful for strengthening the nervous system and heart muscle:

• baked potato;
• bananas;
• curd products;
• nuts;
• honey;
• raisins, dried fruits;
• cereals;
• parsley.

Eliminate from the diet all easily digestible carbohydrates and fast food - flour products, sausages, mayonnaise, hot dogs, etc.

Important! If your child experiences increased blood pressure, you should:

• limit salt intake to 5 grams per day;
• eat more fruits and vegetables in the first half of the day;
• exclude pickled, salty foods;
• exclude strong tea and coffee.

Massage

It's better to consult a specialist. For dystonia, massage of the collar area is desirable. A course of 10 procedures is preferred. It relieves stress well, since the child is forced to sit for a long time because of his studies, with a head massage.

Phytotherapy

The following herbs and products have a sedative, or calming, effect:

• motherwort, valerian;
• peony;
• mint;
• birch mushroom.

In pediatrics, if the above complaints appear in a child and a diagnosis of VSD is made, the child should be treated with non-drug medications for at least the first 4 months.

Medication methods of treatment:

Nootropics

Drugs that improve brain activity increase the efficiency of neurons. Thanks to this, memory improves, it becomes easier for the child to remember texts and master school topics. Children become more organized and their curiosity increases.

Prominent representatives of this group:

1. Piracetam. Prescribed for dizziness and headaches. Helps improve memory. Allowed for children from 1 year.
2. Vinpocetine. Has a vasodilating effect. Helps enrich the brain with oxygen. It is better to prescribe to adolescents from 12 years of age.
3. Phenibut. Neurologists are very fond of prescribing it for stuttering and tics. Has a strong sedative effect.
4. Pantogam. It is based on vitamin B15. The drug has a sufficient sedative effect and improves the functioning of brain structures. Allowed for children of all ages.
5. Cerebrolysin. Improves memorization and learning ability. Used for neurological diseases caused by damage to brain structures. Can be used from birth.

Anastasia, 45 years old: “At the age of 11, my daughter began to have incomprehensible complaints - headaches, dizziness. I couldn’t run during physical education and almost lost consciousness. The cardiologist prescribed us treatment - Piracetam, and then Vinpocetine. 2 weeks after starting treatment, everything returned to normal, and my memory became much better. I began to absorb more information.”

Sedatives

Their action is based on a sedative effect. The doctor prescribes them for children who have developed irritability, nervousness, and for schoolchildren during preparation for exams. For children, of course, at the beginning of treatment it is better to use sedatives of plant origin.

Drugs in this group:

• Glycine. According to some sources, this drug also has a nootropic effect. It is based on a chemical compound - an acid, which balances the functioning of the nervous system and regulates brain activity. Hence the improvement in memory. It is best to use it by placing it under the tongue, preferably at night, as glycine causes drowsiness;
• Magne B6. As the name suggests, it is based on magnesium and vitamin B6. It has a fairly good sedative effect. It also improves heart function and has a beneficial effect on heart rate. Magne B6 can be found in ampoules, so it can be safely prescribed to children under one year of age in this dosage form;
• Persen. The drug is of herbal origin, recommended for adolescents from 12 years of age.

Adaptogens

This group of drugs can be classified as herbal medicine, since they are produced on the basis of plant components.

Their action:

• normalize the functioning of the central nervous system;
• speed up metabolism;
• improve the course of endocrine processes;
• different types of adaptogens can have both a relaxing and tonic effect.

Representatives:

• ginseng root;
• Eleutherococcus;
• lemongrass;
• radiola pink;
• Echinacea.

Any medicine for a child should be used only according to the instructions.
It is possible to develop an allergic reaction to taking herbal medicines. These drugs can be produced in the form of tinctures and liquid extracts.

Tinctures contain alcohol, which is not very good for a child. For children, it is better to buy it in the form of a liquid extract.

Also, a contraindication for adaptogens is children under 14 years of age.

Adaptogens are simply irreplaceable in sports. For athletes, they increase muscle function, facilitate the training process, and speed up metabolism. The child experiences a surge of strength and energy.

Vitamins for the children's nervous system

The most beneficial for the nervous system are B vitamins. They improve brain function in general and neurons in particular, and have a calming effect. Helps restore the nervous system.

The most common vitamin complex is the drug Neuromultivit. This remedy is recommended only from adolescence.

In general, the diagnosis of “vegetative-vascular dystonia” means a combination of many symptoms. And it may reflect the child’s incorrect life rhythm. Try to properly organize your child’s day so that he can fully rest. Then he will never know what medicine is.

The course of vegetative-vascular dystonia in children

If a child suffers from VSD, its manifestations can be observed constantly or periodically, appearing under the influence of unfavorable factors. Vegetative crises may develop, otherwise called panic attacks. A crisis can occur in the following situations:

• the child is overstrained mentally and physically;
• he has an acute infection;
• he experiences emotional overload;
• weather conditions change dramatically outside.

A crisis can last from minutes or several hours and last up to several days, occurring in a sympatho-adrenal, vagoinsular or mixed form. During a sympathoadrenal crisis, a child may feel anxiety, fear of death, headache, and chills. He may experience increased blood pressure, dry mouth, tachycardia, increased temperature to 39-40 degrees, and frequent urination. During vagoinsular crisis, the child suddenly turns pale, sweats, and his body temperature and blood pressure drop. Such a crisis can be manifested by a feeling of abdominal pain and quickly occurring bloating, nausea and vomiting. Possible short-term loss of consciousness, migraine, asthma-like suffocation or pain in the left side of the chest in the area of ​​the heart. If your child is having crises, he or she needs treatment.

In children at different ages, vegetative-vascular dystonia occurs and manifests itself in different ways. Preschoolers are characterized by not too severe vegetative disorders, most often manifested in the form of the following symptoms: decreased heart rate and blood pressure, hypoglycemia, hyperhidrosis. In adolescence, the manifestations of VSD are more severe, with multiple complaints, and vegetative crises often develop.