VSD in children: symptoms and treatment. Treatment of VSD in children

A condition in which vascular tone is “unbalanced” due to dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system is vegetative-vascular dystonia in children. The pathology is accompanied by a number of characteristic symptoms in the nervous, endocrine, digestive and cardiovascular systems. The disease does not appear before the age of three, and girls are most at risk.

If you suspect your child has this pathology, consult a doctor immediately - further development of the disease can lead to bronchial asthma, stomach ulcers and hypertension.

We have to consider the causes of the disease, its main symptoms and accompanying pathologies. Particular attention will be paid to the treatment and prevention of dystonia. VSD in children manifests itself in a decrease in vascular activity - hence numerous systemic disorders. It’s sad, but VSD is diagnosed even in apparently healthy children. Let's try to understand the essence of this phenomenon.

Causes of pathology

First you need to understand that the human body needs strict regulation of the autonomic system. Internal organs and blood vessels are controlled by the autonomic nervous division. The slightest disturbances in interaction lead to disastrous consequences - VSD in children and adolescents with a whole “bouquet” of concomitant pathologies.

Here are the main causes of violations:

• rapid development of technogenic civilization;
• introduction of household chemicals and genetically modified products;
• hereditary predisposition;
• pregnancy pathologies;
• features of the constitution;
• brain injuries;
• increasing the intensity of information flows;
• socio-economic factors (family conflicts, increased pace of life of parents, frequent moves, stress at school);
• chronic infections (tonsillitis, caries, sinusitis);
• mental illness;
• toxic nerve damage;
• diseases leading to metabolic disorders in the body (heart and kidney pathologies, diabetes mellitus).

The main cause of dystonia is a stress factor. A high school load and an increased volume of educational programs are the main enemies of the modern child. It is difficult to avoid this, so it is worth thinking about relaxation and a change of activity. Below we will look at the symptoms of the disease.

What symptoms can be used to identify VSD?

Pathology most often manifests itself during periods of active growth of the baby - these intervals are associated with the rapid development of the autonomic system. Dominance of vagal tone has clinical consequences.

Children get tired quickly, cannot do long-term work, they are apathetic, indecisive and sleep poorly. The symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia in children are not limited to this.

Here is a complete list of signs of the disease:

• lack of appetite with excess body weight;
• fear of closed spaces and stuffy rooms;
• decreased activity of the baby;
• timidity;
• cold intolerance;
• unexplained pain in the abdomen;
• chilliness;
• feeling of lack of air;
• constant sighs, “lump in throat”;
• nausea;
• allergic reactions;
• marbling of the skin;
• vestibular disorders;
• high level of sweating;
• urge to urinate (frequent), strong salivation;
• puffiness under the eyes;
• constipation of spastic nature.

Negative phenomena in the area of ​​the heart and blood vessels are also observed. Blood pressure decreases and heart rate becomes slower. There is an illusion of an “increase” in the size of the heart.

If VSD is accompanied by sympathicotonia, you should pay attention to the following signs:

• decreased pain sensitivity;
• hot temper;
• mood swings (lability);
• absent-minded attention;
• feeling of heat, increased heartbeat;
• predisposition to neurotic conditions;
• paresthesia in the limbs;
• pale skin, cold extremities, white dermographism;
• unmotivated increases in temperature;
• polyuria.

Related pathologies - a danger that is not immediately visible

There are threats closely associated with the development of VSD. We are talking about related pathologies. Vegetative-vascular dystonia in children can be accompanied by rather strange symptoms, among which are viral diseases, high blood pressure, and stress conditions.

These signs may indicate the development of the following ailments:

• infectious and inflammatory heart diseases;
• arrhythmia;
• Itsenko-Cushing syndrome;
• heart disease (changes in the heart muscle);
• bronchial asthma;
• Graves' disease;
• mental disorders.

The course of the pathology can be accompanied by a large number of syndromes (there are about thirty in total). With senestopathy, pain “wanders” to different points of the body, changing its intensity and location. From the digestive side, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea and a banal loss of appetite may be observed.

If thermoregulation is impaired, you will experience regular (daily) low temperatures.

Here are a couple more examples:

• vascular syndrome (arterial hypertension and hypotension);
• cardiac syndrome (heart pain, disruptions in the normal functioning of the heart);
• respiratory syndrome (shortness of breath, difficulty breathing);
• neurotic syndrome (changeable mood, dizziness, fatigue, sleep disturbances and frequent headaches).

Methods for diagnosing the disease

Sometimes the disease proceeds in a calm rhythm, but sudden crises also occur. Among the signs it is worth noting suffocation, sweating, nausea, migraine, pallor, and increased blood pressure. Sympathoadrenal crisis is characterized by increased urination, fear of death, fever, chills, tachycardia and headache.

If these signs are present, the child urgently needs to be taken to the clinic, where he will be examined by the following doctors:

• pediatrician;
• cardiologist;
• ophthalmologist;
• neurologist;
• endocrinologist

Doctors make a diagnosis of VSD after possible organ damage of a different nature has been excluded. A number of instrumental studies are prescribed - Dopplerography, rheovasography,. These procedures help to localize the lesion - the autonomic system.

The ECG results are carefully examined:

• shortened PQ interval;
• flattened T-wave;
• ST segment located below the isoline level.

Modern treatment technologies

Effectiveness is achieved through a combination of preventive, medicinal and non-medicinal methods. Before starting treatment for vegetative-vascular dystonia in children, protect your baby from stressful situations. Stop swearing, reduce the impact of school load as much as possible. Love and peace - this is what should reign in the family.

Plan your baby's daily routine, balance entertainment, relaxation and physical activity. A positive mood is the key to therapeutic success. Manual therapy, therapeutic massage courses, water treatments and physiotherapy are recommended.

Medicinal herbs can also help, but here it is necessary to give preference to herbs with a sedative effect:

• lure;
• Eleutherococcus;
• aralia;
• motherwort;
• ginseng;
• valerians;
• Leuzsee;
• hawthorn.

Non-drug therapeutic effects

Excessive drug load can lead to unnecessary problems in the child’s body. Therefore, it is always worth starting the treatment of VSD in children with non-drug methods of influence. Actually, this therapy is considered basic. We are talking primarily about compliance with the regime:

• walks in the open air;
• 9 hours sleep;
• limiting the academic load (lessons need to be done, but breaks are organized between them);
• physiotherapy;
• balanced healthy diet;
• psychotherapy;
• reducing the time spent by the child near the computer and other electronic devices associated with information flows (mobile phone, TV);
• moderate physical activity;
• water procedures;
• therapeutic massage and electrophoresis;
• music lessons;
• acupuncture.

Herbal medicine is also recommended - the use of lemon balm (a neurotic form of the disease) and chamomile (digestive disorders). Bromine electrophoresis (the collar area is treated) and electrosleep are considered effective physiotherapy procedures.

Taking vitamin complexes will be a good help.

Among the useful sports disciplines are:

• tennis;
• swimming;
• skates;
• skis;
• outdoor games.

Treatment with medications

Medicines are not always prescribed by doctors and only in combination with non-drug effects. If the child is able to lead a full life, doctors prescribe a balanced set of medications.

If the disease is advanced, the child must undergo a medical examination, which includes an endocrinologist, a psychiatrist, a therapist, an ophthalmologist and a neurologist (for girls, a gynecologist is added).

Quite common among children and adolescents. This disease has quite a variety of symptoms, which without timely diagnosis and treatment can significantly worsen the child’s quality of life. What factors can cause this disease and how to recognize it in a timely manner can be found in this article.

Causes of vegetative-vascular dystonia

• various situations that cause stress, including constant stress;
• lack of proper rest;
• tendency to depression;
• anxiety;
• teenage changes in hormonal levels;
• effects on the central nervous system caused by various injuries and toxic substances;
• heredity;
• lack of physical activity.

Types and symptoms of VSD

• hypertensive;
• hypotonic;
• combined.

The main symptom of the hypertensive type of the above disease is high blood pressure, namely the upper level. With this increase in pressure, the following symptoms most often occur:

• lack of appetite;
• nausea and vomiting;
• insomnia;
• trembling in the arms and legs;
• increased excitability and anxiety;
• migraine;
• noise and ringing in the ears.

The severity of symptoms directly depends on the severity of the disease.

Symptoms associated with this type of disease include:

• frequent or constant feeling of fatigue;
• heart rhythm disturbances;
• various breathing disorders;
• decreased performance;
• depression;
• development of various phobias and fears.

At combined type of vegetative-vascular dystonia, there are both disturbances in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system and the cardiovascular system. The disease itself does not pose a threat to the child’s life, but its appearance may portend a serious illness.

The main characteristic symptom is frequent pressure changes. Without timely treatment of this disease, it can develop into the hypertensive type.

The main symptoms of this type of VSD include:

• migraine;
• dark spots before the eyes;
• fast or low pulse;
• increased excitability and feelings of fear;
• feeling of pain in the heart.

It is quite difficult to diagnose vegetative-vascular dystonia, especially in children, since there are quite a few diseases with similar symptoms. Therefore, first you should contact your doctor, who will schedule a review with the following specialists:

• pediatrician;
• neurologist;
• cardiologist;
• endocrinologist;
• gastroenterologist;
• otolaryngologist;
• ophthalmologist.

• electrocardiography;
• daily monitoring of electrocardiography;
• passive orthostatic test;
• studies using stress tests;
• electroencephalography;
• rheoencephalography;
• echoencephalography;
• rheovasography of the lower extremities.

Treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia

In the case of treating this disease, specialists use drugs to normalize the functioning of the nervous system (Pantogam, Cavinton, Cerebrolysin, Piracetam). Drotaverine can be used to relieve spasms. Additionally, drugs that stimulate or, conversely, calm the nervous system (Bellataminal, Rexetine, Amitriptyline) can be used.

The need for drug treatment can only be determined by the attending physician after a complete medical examination.

• correct daily routine;
• playing light sports;
• balanced nutrition and vitamin complex;
• psychotherapeutic exercises and classes with a given specialist;
• massage (see);
• treatment with medicinal plants.

Recipes of folk remedies for the treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia

Ointment

To prepare, take 50 g of crushed propolis, 4 tablespoons of liquid honey and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix all ingredients into a homogeneous mass and let it harden. The resulting mixture should be used as an ointment, rubbing it into the head and neck area, as well as into the lower extremities. This product should be used in a course of 14 days.

Decoction

• unopened birch buds;
• chamomile;
• St. John's wort;

Strengthening mixture

Ingredients:

• a glass of unrefined oat grains;
• 1 liter of water;
• milk;
• half a glass of honey;

Pine decoction

Take freshly picked pine needles, chop thoroughly and pour 700 ml of boiling water, leave to steep for 8 hours, preferably in a thermos. It is good to filter and drink this tea throughout the day. The duration of the course is on average 30 days.

Onion, honey, lemon zest

The above recipes are provided for informational purposes only. Before using such compounds, it is strongly recommended to consult with specialists.

Consequences of vegetative-vascular dystonia

• For hypertensive type With this disease, the child may experience periodic panic attacks. They are accompanied by a significant increase in heart rate, increased sweating, possible fever and migraine. After the attack ends, severe fatigue and apathy occur.
• With hypotonic type the child may experience a feeling of periodic cardiac arrest, decreased blood pressure and darkening of the eyes. Attacks of this type may be accompanied by increased sweating and a feeling of weakness.
• For combined type vegetative-vascular dystonia, periodic attacks of both hypertensive and hypotonic types of VSD are possible.

Preventive measures

First of all, you should take care of proper nutrition, healthy sleep and sufficient physical activity, since children who do not have physical health problems are less susceptible to the occurrence and development of this disease.

You should also remember about a healthy psychological environment in your home or educational institution. Since prolonged exposure to a stressful situation is one of the main causes of VSD. You should teach your child to react correctly to negative situations, to relax correctly and to be distracted from problems.

If there have been cases of vegetative-vascular dystonia in the family, you should carefully monitor the physical and psychological health of the children and be sure to periodically undergo examination by a neurologist.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia in children (video)

Thermoregulation disorders are a characteristic sign of permanent and paroxysmal autonomic disorders in childhood. Children tolerate even high temperatures well. Only at very high numbers (39-40 °C) are complaints of an asthenic nature noted. In general, they remain active and participate in games. The temperature can remain at subfebrile levels (37.2-37.5 ° C) for a very long time - for months, which is often put into a causal relationship with any chronic somatic disease (rheumatism, chronic cholecystitis, etc.) or previous infection, since “temperature tails” drag on for many weeks. Crisis rises in temperature (hyperthermic crises) occur against the background of emotional experiences, while children note “fever” and a slight headache. The temperature decreases spontaneously and does not change during the amidopyrine test.

The peculiarities of temperature disorders include the fact that they, as a rule, are absent during the summer holidays of children and resume with the beginning of the school year (the so-called “September 7th diseases”). When examining children with an increase in temperature due to autonomic dysfunction, attention is drawn to the normal (cold) temperature of the skin of the forehead and extremities. In fact, increased temperature is recorded only in the axillary cavity, and there may be thermal asymmetries. Signs of thermoregulation disorders in children with vegetative dystonia include chilliness (poor tolerance of low temperatures, drafts, damp weather), so such patients like to dress warmly and get chills easily.

It is important to note that, unlike infectious fevers, any hyperthermic manifestations disappear upon falling asleep; At night these children have a normal temperature. A rise in temperature is very frightening, first of all, for parents, whose behavior, at first being adequate (inviting a doctor, consultations, tests, treatment), becomes alarming as the expected therapeutic effect becomes insignificant or absent. Measuring a child’s temperature is being done more and more often and is becoming intrusive, self-sufficient, which has an extremely negative impact on children. This behavior of the parents leads to the child’s fixation on his “defect” and creates in him additional psychogenic reactions of a phobic and depressive nature.

Respiratory system

When examining children with vegetative dystonia, pathological manifestations are noted in 1/4 - 1/3 of cases, the spectrum of which is quite wide. The most common complaints are dissatisfaction with breathing, a feeling of lack of air, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath. Respiratory disorders in most cases are accompanied by unpleasant affective disorders. Characteristic breathing features of children with vegetative dystonia include deepening of inhalation with incomplete exhalation or rare forced inhalation with a long noisy exhalation. Children often take deep, noisy breaths against the background of normal breathing, which in some cases are obsessive in nature. These complaints are most numerous in children with parasympathetic vegetative dystonia. At the same time, sudden shortness of breath during moderate physical activity, attacks of paroxysmal neurotic cough (spasmodic vagal cough) during emotional experiences confirm the psychogenic origin of these respiratory disorders.

Children with vegetative dystonia may have attacks of shortness of breath at night - pseudoasthma, a feeling of lack of air (“choking”) when excited; the latter manifestation often occurs in the structure of vegetative crises (with the paroxysmal type of autonomic dystonia) and is accompanied by the experience of vital fear. The feeling of lack of air and congestion in the chest occurs in sick children at certain hours (after waking up, when falling asleep, at night) and is associated with mood swings and the passage of atmospheric fronts. The inability to take a full deep breath, the need for which sick children experience from time to time, is difficult to bear and is perceived as evidence of a serious lung disease; more common in masked depression. A characteristic symptom is paroxysms of frequent shallow breathing of the chest type with a rapid change of inhalation and exhalation with the impossibility of holding the breath for a long time (shortened by 2-3 times compared to the norm of 5-60 s).

Attacks of psychogenic shortness of breath are often combined with cardialgia, palpitations, which is accompanied by a feeling of anxiety and restlessness. All respiratory disorders in children are detected against a background of depressed mood, anxiety, and fear of death from suffocation. Attacks of imaginary asthma are accompanied by a specific noise pattern: groaning breathing, sighs, groans, whistling inhalation and noisy exhalation, while at the same time no wheezing is heard in the lungs. Respiratory movements during a pseudoasthmatic attack increase to 50-60 per minute, and the immediate cause can be any excitement, unpleasant conversation, etc. Hyperventilation disorders are combined with weakness and general malaise. Children complain of convulsive sensations in the fingers, calf muscles, and unpleasant sensations (paresthesia) in various parts of the body. After an attack of pseudoasthma, patients experience general weakness, drowsiness, attacks of hiccups and yawning.

When collecting anamnesis in children with respiratory disorders, it is often revealed that they suffered from a fear of death from suffocation (or they observed respiratory disorders in relatives, etc.), which contributed to a neurotic fixation. Often, children with vegetative dystonia, especially those with asthenic features, experience frequent yawning, which is obsessive in nature, but it is very difficult for a child to overcome this series of yawning movements; they end spontaneously. Children with respiratory disorders in the structure of the vegetative dystonia syndrome often have a history of asthmatic bronchitis and frequent respiratory viral infections.

Gastrointestinal system

The gastrointestinal system is the subject of complaints in children with autonomic dystonia. They are most typical for children with a vagotonic orientation of autonomic tone. The most common complaints are nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, heartburn, dyskinetic symptoms such as constipation or unexplained diarrhea. A common complaint that worries parents is appetite disturbances.

Noteworthy is increased salivation, less often it is reduced. Nausea and vomiting in children are frequent somato-vegetative manifestations of emotional experiences. Having arisen once after acute psychogenia (fear), these symptoms are consolidated and then persistently repeated in response to stress loads. In young children, frequent regurgitation and vomiting can be a manifestation of gastrointestinal dyskinesia, in particular pylorospasm, increased intestinal motility; in older children - the result of cardiospasm. Pain in the abdominal area in children with vegetative dystonia is a common and characteristic symptom, ranking second after headaches.

Prolonged pain is less typical for childhood than episodes of short-term, often quite severe abdominal crises, more often noted before the age of 10 years. During such an attack, the child turns pale, stops playing or wakes up crying, and, as a rule, cannot accurately localize the pain. When abdominal crises are combined with an increase in temperature (i.e. acute abdominal pain), an inflammatory change in the blood count, it is very difficult not to suspect surgical pathology (appendicitis, mesadenitis, etc.), however, one should also remember the possibility of “periodic disease" - Reimann's syndrome. Attacks of abdominalgia have a bright vegetative coloring, predominantly parasympathetic in nature. This type of paroxysmal course of autonomic dystonia predominates in younger children and is less typical for older children and adolescents.

You should remember about “abdominal migraine”, which occurs in the form of paroxysmal abdominal pain, the characteristic feature of which is a combination or alternation with a severe headache of a migraine nature. The attacks begin suddenly, last on average several minutes, and end spontaneously (often with diarrhea). For children with recurrent abdominal pain, an EEG study should be included in the examination.

Of the external manifestations of temporal lobe epileptic seizure, abdominal pain is a characteristic symptom. An abdominal aura can be part of a partial complex seizure that occurs without impairment of consciousness.

Other vegetative signs include a feeling of a lump in the throat, pain behind the sternum associated with spastic contractions of the muscles of the pharynx and esophagus, which is often observed in neurotic, egocentric children. With age, one can trace a certain dynamics of complaints: in the first year of life - most often regurgitation, colic; at 1-3 years - constipation and diarrhea; at 3-8 years - episodic vomiting; at 6-12 years old - paroxysmal abdominal pain, biliary dyskinesia, various manifestations of gastroduodenitis.

The cardiovascular system

The state of the cardiovascular system in children with vegetative dystonia is the most complex and important section of childhood vegetology. Cardiovascular manifestations are found in various types of autonomic dystonia. Actually, the syndrome of autonomic dysfunctions is most clearly represented by cardiovascular dysfunction. Depending on the leading symptom complex, dysregulation is distinguished (mainly) by the cardiac (functional cardiopathy - FCP) or vascular type (arterial dystonia of the hypertensive or hypotonic type). However, now, according to WHO recommendations, changes in blood pressure are usually called hypertension or hypotension, respectively. Based on this, it is more correct to call it: vegetative dystonia with arterial hypertension or vegetative dystonia with arterial hypotension.

Why is this principle of separation convenient? Firstly, due to the widespread prevalence of autonomic disorders in the pediatric population, the main burden of diagnosis and treatment falls on pediatricians, who find it easier to characterize the patient in a therapeutic manner, without going into the complexity of psycho-vegetative-somatic relationships. Secondly, since the psycho-vegetative syndrome of childhood is extremely polymorphic in clinical terms (age and gender play a major role), the division used into these types of vegetative dystonia plays the role of a reference sign, supplementing which with data on the state of other systems, one can get a clear idea of ​​the degree and the nature of autonomic dysfunction.

Autonomic dystonia of the cardiac type (functional cardiopathy)

This section includes a large group of functional disorders in the activity of the heart due to impaired autonomic regulation. Heart rhythm and conduction disorders are the most complex section of clinical pediatrics and vegetarianism. Unfortunately, there is still no common understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias. Currently, all causes of rhythm and conduction disturbances are divided into cardiac, extracardiac and combined. Any organic heart disease (myocarditis, defects, etc.) contributes to the occurrence of arrhythmias. Pathological influences cause electrical instability of the myocardium, a condition in which a stimulus not exceeding a threshold intensity is capable of causing repetitive electrical activity of the heart. In the development of this condition, in addition to organic ones, vegetative and humoral regulatory influences are of great importance. Extracardiac factors contributing to the development of arrhythmias include disturbances in the innervation of the heart due to functional insufficiency of the suprasegmental and segmental parts of the child’s nervous system, formed under the influence of perinatal trauma, as well as hereditarily caused inferiority of autonomic regulation. Extracardiac disorders also include humoral disorders, including endocrine-humoral changes during puberty.

Thus, in many cardiac arrhythmias, hypersympathicotonia is of great importance. The vagus nerve exerts its effect on the electrical parameters of the ventricles indirectly, through a decrease in the increased activity of the adrenergic apparatus. It is believed that the basis of cholinergic antagonism is muscarinic stimulation, which inhibits the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve endings and weakens the effect of catecholamines on receptors. Excessive parasympathetic stimulation is also dangerous; it can manifest itself against the background of increased sympathetic activity in the form of compensatory bradycardia, hypotension in patients with a tendency to arterial hypertension, mitral valve prolapse, etc.

By the nature of arrhythmias in childhood, one cannot judge their extra- or cardiac origin; only ventricular paroxysmal tachycardia, “threatened” ventricular extrasystoles, fibrillation and fibrillation of the atria and ventricles, complete atrioventricular block are more characteristic of organic heart damage.

The functional nature of arrhythmias in children and their connection with the activity of autonomic suprasegmental regulatory systems were confirmed when 24-hour ECG monitoring (Holter method) was introduced into practice. It turned out that in absolutely healthy children, individual pathological ECG phenomena may appear throughout the day without any connection with the organic involvement of the heart. With Holter monitoring carried out in 130 healthy children, it was found that heart rate during the day ranges from 45 to 200 per minute, atrioventricular blockade of the first degree occurs in 8%, second degree of the Mobitz type - in 10% of children and more often at night, single atrial and ventricular extrasystoles are observed in 39% of those examined.

For the appearance of these types of functional pathology of the heart, basic indicators of autonomic regulation, in particular tone and reactivity, are of great importance. In the group of functional cardiopathy, the following are distinguished.

Disruption of repolarization processes (nonspecific ST-T changes) is associated with an absolute increase in the level of endogenous catecholamines or with an increase in the sensitivity of myocardial receptors to catecholamines. In children at rest and in orthostasis, the ECG shows smoothed or negative waves ST, aVF, V5, 6, a possible shift below the isoline of the ST segment by 1-3 mm. The functional nature of the changes is confirmed by the normalization of the ECG when conducting tests with potassium chloride (0.05-0.1 g/kg), obzidan (0.5-1 mg/kg), as well as a combined potassium-obzidan test (0.05 g/kg). kg potassium chloride and 0.3 mg/kg obsidan).

Atrioventricular block (AVB) of the first degree is most often observed in children with vagotonic autonomic tone. To confirm the functional nature of the shifts, the following is carried out:

• An ECG study of the parents, and the detection of a prolongation of the P-R interval in them indicates the hereditary origin of AVB in the child;
• ECG is recorded in orthostasis - in 1/3 - 1/2 children the P-R interval is normalized in a vertical position;
• with subcutaneous or intravenous administration of atropine, the AVB is removed.

The syndrome of premature excitation of the ventricles (Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome) occurs most often in children with vagotonic initial autonomic tone in the cardiovascular system. It should be said that the listed syndromes are diagnosed during an ECG study, but their close connection with the functional state of the cardiovascular system, an important role in the genesis of a number of clinical manifestations, such as attacks of paroxysmal tachycardia, inclusion in the group of risk factors for sudden death ( WHO nomenclature) make knowledge of these syndromes necessary.

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW)

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is observed in 60-70% of cases in children who do not have organic heart damage. The true incidence of the syndrome in the population is unknown due to its transient nature. WPW syndrome is associated with impulse circulation along the Kent bundle. Evidence that the conduction of impulses along additional pathways has an auxiliary, compensatory value is the finding of a sigma wave on the ECG in 60% of healthy children. In the genesis of WPW syndrome, the main significance (in 85% of patients) is impaired autonomic regulation, clinically manifested by SVD.

The criteria for WPW syndrome on the ECG are as follows:

• shortening (less than 0.10 s) of the P-R interval;
• widening of the QRS complex more than 0.10-0.12 s;
• the presence of a 5-wave (on the ascending QRS complex);
• secondary ST-T changes;
• frequent combination with paroxysmal tachycardia and extrasystole.

60% of children with WPW syndrome come from families with a psychosomatic family history of diseases of the trophotropic circle (peptic ulcer, neurodermatitis, etc.). Their parents in 1/2 of cases have similar changes on the ECG. The occurrence of autonomic dysfunction in children with WPW syndrome is always facilitated by an unfavorable course of pregnancy and childbirth. In most cases, the clinical picture of autonomic dysfunction in these children was accompanied by complaints of headache, sweating, dizziness, fainting episodes, pain in the heart area, in the abdomen, and in the legs, often at night. The status includes arterial hypotension and bradycardia.

Neurological symptoms are limited to individual micro-signs; in 2/3 of cases, compensated intracranial hypertension syndrome is registered. On the emotional and personal level, children with WPW are distinguished by a high level of neuroticism, impressionability, anxiety, the presence of phobic disorders, and often a pronounced asthenic symptom complex. The vagotonic direction of tone is a characteristic feature. Elimination of WPW syndrome using stress and drug tests allows us to exclude its organic nature. When using an atropine test (0.02 mg/kg), WPW syndrome disappears in 30-40%, when using ajmaline (1 mg/kg) - in 75% of children. The persistence of the WPW phenomenon after a drug test necessitates restrictions in playing sports. In particular, children in whom ajmaline does not relieve WPW have a short effective refractory period, i.e., they constitute a risk group for sudden death. Attacks of atrial paroxysmal tachycardia, observed in 40% of children with WPW syndrome, are manifestations of autonomic paroxysm of sympathetic tension on a vagotonic background.

In general, the prognosis for WPW syndrome is favorable. It is necessary to treat the main clinical manifestations with vegetotropic and psychotropic drugs.

Clerk-Levy-Cristesco syndrome (CLC) - short PR interval syndrome - is a type of ventricular premature excitation syndrome due to the circulation of impulses along additional bundles. CLC syndrome is characterized by a combination with attacks of atrial paroxysmal tachycardia; it is more often observed in girls. This syndrome can occur in children with baseline vagotonia; in this case, attacks of paroxysmal tachycardia are characteristic. Drug tests (for example, with gilurythmal) eliminate this phenomenon, but vegetative dystonia remains.

Macheim's syndrome is much more common. Clinical and pathophysiological features are similar to those of WPW syndrome. Treatment is the same as for the above syndromes.

In children with vegetative dystonia, cardiac arrhythmias may occur that are the result of a violation of neurohumoral rhythm regulation (in the absence of signs of organic heart pathology): supraventricular and right ventricular resting extrasystole, attacks of paroxysmal tachycardia, non-paroxysmal heterotropic supraventricular tachycardia, chronic sinus tachy- and bradycardia.

Autonomic arterial dystonia

To correctly diagnose arterial dystonia, it is necessary to remember the WHO recommendations for determining blood pressure numbers, taking into account the difficulty of distinguishing between normal and pathological conditions. The very fact of correctly measuring a child’s blood pressure is of great importance. After measuring blood pressure, the average values ​​and cut-off points of the percentile distribution of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in schoolchildren are determined using existing blood pressure tables for schoolchildren 7-17 years old, which should be on the desk of every pediatrician. The group of people with high blood pressure includes children with SBP and DBP exceeding the values ​​of 95% of the cut-off points of the distribution; the group with low blood pressure includes children with SBP, the values ​​of which are below 5% of the distribution curve. In fact, for convenience, the following values ​​can be taken as the upper limits of normal blood pressure in children: 7-9 years - 125/75 mm. rt. Art., 10-13 years - 130/80 mm. rt. Art., 14-17 years - 135/85 mm. rt. Art. Often, elevated blood pressure in children is recorded accidentally - during a clinical examination, in a sports section, etc., but confirmation of detected elevated blood pressure values ​​in children requires systematic (with an interval of several days) measurements due to the lability of indicators and the large role of the emotional factor .

Vegetative dystonia with arterial hypertension

Vegetative dystonia with arterial hypertension (neurocirculatory dystonia of the hypertensive type) is observed in children with blood pressure values ​​exceeding the 95th percentile; They are characterized by a labile increase in blood pressure without signs of persistent organ involvement. This form of autonomic-vascular dysregulation is more common in middle-aged and older schoolchildren, i.e., in adolescence. Widely distributed in the pediatric population. Elevated blood pressure figures are detected in 4.8-14.3% of children, and at school age - in 6.5%.

In urban schoolchildren, high blood pressure occurs 2 times more often than in rural ones. With age, boys surpass girls in the frequency of this form of vegetative dystonia (14.3 and 9.55%, respectively), although girls dominate in the younger groups. This form of vegetative dystonia can transform into hypertension, so every doctor should pay special attention to the implementation of medical examinations.

In the clinical picture of vegetative dystonia with arterial hypertension, the set of complaints is usually small. More often these are headaches, cardialgia, irritability, fatigue, complaints of memory loss, less often - non-systemic dizziness. There is usually no connection between blood pressure levels and complaints; here, rather, the general emotional state of the child, his fixation on the state of his own health, is affected. In a hospital setting, such children may have normal blood pressure, although functional tests confirm the diagnosis.

Depending on the severity and persistence of symptoms, three stages of the disease are distinguished: transient arterial hypertension, labile and stable. The first two types cover at least 90% of all children with fluctuations in blood pressure. Division into stages makes it possible to differentiate treatment issues and avoid unnecessary prescription of adrenergic blockers and other powerful antihypertensive drugs in the early stages.

A hereditary history of hypertension among children in this group (the presence of this disease in one or both parents) is a condition for classifying them as a risk group (with observation once a year and preventive measures). From the anamnestic data, it should be noted that these children had an unfavorable perinatal period (quick labor, early breaking of water, etc.).

Clinical examination reveals normal or accelerated sexual development, manifestation of vegetative-vascular dysfunction. Obesity is an important concomitant factor that is considered a predictor of hypertension in this category of children. To determine excess body weight, you can use various methods, for example the Quetelet index.

Quetelet index = Body weight, kg / Height 2, m2

The presence of excess body weight corresponds to the following values ​​of the Quetelet index: at the age of 7-8 years - >20, at 10-14 years - >23, 15-17 years - >25. The level of physical activity of children in this group is insufficient; it is shown that it is 5-6 times lower than usual for the corresponding age. In girls, blood pressure numbers often increase on certain days of the menstrual cycle, which must be taken into account during examination.

Headache with vegetative dystonia with high blood pressure has features, among which its localization should be highlighted - mainly in the occipital, parieto-occipital region. The pain is dull, pressing, monotonous, appears in the morning soon after waking up or during the day, intensifies with physical stress. Sometimes it takes on a pulsating character with an emphasis on one side (reminiscent of migraine). Nausea is noted at the height of pain, but vomiting occurs infrequently. The mood and performance of children at the time of headache are reduced.

The nature of objective experiences in children and adolescents with vegetative-dystonia and increases in blood pressure is associated with age and gender. The greatest number of complaints are made by girls during puberty: tearfulness, fatigue, irritability, mood swings, headache; Boys more often report headaches, memory loss, and fatigue.

In some patients, vegetative dystonia may have a crisis course, especially during puberty. The attack is accompanied by severe vegetative symptoms: sweating, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, redness of the skin, dizziness, ringing in the ears, abdominal pain, polyuria. This group of children is characterized by increased emotional lability and the possibility of developing seizures against a background of excitement.

A certain organic insufficiency of the brain of children of this group in comparison with healthy ones is evidenced by the presence of 3-4 or more neurological microsigns (usually convergence insufficiency, asymmetry of grin, nystagmus in the absence of vestibular disorders, etc.). These symptoms are more often detected against the background of general tendon hyperreflexia, dissociation of the severity of reflexes along the body axis, and symptoms of increased neuromuscular excitability (Chvostek’s symptom). Hypertension-hydrocephalic syndrome in children with high blood pressure is observed in 78% of cases and, unlike that with ongoing organic processes in the central nervous system, is not severe in nature. Echoencephaloscopy often detects expansion of the third or lateral ventricles of the brain and an increase in the amplitude of the signal pulsation. A typical ophthalmological sign in children of this group is narrowing of the retinal arteries.

Unfavorable signs that worsen the possibility of therapy and the prognosis are pronounced vagotonic initial autonomic tone, hypersympathetic-tonic autonomic reactivity. Providing activity may be normal, but hyperdiastolic and hypersympathico-tonic variants are often recorded when performing an orthoclinic test; with a persistent increase in blood pressure, an asympathetic-tonic version of the test is noted. Valuable information is provided by bicycle ergometry using the FWCi70 method, which evaluates the autonomic support of activity, allowing one to detect vascular hyperreactivity and the degree of connection of sympathoadrenal mechanisms to the load. For children with a tendency to increase blood pressure, increasing dosed physical activity is recommended, starting from 0.5-1 W/kg. The risk of developing future hypertension in children with significant increases in blood pressure in response to exercise (more than 180/100 mm Hg at PWC170) is higher than in children with normal values, regardless of resting blood pressure levels.

According to bicycle ergometry data, children with a hypertensive reaction should be assessed as at risk for arterial hypertension, especially in the presence of hereditary burden and obesity. The type of hemodynamics distinguishes children in this group from healthy ones; Thus, there is a decrease in the representation of the eukinetic variant due to the predominance of hyper- and hypokinetic ones. The hyperkinetic variant is more common in boys and is caused by a hemodynamic shock or a relative increase in total peripheral vascular resistance (TPVR). The hypokinetic variant occurs more often in girls.

The most unfavorable prognosis and transition to hypertension are hypo- and eukinetic variants of hemodynamics with an increase in peripheral vascular resistance. In the cerebral vascular system, especially against the background of headache, heaviness in the occipital region, according to REG data, lability of the shape of the curves, interhemispheric asymmetry, a decrease or noticeable asymmetry of blood supply in the vertebrobasilar region are detected, worsening when testing with turning the head. Obstruction of venous outflow is a common sign of REH in these children. During an attack of headache, REG indicates an increase in the tone of small arteries, which indicates the need to prescribe to this category of patients drugs that affect microcirculation and improve venous outflow (trental, troxevasin, etc.).

EEG, as a rule, does not reveal gross disturbances; changes of a nonspecific nature are mainly noted. The most important feature of the bioelectrical activity of the brain in children with a tendency to increase blood pressure is the presence of signs of increased activity of the mesencephalic reticular formation, manifested by an increased frequency of “flattened” EEGs and a decrease in the alpha index under load. Mild dysrhythmias, bilaterally synchronous bursts of slow rhythms are more characteristic of children under 11 years of age; in this they differ little from healthy ones.

In the occurrence of arterial hypertension, emotional, personal and behavioral characteristics are of significant importance. Currently, attempts to link the occurrence of hypertension with a specific personality structure have not been successful, which indicates the heterogeneity of mental factors and their different contributions to the pathogenetic mechanisms of the disease. Emotional lability, asthenicity, and sensitivity are important personality traits of a teenager prone to high blood pressure.

The psychological characteristics of boys with this form of vegetative dystonia significantly distinguish them from girls. Boys are characterized by high anxiety with a tendency to unpleasant somatovisceral sensations, which complicates their adaptation, deepens introversion, and contributes to the emergence of internal tension. Girls also have a tendency to anxious affects, a mild hypochondriacal fixation, but they are more active, self-centered, and hysterical manifestations are clearly visible in their behavior. This category of adolescents is characterized by an increased representation of accentuated personalities.

Unfavorable traits are high self-esteem, prolonged affective processing of stressful situations - this helps maintain pressor reactions in the cardiovascular system. In the formation of vegetative dystonia with a tendency to increase blood pressure, the conditions of raising a child and relationships within the family are of great importance. In such families, as a rule, there is a contradictory (contrasting) style of education, fathers are removed from the problems of education, and mothers experience uncertainty and anxiety. Such relationships are stressful and contribute to the child’s dissatisfaction with the attitude of the mother and father with an unconscious feeling of protest and aggression. This is manifested by a tendency to lead in a group, conflicts with classmates and comrades, which is reflected in the reactions of the cardiovascular system.

Psychological assessment allows a more correct approach to treatment, adequately selecting the dose of psychotropic drugs and the method of psychotherapy.

Thus, vegetative dystonia with arterial hypertension, being a characteristic form of neurohumoral dysregulation in childhood and adolescence, requires an integrated approach to diagnosis and treatment, and early dispensary measures.

Autonomic dystonia with arterial hypotension

Primary arterial hypotension, neurocirculatory dystonia of the hypotonic type, hypotensive disease, essential hypotension.

Currently, this form of arterial dyskinesia is considered to be an independent nosological unit, which is reflected in the International Classification of Diseases (1981). In childhood, vegetative dystonia with arterial hypotension is a common disease that can be more or less severe in different patients. This form is detected early, most often it begins at the age of 8-9 years. Statistical data on the prevalence of vegetative dystonia with arterial hypotension are contradictory - from 4 to 18%.

Arterial hypotension in children can be diagnosed when blood pressure is within the 5-25th percentile of the distribution curve. Hypotension can be systolic, systolic-diastolic, less often diastolic. It is characterized by low pulse pressure, not exceeding 30-35 mmHg. Art. When diagnosing this form of vegetative dystonia, it is necessary to remember that arterial hypotension is only one of the components of a single symptom complex of a peculiar psycho-vegetative syndrome of childhood.

For correct diagnosis, it is necessary to know the criteria for physiological arterial hypotension, which is understood as an isolated decrease in blood pressure without complaints and decreased performance; physiological hypotension is noted in persons arriving from the Far North, from high mountains, in trained athletes as a constitutional feature that manifested itself during adaptation to unusual conditions. All other types of arterial hypotension (pathological) are divided into primary (which is what we are talking about) and symptomatic hypotension, which develops in the structure of a somatic disease or as a result of infection, intoxication (with myocarditis, hypothyroidism, etc.).

The generally accepted point of view is that arterial hypotension is a polyetiological disease, the occurrence of which requires a combination of a complex of exogenous and endogenous causes. Among the endogenous factors, the most prominent is a hereditary predisposition to arterial hypotension, which can be traced in two generations in a row, while trophotropic diseases form a family foundation mainly through the mother. The pathology of pregnancy and childbirth is of great importance in the occurrence of this form of pathology. It has been established that for mothers suffering from arterial hypotension, this important period of life is overshadowed by numerous complications, especially during childbirth (premature birth, labor weakness, asphyxia, frequent intrauterine fetal hypoxia, miscarriages, etc.). This is believed to be due to uteroplacental and fetoplacental hemodynamic disturbances due to low maternal blood pressure.

Among the most important exogenous factors, first of all, it is necessary to note the influence of mental stress, which is of exceptional importance as predispositional and also triggering. Children with arterial hypotension are the least favorable group among other forms of vegetative dystonia in terms of their saturation with stressful circumstances. There is a high percentage of single-parent families when the mother's parents are raising the only child. Alcoholism of parents has an ambiguous effect on the development of vegetative dystonia in children. If a mother suffers from alcoholism even before the birth of a child, then he is destined for severe autonomic dysfunction, often with sympathicotonia and gross psychopathological manifestations. Typically, a child encounters the pathogenic influence of alcoholism in pre-preschool and primary school age, i.e., during the period of greatest vulnerability to stress. It is among children whose parents' drunkenness and alcoholism debuted in the family at this age of the child that the percentage of patients with arterial hypotension is highest (35%).

Complaints of children with arterial hypotension are numerous and varied. As a rule, already at the age of 7-8 years, children complain of various pain sensations, among which headache is in first place (76%). The headache usually appears in the afternoon, during classes, is of a pressing, squeezing, aching nature, and is localized mainly in the fronto-parietal and parieto-occipital regions. Less commonly, headaches are noted in the temporo-frontal region with a pulsating tinge. The time of occurrence, intensity and nature of the headache depend on the emotional state of the child, the load he performs, the time of day and other factors. Often, a break from classes, walks in the fresh air, and switching attention stop or reduce cephalgia.

Common complaints are dizziness (32%), which occurs soon after sleep, often with a sudden change in body position, standing up, and also with long breaks between meals. Dizziness is more common in children 10-12 years of age; in older children and adolescents it occurs during flight. Cardialgia is observed in 37.5% of children, more often in girls; their appearance is accompanied by an increase in the level of anxiety.

The most numerous group of complaints is related to emotional and personal disorders; This is, first of all, emotional lability with a tendency to depressive states (accompanied by tearfulness, short temper, mood swings), which is noted in 73% of patients.

A significant sign of vegetative dystonia with arterial hypotension is poor tolerance to physical activity: increased fatigue is noted by 45% of children. A characteristic feature of patients in this group are also complaints of memory loss, distractibility, absent-mindedness, and deterioration in performance (41%). Complaints of a gastroenterological nature are characteristic of V3 children of this group: usually this is a decrease in appetite, abdominalgia not related to food intake, and dyspeptic disorders. Various crisis conditions can be considered an important feature of patients with arterial hypotension: vegetative attacks occur in the form of panic attacks - with pronounced vital fear, tachycardia, chill-like hyperkinesis, increased blood pressure, respiratory discomfort, polyuria - in 30% of children, most often in adolescence. Syncope (syncope) - in 17% of children. With severe arterial hypotension, frequent (1-2 times a month) vegetative attacks are usually difficult for children to tolerate, especially if there are clear hyperventilation disorders in combination with vestibular and gastrointestinal discomfort (dizziness, nausea, rumbling in the abdomen, pain, diarrhea, etc. ). These children have a restless night's sleep, with unpleasant dreams; in the morning they feel lethargic and weak.

Arterial hypotension can be more or less severe, severely disadapting the patient. The severe form is characterized by stable arterial hypotension with a level of decrease in blood pressure below 5% of the distribution curve. At the age of 8-9 years, this is blood pressure below 90/50 mmHg. Art., at 11-12 years old - below 80/40 (boys) and 90/45 mm Hg. Art. (girls), at the age of 14-15 years - 90/40 (boys) and 95/50 mm Hg. Art. (girls). These children experience long-term, often recurring morning headaches, which sharply reduce the child’s performance and general adaptation, worsening academic performance.

Autonomic crises occur very often - from once a week to 2 times a month, often with vegetative-vestibular manifestations and pre-syncope sensations. There is pronounced meteotropism and vestibulopathy, orthostatic syncope. For a moderate form of arterial hypotension, the blood pressure level is within 5-10% of the distribution curve, vegetative paroxysms are observed much less frequently (1-2 times a year); characteristic features common to the first group are poor tolerance of stuffiness and heat, vestibulopathy, a tendency to dizziness and orthostatic presyncope. The intensity and duration of headaches in this group of children was less.

When blood pressure decreases within 10-25% of the distribution curve, its labile nature indicates a mild form of arterial hypotension. The clinical picture is dominated by asthenoneurotic manifestations and episodic cephalgia. In the clinical picture of vegetative dystonia with arterial hypotension, attention is drawn to the slight delay in the physical development of these children, which we noted in 40%. Half of the children have reduced body weight and are rarely overweight. Thus, the share of low physical development accounts for 15%, below average - 25%. A direct correlation has been established between the degree of retardation in physical development and the severity of arterial hypotension. Sexual development in 12% of children is also somewhat behind the age standard. These deviations do not occur in children with physiological arterial hypotension.

As a rule, children with arterial hypotension are pale with a pronounced vascular pattern of the skin, red diffuse dermographism is determined. On examination, signs of a “vagal” heart are noted (slight expansion of the border to the left, muffled first sound and third sound at the apex) with a tendency to bradycardia. The ECG shows bradyarrhythmia, possible incomplete blockade of the right bundle branch, early repolarization syndrome, increased T waves in the left precordial leads.

Autonomic homeostasis in children with arterial hypotension is characterized by a parasympathetic direction of the initial autonomic tone in 70% of cases, while with physiological arterial hypotension in 69% of cases a mixed tone is noted. In other patients with hypotension, autonomic lability with a parasympathetic orientation is determined. Autonomic reactivity is increased and manifests itself in the form of hypersympathetic-tonic reactions in the cardiovascular system in 80% of children. Autonomic support for activity in children with primary arterial hypotension is insufficient, and when conducting an orthoclinostatic test, the most maladaptive options are recorded - hyperdiastolic, tachycardic. Carrying out an orthostatic test in almost 10% of children is accompanied by pallor, discomfort, dizziness, nausea and a drop in blood pressure up to the development of fainting, which is more often observed in children with severe arterial hypotension. Most children with arterial hypotension experience a slight increase in SBP and DBP during exercise, and those children in whom this increase is significant, as a rule, have a hereditary history of hypertension and require clinical observation.

All children with arterial hypotension are characterized by mild residual organic cerebral insufficiency. In status, it manifests itself in the form of neurological microsigns that do not reach the level of delineated organic syndromes, in combination with signs of mild hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome. Compared with other forms of autonomic dystonia, arterial hypotension exhibits the greatest degree of deficiency of cerebral structures, apparently acquired in the early stages of ontogenesis. The state of nonspecific, integrative systems of the brain in vegetative dystonia with arterial hypotension is characterized by severe dysfunction of the structures of the limbic-reticular complex. On the EEG this is reflected in the form of signs of functional deficiency of diencephalic structures associated with the generation of beta activity. The severity of EEG changes, as a rule, correlates with the severity of arterial hypotension.

Psychologically, patients with vegetative dystonia and arterial hypotension are characterized by high anxiety, emotional tension, conflict, and a pessimistic assessment of their own prospects. Using experimental psychological techniques (MIL, Rosenzweig test), a low level of activity, an asthenic type of reaction, and a hypochondriacal fixation on one’s own experiences were revealed. Violation of free self-actualization in 2/3 of adolescents, characterized as neurotic overcontrol, contributed to illness and a depressive mood background.

In general, the pathological characteristics of children in this group closely correlated with the severity of arterial hypotension, age (deterioration was noted during puberty), and tension in the child’s psychosocial environment. Therefore, when prescribing therapy, it is necessary to take into account all the above features of the clinical picture; In addition to psychotropic drugs, it is imperative to include psychocorrective measures.

According to statistics, vegetative-vascular dystonia in children and adolescents is diagnosed as often as in adults. Despite the fact that some experts do not consider dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system to be a disease, the symptoms of this disease negatively affect the child’s body, depleting it and reducing the quality of life. Therefore, even if minor and isolated symptoms appear, it is important to immediately contact a specialist to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.

Symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia in children aged 3 years

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.

Classification of pathology

In order to draw up the most comprehensive and adequate treatment regimen for VSD in adolescents and children, the doctor conducts a thorough diagnosis, during which he determines the etiology, nature of the disorder, type of dystonia and characteristics of the course.

According to the reasons for the development of pathology, the following forms are distinguished:

1. Dishormonal, caused by changes in hormonal levels during adolescence.
2. Essential, as a result of heredity.
3. Infectious-toxic, provoked by infectious diseases, negative environmental influences and other external factors.
4. Neurological, provoked by disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system as a result of overwork or stress.
5. Mixed, combines several factors.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia in children and its treatment

Based on the nature of the disorder, the following types are distinguished:

1. Predominance of the sympathetic department of the VS (sympathicotonic).
2. Predominance of the parasympathetic division of the VS (vagotonic).
3. Mixed.

According to symptoms, VSD is divided into the following types:

1. Cardiological. Pain, discomfort in the heart area.
2. Arrhythmic. Heart rhythm disturbances.
3. Hyperkinetic. Overload of the left ventricle due to increased blood volume, increased pressure.
4. Blood pressure instability.
5. Asthenoneurotic. Increased fatigue, loss of strength, anxiety.
6. Respiratory. Lack of air that occurs even at rest.
7. Weather dependent.

According to the nature of the course, the symptoms of the disease can be latent, paroxysmal or permanent (constant).

Features of pathology in children under 5 years of age

The causes of vegetative-vascular dystonia in children are varied

Primary manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia in children are possible already in the first year of life. The cause of the pathology can be disturbances in intrauterine development, the course of pregnancy in the mother, and the negative impact of external factors after birth. Symptoms of VSD in children under one year of age may include:

• stomach ache;
• unstable stool;
• weak appetite;
• frequent regurgitation;
• poor sleep (frequent awakenings).

The next stage, characterized by a high risk of developing pathology, is the period when the child begins to go to kindergarten and come into contact with children and adults without parental help. The following symptoms are typical for VSD in a 2–3 year old child:

• increased body temperature;
• stomach ache;
• tearfulness;
• increased fatigue, weakness;
• dizziness, headaches;
• pallor or blueness of the skin.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD) in children

The presence of VSD in a 4–5 year old child may be indicated by the appearance of symptoms such as:

• frequent and sudden mood changes;
• categorical refusal to attend kindergarten or sports section;
• enuresis;
• frequent colds, regardless of whether the child attends kindergarten or not;
• apathy;
• shortness of breath, increased fatigue.

Regardless of the number and severity of symptoms, even a slight deviation from the child’s usual behavior and well-being is an indication to consult a doctor.

Symptoms of the disease in children under 10 years of age

The occurrence of vegetative-vascular dystonia in children 6–8 years old is associated with the beginning of a new, serious and responsible period, namely schooling. An unusual daily routine, new acquaintances with peers, teachers, excessive mental stress and other factors provoke prolonged fatigue, which leads to disruption of organ function. VSD can be manifested by the presence of the following symptoms:

• fast fatiguability;
• sudden changes in mood, hysteria;
• nausea, abdominal pain;
• headache;
• lack of air, shortness of breath;
• pale skin;
• thermoregulation disorders.

How to treat VSD in a child

Children aged 9–10 years are susceptible to the development of VSD as a result of a discrepancy between the mental, physical, psychological stress and capabilities and potential of the child’s body. The disease is characterized by the following manifestations:

• rapid change in body weight;
• increase or decrease in blood pressure;
• memory impairment;
• restless sleep;
• rashes, itching;
• depression;
• headache.

It is important to understand that intrafamily relationships play a major role in the development of VSD. Communication between parents and the child and among themselves, mutual understanding, trust are important components of the healthy and harmonious development of the child in the family circle.

VSD in adolescents: features of the course of the disease in girls and boys

Adolescent vascular dystonia

The main cause of vegetative-vascular dystonia in adolescents is hormonal changes against the background of a discrepancy between psycho-emotional and physical development. The presence of the following factors can provoke pathology:

1. Increased school load. Complex and voluminous homework forces you to spend a lot of time and effort, leading to overwork and lack of sleep.
2. Physical inactivity. Free time is spent in front of the computer or with the phone in hand.
3. Consumption of information that negatively affects the fragile psyche (cruelty, violence).
4. Having difficulties in relationships with peers, teachers or parents.

The course of the disease in boys and girls can differ significantly. Males are more susceptible to pathology. This is due to excessive physical activity or, conversely, addiction to smoking, drugs, and alcoholic beverages. The disease can manifest itself with the following symptoms:

• anxiety;
• increased fatigue;
• memory impairment;
• headache.

In the fair sex, the disease manifests itself as a feeling of fear, hysteria, irritability, increased fatigue, tearfulness and mood swings.

Diagnostic measures. Which specialist should I contact?

Risk factors for vegetative-vascular dystonia in adolescents

The first thing parents need to do when identifying any symptoms in their child is to consult a doctor, in this case a pediatrician. Based on the medical history, examination and assessment of the results of basic studies (electrocardiogram, general urine and blood tests), the specialist will refer the patient for further examinations to clarify the diagnosis of VSD and prescribe adequate treatment. The following doctors may be involved in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease:

• endocrinologist;
• neurologist;
• ophthalmologist;
• cardiologist;
• otolaryngologist;
• gastroenterologist;
• urologist;
• psychotherapist.

Comprehensive diagnosis of the disease may include the following methods:

• blood test for hormones;
• ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland;
• blood pressure monitoring;
• electrocardiogram;
• ultrasound examination of blood vessels located in the brain;
• Magnetic resonance imaging;
• vegetative tests.

Symptoms of VSD in children 7-12 years old

A complete diagnosis allows you to select the most appropriate treatment that will most effectively relieve the disease.

Therapeutic methods

Treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia in children is, first of all, non-drug therapy. Proper nutrition, adequate physical activity, walks in the fresh air, elimination of stressful situations, prevention of overwork, a psycho-emotionally healthy environment in the family are the basis of treatment.

One of the methods of non-drug treatment is physiotherapy, and it includes:

• massage;
• acupuncture;
• magnetic laser treatment;
• electrosleep;
• water procedures;
• electrophoresis;
• phytotherapy;
• aromatherapy.

Therapeutic treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia in adolescents

In a situation where non-drug therapy does not bring sufficient results and the child’s quality of life continues to decline, the doctor may decide to prescribe medications, namely:

1. Cerebroprotectors that normalize metabolic processes in the brain.
2. Medicines that stimulate blood circulation.
3. Taking antioxidants is relevant when the disease is caused by the negative influence of various environmental irritants.
4. Beta blockers are recommended when diagnosing the hyperkinetic type of the disease.
5. Nootropics that activate intelligence, memory, and mental performance.
6. Antidepressants that relieve anxiety, hysteria, and help elevate mood.
7. Tranquilizers.

Even when prescribing drug therapy, it is important not to stop following non-drug recommendations. Since eliminating the disease requires a complex and comprehensive impact.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is one of the diseases that can be easily defeated once and for all by promptly seeking medical help and following all doctor’s instructions.

Symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia in adolescents

The task of parents is to implement the following recommendations for both therapeutic and preventive purposes:

1. Balanced diet. The menu for a child should contain foods rich in vitamins and minerals. It is important to exclude unhealthy, fatty foods, carbonated drinks, smoked foods, store-bought sweets, and fast food from your diet. The diet should be complete, containing fruits, vegetables, berries, nuts, dried fruits, cereals, meat, fish, durum wheat pasta, freshly squeezed juices, and a sufficient amount of clean water.
2. Full sleep. During rest, the child’s body recovers and replenishes strength. It is important to create favorable and comfortable conditions for sleep and daytime rest. Your bedtime and wake-up time should be the same every day.
3. It is important to ensure that the child does not become overtired. An intensive school program, a huge number of extra classes, and electives are more likely to harm a child than to help in adulthood.
4. Do not force, but encourage your child to play sports or other physical activities. It must be remembered that the lack of load has the same negative effect on the body as its excess. Special attention must be paid to hardening.

None of the above recommendations, medications or physical therapy methods will help a child who is under constant stress. Unhealthy family conditions, lack of mutual understanding in the team, psycho-emotional stress are the main causes of VSD. Treatment of the disease must begin with the normalization of the emotional situation. It is important to teach your child an adequate response to stressful situations, help him master self-control and increase self-esteem. Your child's health is in your hands!

Vegetovascular dystonia(VSD) is a symptom complex consisting of various and very heterogeneous manifestations on the part of any organs and systems caused by impaired functioning of the autonomic nervous system.

General characteristics and essence of vegetative-vascular dystonia

The term “dystonia” reflects an imbalance between the regulatory mechanisms of the parasympathetic and sympathetic parts of the autonomic nervous system. Since the sympathetic and parasympathetic sections of the autonomic nervous system are responsible for maintaining the constancy of the internal environment of the body, that is, for the normal functioning of all organs and systems, reducing or increasing the heartbeat, the number of respiratory movements, urination, defecation and regulate other numerous functions in accordance with the needs of the current moment, then an imbalance in their work causes heterogeneous symptoms that imitate various pathologies.

In fact, the symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia are associated with a violation of regulatory functions and the coordinated interaction of two parts of the autonomic nervous system, and not with the pathology of any internal organ. This means that a person has subjective complaints about dysfunction of various organs, which imitate a disease, but in fact there is no pathology, since the clinical symptoms are associated with an imbalance of the nervous system.

Thus, the receptors of the autonomic nervous system, located in all internal organs and tissues of the body, constantly record the values ​​of blood pressure, heart rate, heat transfer, the width of the airways, the activity of the digestive organs, the rate of formation and excretion of urine, etc. In addition, the autonomic nervous system regulates the production of adrenaline and insulin.

Receptors record the current parameters of the functioning of organs and systems and transmit them to the spinal cord, at the level of which automated processing is carried out. After processing, the spinal cord adjusts the operating parameters of the organ or system so that it is optimal at the current time, and sends the appropriate signal to the receptors located in the tissues. Every second, billions of signals from various organs and tissues are processed in the spinal cord and the necessary commands are sent to correct the functioning of the organ or system. The autonomic nervous system can be compared to an autonomous electronic control system of a complex machine or process, which analyzes operating parameters every second and issues the necessary programmed commands.

To illustrate the work of the autonomic nervous system, consider a simple example. The person ate, as a result of which a certain amount of food ended up in the stomach. The stomach receptors reacted to its appearance and sent a corresponding signal to the spinal cord, which analyzed it and gave the command to produce gastric juice to digest the incoming nutrients.

That is, the autonomic nervous system ensures the normal and coordinated functioning of internal organs by implementing reflexes and action options programmed at the level of the spinal cord. Thanks to the existence of the autonomic nervous system, a person does not need to think that after eating he should turn on the production of gastric juice, and during physical activity, increase the heart rate, dilate the bronchi and breathe more often, etc. It is the autonomic nervous system that ensures our comfortable existence without constant thoughts about what blood pressure needs to be set at a given moment, how much to dilate the bronchi, how much gastric juice to throw out, at what speed to move the food bolus through the intestines, at what angle to place the foot, on what angle turn hand, etc.

The programmed course of physiological processes allows a person to think, engage in creativity, study the world and perform other actions without paying attention to vital processes. Thus, the importance of the autonomic nervous system cannot be underestimated. It is quite clear that any disruption or failure in its work will entail an imbalance and improper functioning of various internal organs and systems, which will be accompanied by a variety of clinical symptoms. For example, an increase in blood pressure with vegetative-vascular dystonia is not a symptom of hypertension, but reflects an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system. Vegetative-vascular dystonia can develop with various somatic, mental or nervous diseases.

Thus, vegetative-vascular dystonia is not an independent disease, but a complex syndrome that is part of the total clinical picture of various psycho-emotional, somatic, neurological or mental diseases. That is why, if a person is suspected of having vegetative-vascular dystonia, a comprehensive examination is necessary, which will reveal not only syndromic manifestations, but also the underlying disease that caused their appearance. At the same time, the doctor must assess the severity of autonomic disorders.

Course of vegetative-vascular dystonia

The autonomic nervous system is divided into two divisions - sympathetic and parasympathetic. Normally, both systems balance each other, since the sympathetic increases the tone of blood vessels, activates nervous and muscular work, but inhibits digestion and urination, while the parasympathetic, on the contrary, reduces performance, attention and memory, reduces vascular tone, etc. Conventionally, we can say that the sympathetic nervous system has an activating effect on the body, which is necessary for successfully overcoming a stressful situation. The parasympathetic autonomic nervous system, on the contrary, has an inhibitory effect on the body functions necessary to overcome stress. Normally, both systems balance each other, restraining the excessive influence of each. With vegetative-vascular dystonia, the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems is disturbed, which can manifest itself as polymorphic symptoms from various organs and systems.

Manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia can be constant or periodic. With constant manifestations, a person is bothered by certain clinical symptoms every day, but its intensity does not increase or decrease, which reflects precisely the neurological nature of the disorders, which is not characteristic of a somatic disease that tends to progress or, on the contrary, regress. Periodic manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia are so-called vegetative crises, which, depending on the predominant component of clinical symptoms, can be of a completely different nature, for example, panic attack, fainting, attacks of high blood pressure, etc.

The main component of the pathogenesis of vegetative-vascular dystonia, which determines the characteristics of the course of the syndrome, is a violation of the tone of blood vessels in all organs and systems. It is precisely because of the huge role of vascular tone in the development of pathology that it received the name “vegetative-vascular dystonia”. Violation of blood vessel tone develops due to an imbalance in the regulatory functions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic parts of the autonomic nervous system. After all, the sympathetic nervous system constricts blood vessels, and the parasympathetic, on the contrary, dilates them. An imbalance between the influences of sympathetic and parasympathetic leads to unstable vascular tone, which causes surges in blood pressure and other manifestations.

In modern clinical practice, there are three variants of VSD:
1. VSD of constitutional nature;
2. VSD during periods of hormonal changes;
3. VSD due to organic lesions of the central nervous system.

VSD of constitutional nature (in children)

VSD of a constitutional nature is VSD in children, since the syndrome manifests itself at an early age and is characterized by instability of the normal parameters of the functioning of the body. The child's skin color often changes, he is bothered by sweating, pain and dyskinesia of the digestive tract, he is prone to causeless episodes of increased body temperature, cannot tolerate physical and mental stress, and also reacts sharply to changes in the weather (meteosensitive). Very often, constitutional variants of VSD are hereditary.

VSD during periods of hormonal changes

VSD during periods of hormonal changes in the body often develop in adolescents due to insufficient functions of the autonomic nervous system, which simply does not keep up with the rapid growth of the child’s organs and systems. Manifestations of this variant of VSD are similar to those in the constitutional form.

VSD in organic lesions of the central nervous system

VSD with organic lesions of the central nervous system develops when the structure of deep parts of the brain, such as the brain stem, hypothalamus, limbic system, etc., is disrupted. Depending on which part of the brain is affected, a person may experience certain symptoms. For example, when the medulla oblongata is damaged, a person is bothered by periodic crises that occur in the form of dizziness, headache and fainting. When the hypothalamus is damaged, a person is bothered by disturbances in the feelings of hunger, satiety, thirst, sexual desire, desire to sleep, etc. When the limbic system is damaged, a person suffers from epilepsy. It is important to understand that VSD against the background of organic damage to the central nervous system is not identical to the manifestations of neuroinfections (for example, tick-borne encephalitis), traumatic brain injury, psychological trauma, etc. With VSD, there is only an imbalance in the regulatory activity of the autonomic nervous system and there are no endocrine characteristics characteristic of injuries and infections of the central nervous system - metabolic and metabolic disorders, as well as sleep and wakefulness disorders.

With VSD, in the picture of clinical symptoms, subjective sensations prevail over objective data. This means that there are no morphological changes in organs characteristic of various diseases, but symptoms from the cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, digestive and respiratory systems are present. This means that a person has only functional disorders associated with dysregulation of parts of the nervous system and accompanied by clinical symptoms. Symptoms are most pronounced during crises.

All symptoms characteristic of VSD can be combined into the following large groups:
1. Weakness, fatigue, lethargy, especially severe in the morning;
2. Unpleasant sensations or pain in the heart area;
3. A feeling of lack of air and associated deep breaths;
4. Anxiety, sleep disturbances, restlessness, irritability, concentration on one’s illness;
5. Headaches and dizziness;
6. Excessive sweating;
7. Instability of pressure and vascular tone.

All of the above symptoms are largely due to vascular tone. Therefore, depending on which vascular tone predominates in a given person, the following types of VSD are distinguished:

• Hypertensive type;
• Hypotensive type;
• Mixed type;
• Cardialgic type.

VSD of the hypertensive type

VSD of the hypertensive type is characterized by excessive vascular tone and increased blood pressure of more than 140/90 mmHg. In this case, a person is bothered by headaches, palpitations, fatigue and a feeling of heat. On the chest in the area of ​​the heart, the skin becomes very sensitive. If VSD of the hypertensive type is not controlled, then it can develop into hypertension. Characterized by the appearance of numerous signs of vascular disorders, such as redness of the face and neck, “marbled” coloration of the skin, cold hands and feet, etc. In addition, VSD of the hypertensive type is characterized by episodes of sudden, causeless fluctuations in body temperature, when it rises and falls. Excessive sweating may occur in some areas of the body.

VSD of hypotonic type

In this case, the symptoms of vascular insufficiency predominate in a person, since vascular tone is significantly reduced. Blood pressure decreases to less than 100/60 mm Hg. Art., as a result of which a person worries about weakness, fatigue, dizziness and fainting when moving from a horizontal to a vertical position. Fainting is usually preceded by dizziness, weakness, darkening or fog in the eyes. Sharp jumps in blood pressure are also characteristic. The appearance of numerous signs of vascular disorders is typical, such as redness or cyanosis of the face and neck, “marbled” coloring of the skin, cold hands and feet, etc. In addition, a person may be bothered by an increase or decrease in temperature for no apparent reason and excessive sweating.

VSD of mixed type

VSD of the mixed type occurs against the background of unstable vascular tone, which alternately increases or decreases. That is why the leading symptom of mixed type VSD is surges in blood pressure. Otherwise, a person may be bothered by symptoms of both hypertonic and hypotonic VSD.

VSD of cardiac type

VSD of the cardiac type is diagnosed if a person is mainly bothered by pain in the heart of various types, severity and localization. The pain can be sharp, stabbing and burning, imprecisely localized, as if blurred throughout the heart. Often a person experiences a feeling of irregular heartbeat. Given the rather strong subjective severity of such symptoms, there is no objective data to suspect heart pathology. Symptoms usually appear during periods of stress and hormonal changes in the body (pregnancy, adolescence, menopause, etc.). Subjective sensations and complaints can periodically disappear and then reappear, and their characteristic feature is the absence of progression, and therefore the person’s general condition does not worsen.

Causes of VSD

At present, the causes of VSD have not been established, since the disorder can be formed under the influence of various factors. Because of this, doctors and scientists identify risk factors in the presence of which the likelihood of developing VSD becomes maximum. Risk factors for VSD include the following:

• Features of the human constitution (VSD is hereditary and manifests itself from early childhood);
• Emotional, mental or physical overload at any age;
• Sleep disturbance;
• A sharp change in the usual environmental parameters, for example, moving to a different climate or time zone, a radical change in the type of work, etc.;
• Endocrine system disorders (for example, diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis, hypothyroidism, pheochromocytoma);
• Disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system;
• Sexual disorders;
• Disruption of the normal functioning of the spine (cervical osteochondrosis or subluxation of the first cervical vertebra);
• Chronic or very powerful one-time stress;
• Neurosis;
• The period of hormonal changes in the body (for example, adolescence, pregnancy, menopause, etc.);
• Excessive alcohol consumption;
• Severe chronic infections;
• Consequences of traumatic injuries to various organs;
• Consequences of severe infections;
• Intoxication;
• Allergic diseases;
• Chronic somatic diseases (for example, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, gastric ulcer, bronchial asthma, pancreatitis, colitis, etc.);
• Age-related changes in the functioning of the endocrine system.

VSD - symptoms and signs

The clinical manifestations of VSD are polymorphic, and therefore the entire complex of heterogeneous and varied symptoms is combined into the following syndromes:
1. Syndrome of gastrointestinal disorders;
2. Syndrome of cardiovascular disorders;
3. Respiratory distress syndrome;
4. Disorders of genitourinary functions;
5. Thermoregulation disorders;
6. Sweating disorders;
7. Musculo-articular disorders;
8. Salivation disorders;
9. Lacrimation disorders;
10. Emotional disturbances.

Cardiovascular syndrome

The syndrome of cardiovascular disorders in VSD is characterized by the presence of various subjective sensations that arise against the background of impaired functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Thus, quite often there is a presence of pain in the heart, which is aching, stabbing, burning, pressing, squeezing, pulsating or sipping in nature. In addition to pain, a person may simply complain of a feeling of discomfort in the area of ​​the nipple of the left breast. Pain and discomfort are poorly localized and do not have a clear boundary. The pain can spread to the left arm, shoulder, hypochondrium, under the shoulder blade, under the armpit, in the lower back or to the right side of the chest. With VSD, the pain never radiates to the jaw and teeth.

Pain in the heart area is in no way related to physical activity, does not decrease when taking nitroglycerin, and lasts for varying periods of time. Taking Validol or sedatives (for example, tincture of valerian, motherwort, etc.) helps to eliminate heart pain during VSD.

Pain in the heart area during VSD is often accompanied by a feeling of lack of air, poor passage into the lungs, a coma in the throat, and a feeling of “goosebumps” running across the skin of the tip of the nose, tongue and limbs. Also, pain in the heart area is often combined with anxious mental disorders or phobias.

The second most common cardiovascular symptom in VSD is cardiac arrhythmia. A person develops a rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), jumps in blood pressure begin and vascular reactions appear, such as pallor or redness of the skin, bluishness of the lips and mucous membranes, hot flashes, chilliness, cold feet and hands. Tachycardia is perceived as strong heart beats against the chest. During palpitations, a person also experiences weakness, dizziness, a feeling of lack of air and fear of death.

Jumps in blood pressure occur in a third of people suffering from VSD. Moreover, pressure lability is one of the most characteristic and specific signs of VSD. Pressure during VSD can be high, low, normal, or unstable. The strongest fluctuations in pressure are observed during an emotionally expressed human reaction to something or someone. Increased blood pressure during VSD can cause headaches, pain in the heart or spine. With low blood pressure against the background of VSD, migraine headaches are observed, often combined with dizziness, unsteadiness of gait, palpitations and a feeling of lack of air. A sharp drop in blood pressure can cause fainting.

Respiratory distress syndrome

The syndrome of respiratory disorders in VSD is also called Da Costa syndrome, effort syndrome, psychophysiological respiratory reactions or irritable heart syndrome. The most characteristic manifestations of this syndrome are spasms in the pharynx, forearms, hands, legs and feet. Spasm in the limbs is felt in the form of chill-like trembling. A spasm in the throat area leads to a feeling of lack of air, nasal congestion, a lump in the throat, etc. Sometimes there may be a cough without sputum discharge, yawning, snoring and deep breaths taken regularly. With a spasm of the throat and limbs, a person often develops a headache, fainting and pre-syncope symptoms, such as severe weakness, blurred vision, noise in the head, a feeling of unreality of what is happening, palpitations, strong intestinal motility, belching and nausea.

Gastrointestinal Disorder Syndrome

The syndrome of gastrointestinal disorders in VSD manifests itself in the form of loss of appetite, as well as impaired motility of the intestines, esophagus and stomach. A person is worried about psychogenic nausea, abdominal pain, heaviness in the stomach, increased peristalsis, belching of air, flatulence, alternating constipation and diarrhea.

Other symptoms and signs of VSD

Disorders of genitourinary functions with VSD, as a rule, they are represented by impotence, decreased libido, unsatisfactory erection, vaginismus or lack of orgasms. It is relatively rare for a person to develop frequent imperative urination in the absence of pathology of the urinary organs.

Thermoregulation disorders with VSD they are manifested by increased or decreased body temperature, as well as chill-like trembling. The increase in body temperature can be periodic or constant, when low-grade fever lasts for several weeks, months or even years in a row. This temperature does not decrease when taking Aspirin, but normalizes at night or in a state of complete rest.

A decrease in body temperature leads to general weakness, low blood pressure and excessive sweating. Chill-like shivering is similar to that of a fever, but develops against a background of normal body temperature.

Sweating disorders are represented by excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis), which can be periodic or constant. Increased sweating occurs with stress, emotional or physical stress.

Musculo-articular disorders with VSD they manifest themselves in the form of headaches, the formation of painful lumps in the muscles of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions, as well as pain in the muscles and joints.

Salivation disorders occur as dry mouth or excessive saliva. Salivation disorders can be periodic or constant.

Tearing disorders may occur in the form of dry eyes or watery eyes. Excessive tearing often develops when the eyes are exposed to cold temperatures and wind, with allergies, or while eating. Dry eyes develop less frequently than watery eyes.

Psycho-emotional disorders with VSD they are characterized by anxiety, restlessness, irritability, increased fatigue, low performance, internal tension, bad mood, tearfulness and fears.

Pain with VSD can be of any nature and duration. Most often, a person is bothered by headaches, pain in the joints, muscles, stomach and heart. The pain is nonspecific, does not have a clear localization and spreads to nearby organs and tissues. The pain is constant, that is, it does not get worse over time.
Dizziness and headache with VSD are noted very often.

Sensations in the legs and arms during VSD are presented by sensory disturbances (a sensation of crawling “goosebumps”), severe trembling, excessive sweating during emotional stress, as well as constant coldness of the skin.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia: causes, symptoms, diagnosis - video Attack of VSD

Attacks of VSD can be represented by sympathoadrenal crises, since they are caused by a sharp release of large amounts of adrenaline into the systemic circulation. An attack of VSD begins sharply, suddenly. A person suddenly experiences palpitations, increased blood pressure, pale skin, increased body temperature, and developed chills. During an attack, a person has a pronounced strong fear. After a crisis, a large amount of light-colored urine is released and severe weakness develops, including trembling in the legs and the inability to move normally. In the period after the crisis, a sharp decrease in blood pressure is possible.

In addition, an attack of VSD can occur in the form of a vagoinsular crisis. It is characterized by the appearance of sudden fainting, which is preceded by short-term pre-fainting phenomena (for example, darkening in the eyes, noise in the head, severe weakness, a feeling of the unreality of what is happening). Also, during an attack, a person may experience sharp and severe pain in the abdomen, an imperative desire to empty the intestines, increased motility of the digestive tract, decreased blood pressure, bradycardia, increased sweating, as well as a feeling of heat, nausea, melancholy and severe fear.

In rare cases, mixed attacks of VSD are recorded, having polymorphic symptoms characteristic of both vagoinsular and sympathoadrenal forms of crisis. Most often, during a mixed attack, a person suddenly experiences shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, suffocation, severe dizziness, an unsteady gait, a feeling of unreality of what is happening, as well as a pronounced fear of death and madness.

VSD and panic attack

A panic attack is manifested by symptoms similar to those during an attack of VSD. Moreover, the pathogenetic nature of VSD and panic attack is exactly the same, since in both cases, at the time of their development, a large amount of adrenaline, norepinephrine and acetylcholine is released into the blood. Therefore, many patients suffering from panic attacks are diagnosed with vegetative-vascular dystonia. However, VSD and panic attack are different conditions that require completely different approaches to therapy. Thus, to eliminate panic attacks, a person needs qualified psychotherapeutic assistance, and to treat VSD, take various medications.

Since VSD and panic attack are easily confused, many doctors do not distinguish between these conditions. Moreover, many practicing doctors in the CIS countries do not know about such a disease as a panic attack, and therefore never diagnose it. And when symptoms of a panic attack are identified, due to their similarity to a vegetative crisis, a diagnosis of VSD is made. Then, having made a diagnosis of VSD, the person is prescribed medications that reduce blood pressure, relieve headaches, discomfort in the heart area, etc.

Meanwhile, during a panic attack, no medications are needed; a person only needs the help of a psychologist. Normalization of the psychological state will lead to a decrease in blood pressure, relief of headaches and heart pain, as well as a reduction and gradual complete disappearance of panic attacks. Remember that a panic attack is a neurosis, and VSD is an imbalance of the regulatory effects of various parts of the peripheral nervous system.
More about panic attacks

VSD - principles of treatment

Treatment of VSD should be comprehensive, aimed simultaneously at eliminating the underlying disease and relieving painful symptoms that significantly worsen a person’s quality of life. During treatment, the mechanisms of psycho-emotional regulation of the human condition are necessarily influenced.

If a person suffering from VSD has any neurotic disorders, then complex treatment should include psychotherapy using various techniques, for example, hypnosis, autogenic training, etc. In addition, it is recommended to widely use non-drug methods to normalize the psycho-emotional sphere , as well as strengthen normal patterns of nervous activity. Currently, the following non-drug methods are used to treat VSD:

• Physiotherapy;
• Breathing exercises;
• Moderate physical activity in a comfortable atmosphere;
• Acupuncture;
• Massage;
• Physiotherapy;
• Balneotherapy;
• Phototherapy.

In addition to psychotherapy and non-drug methods, medications that normalize mental activity and a person’s condition are necessarily used to treat VSD. Depending on the severity and type of symptoms, the following psychopharmacological agents are used for VSD:
1. Anxiolytic drugs (for example, Relanium, Tranxen, Mezapam, Alprazolam);
2. Sedatives (for example, Stressplant, Novopassit, Persen).

For pain in the heart, severe tachycardia, as well as unstable blood pressure, drugs from the group of beta-blockers are used, such as Propranolol, Atenolol, etc. In addition, Verapamil, Valocordin, valerian tincture, pepper patch or mustard plaster are widely used to relieve heart pain.

If pain in any localization (in the heart, in the abdomen, in the muscles, in the joints, etc.) stubbornly does not respond to treatment, then short courses of tricyclic or serotonergic antidepressants are used to relieve it, for example, Clomipramine, Imipramine, Amitriptyline, Cipramil, Prozac, Coaxil, etc.

If a person suffers from constipation due to VSD, then the diet should be designed in such a way that it contains a lot of fiber, fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meat and fish. It is also necessary to give up alcohol and smoking, exercise daily and take osmotic laxatives as needed, such as lactulose solution (Duphalac, Normaze, etc.) or macrogols (Lavacol, Tranzipeg, Fortrans, etc.). If you are prone to diarrhea, you should, on the contrary, limit the amount of fiber in your diet and avoid any medications or products that can improve bowel movements. If necessary, you can use antidiarrheal drugs based on loperamide (Imodium, Lopedium, etc.) or sorbents (Smecta, Filtrum, Polyphepan, etc.).

To treat excessive sweating, it is necessary to treat the skin with solutions of potassium permanganate, formalin, glutaraldehyde or tannic acid. For elevated body temperature, Pirroxan or Phentolamine is prescribed in standard dosages.

To eliminate venous insufficiency, you can use the drugs Vasoket, Venoplant and Detralex. These remedies eliminate heaviness and noise in the head, as well as throbbing or bursting headaches. Drugs that eliminate the symptoms of venous insufficiency must be taken for a long time - for 1 - 2 months in standard dosages.

To eliminate dizziness against the background of high blood pressure, it is recommended to take drugs that improve cerebral circulation, for example, Cavinton, Oxybral, Vinpocetine, Sermion, Nicerium, Nootropil, etc. If a person is bothered by headaches against the background of low blood pressure, then it is recommended to take drugs to eliminate these symptoms, containing ginkgo biloba extract, for example, Ginkofar, Memoplant, etc.

To quickly relieve dizziness and noise in the head, you need to take Betaserc.

Thus, the range of drugs used to treat VSD is quite wide. This is due to the fact that, along with treatment of the underlying disease, it is necessary to carry out effective symptomatic therapy aimed at relieving the painful manifestations of VSD.

Breathing exercise for vegetative-vascular dystonia - video

Causes of VSD

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is not considered a primary disease. Its development is always provoked by some factor or a combination of them. The causes of VSD can be both pathological and non-pathological. The most common of them are:

1. Congenital anomalies affecting the autonomic system.
2. Genetic predisposition to the disease, manifested in the form of special sensitivity to provoking factors and stressors;

• exhaustion of the body caused by intoxication, acute viruses or infections;
• chronic fatigue - mental, emotional, physical;
• disorders of the vascular system that provoke the development of hypertension or arterial hypotension;
• psychogenic disorders - depression, increased vulnerability, attention deficit disorder;
• unbalanced diet;
• sedentary daily routine, which provokes the development of diseases of the vascular system, musculoskeletal system and vegetative-vascular dystonia as a result;
• hormonal disorders, which most often occur in women during pregnancy and menopause;
• endocrine disorders, in particular, persistent decrease in thyroid hormones, diabetes mellitus;
• chronic diseases accompanied by pain and a number of pathological symptoms (gastrointestinal diseases, bronchial asthma, gallbladder diseases, cardiac ischemia);
• a sharp change in climate and habitual living conditions (for example, moving to a different climate zone);
• diseases of the spine - spondylosis, cervical osteochondrosis;
• exposure to bad habits - alcohol abuse, smoking;
• head injuries.

The described factors provoke an imbalance in the functioning of the autonomic system and metabolic disorders throughout the body.

Types of vegetative-vascular dystonia

Types of vegetative-vascular dystonia are classified according to several criteria - cause of origin, nature of development and severity.

Depending on the cause of the disease, VSD can be:

• hereditary - caused by a genetic predisposition, transmitted mainly to the daughter on the maternal side;
• toxic-infectious – occurs when the nervous system is exposed to toxic substances, viral infections and bacteria;
• professional – provoked by harmful factors present in some industries (for example, chemical, metallurgical, mining and processing industries);
• dishormonal - appears due to disruptions of the hormonal system;
• neurotic – is a consequence of regular stress, nervous overstrain;
• post-traumatic – occurs after head injuries in the delayed period;
• cardiac – caused by disorders of the heart and vascular system;
• hypertensive – occurs against the background of a regular increase in blood pressure;
• hypotonic – appears with pathologically low blood pressure;
• mixed - occurs under the influence of several provoking factors, manifested by symptoms of a mixed type.

Based on the nature of development, the following types of VSD are distinguished:

• permanent – ​​a mild course of the disease, in which there are no acute attacks with severe symptoms;
• paroxysmal - characterized by acute attacks, between which the symptoms characteristic of VSD are practically absent;
• latent – ​​signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia appear directly when exposed to a provoking factor;
• mixed – characterized by signs of the development of paroxysmal and permanent VSD simultaneously.

According to the severity of VSD there are three types:

• mild form - manifests itself with mild symptoms, the development of which can be provoked by nervous or physical overstrain, anxiety;
• medium form - characterized by the duration of attacks and aggravation of symptoms, while crisis attacks exceed periods of remission in time;
• severe form - the patient experiences persistent and aggravated symptoms, the attacks practically do not stop, the frequency of heart rhythms is disturbed, which provokes a fear of its stopping and the onset of death.

Each type of vegetative-vascular dystonia is characterized by its own symptoms and manifestations, according to which a neurologist can make a primary diagnosis and distinguish the disease from other pathologies.

Vegetovascular dystonia: symptoms and signs

The autonomic system regulates the functioning of all organs and vital systems of the body, so the symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia can have various manifestations. Depending on this, signs that together may indicate the presence of VSD are divided into the following categories:

1. Cardiac – manifested by stabbing, burning or aching pain in the heart area of ​​a constant or paroxysmal nature, changes in heart rhythm (the heart “pounds” or, conversely, “freezes”), regardless of physical activity.
2. Respiratory – the patient complains of increased breathing, shortness of breath, lack of air, a “lump” in the throat, and the symptoms intensify with nervous overexcitation or severe anxiety.
3. Vascular - changes in blood pressure (both an increase and a sharp decrease), chills or hot flashes, frozen extremities, pallor, redness or cyanosis of the skin, depending on which part of the autonomic system is imbalanced.
4. Gastrointestinal – spasmodic abdominal pain, bloating, increased peristalsis, belching, nausea, and in rare cases, vomiting.
5. Thermoregulatory – an unreasonable decrease (up to 35.5°C) or increase (up to 37.5°C) in body temperature, dry skin or excessive sweating.
6. Genitourinary – menstrual irregularities in women, decreased potency in men, decreased libido, painful and frequent urination.
7. Psycho-emotional – decreased performance due to fatigue, inattention, weakness, anxiety, lethargy, irritability, panic, fear of moving vehicles and confined spaces.
8. Sensitive - with excitement and nervous overexcitation, a feeling of numbness of the skin, “crawling goosebumps”, and slight tingling occurs.
9. Muscular - cramps of the facial and calf muscles, a feeling of chills and trembling of the limbs, involuntary trembling of the arms, legs, chin, lips.

Based on the degree of manifestation of the described symptoms, the doctor can determine in which part of the autonomic system the failure occurred and what factors influenced this.

Treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD)

The complex of therapeutic measures for vegetative-vascular dystonia depends on the degree of manifestation of the primary disease and the severity of symptoms.

Diagnostics

A large number of complaints of a varied nature in a patient with suspected vegetative-vascular dystonia requires a thorough and comprehensive examination. To exclude more serious pathologies, he will need to undergo consultation with the following specialists, depending on the symptoms:

• neurologist;
• cardiologist;
• endocrinologist;
• ophthalmologist;
• psychiatrist;
• Laura;
• gynecologist (for women);
• urologist.

Of the hardware diagnostic techniques, the patient is prescribed the following:

• electrocardiogram;
• electroencephalogram;
• Ultrasound of the heart and cerebral vessels;
• rheovasography;
• X-ray of the spine.

Additionally, the patient is prescribed clinical tests of urine and blood for biochemical composition, hormones, coagulation parameters, etc.

The results obtained and a previous visual examination of the patient allow the doctor to diagnose vegetative-vascular dystonia and prescribe treatment.

Most patients diagnosed with VSD do not require drug therapy. To ease their well-being and prevent the development of crises, it is enough for them to follow the following recommendations:

• normalization of the daily routine - balanced day and night rest, alternation of physical labor with mental labor;
• moderate physical labor;
• changing the diet - introducing foods high in magnesium and potassium into the menu;
• periodic physical therapy in consultation with a doctor;
• the use of non-traditional reflexology techniques in the absence of contraindications.

Tablets for vegetative-vascular dystonia

If symptoms are pronounced and there is no effect from the use of maintenance therapy, the patient may be recommended drug treatment. Depending on the disturbing complaints, the doctor may prescribe tablets for vegetative-vascular dystonia of the following drug groups:

• potassium and magnesium preparations (Magne B-6, Panangin, Asparkam) - to improve vascular tone and the relationship between nerve cells;
• beta-blockers (Metaprolol, Anaprilin) ​​– for persistent arterial hypertension;
• nootropics (Piracetam) – to normalize metabolic processes and improve blood circulation;
• antidepressants (Amitriptyline, Cipralex) – for severe symptoms of depression to regulate the functioning of the central nervous system;
• tranquilizers (Diazepam) - to provide a sedative effect in cases of anxiety and panic attacks.

As prescribed by a doctor, drugs from the described drug groups can be prescribed in the form of intramuscular or intravenous injections.

Vitamins for VSD

When diagnosed with VSD, it is important to regularly replenish the body’s reserves of vitamins that help strengthen the autonomic and nervous system.

1. Thiamine (B1) – improves the functioning of the hematopoietic, nervous and cardiac systems, promotes increased concentration and mental functions. Thiamine is found in beef, fish, black currants, oranges, and cereals.
2. Riboflavin (B2) – improves immunity, strengthens the nervous system, and normalizes metabolism. A high concentration of riboflavin is found in buckwheat, eggs, liver, milk, and cottage cheese.
3. Pantothenic acid (B5) – normalizes metabolism, promotes better interaction between nerve cells. Vitamin B5 can be replenished with oatmeal, eggs, legumes, sorrel, nuts, and onions.
4. Pyridoxine (B6) – improves metabolic processes, ensures sufficient levels of glucose in the blood. Pyridoxine is found in lemons, potatoes, cherries, nuts, and carrots.
5. Cyanocobalamin (B12) – supports the functioning of the hematopoietic and nervous systems, normalizes the immune system. Vitamin B12 is found in seafood, liver, and fermented milk products.
6. Retinol (A) – improves immunity, in combination with B vitamins has a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
7. Tocopherol (E) – prevents the occurrence of vascular and heart diseases and the effects of toxins on the body. Vitamin E is found in large quantities in sunflower seeds, nuts, and egg yolks.

If the deficiency of vitamins cannot be compensated for with food, then the attending doctor prescribes them in the form of medications, indicating the optimal dosage and regimen.

Vegetovascular dystonia: how to get rid of it forever at home

Before treating VSD at home, you must have a doctor’s report with a clear diagnosis and understand the cause of this disease. Depending on this, the patient may be recommended the following methods to make him feel better:

1. For depressive states or neuroses - psychological auto-training aimed at getting rid of fears and self-doubt.
2. In case of insufficient blood circulation, take infusions and decoctions:

• A product made from propolis powder (25g), butter (10g) and light honey (2 tbsp). The ingredients are thoroughly mixed to a paste-like mass. For 14 days at night, the product must be rubbed into the scalp and legs in the area of ​​the calf muscles.
• The product is based on components (100 g each) - chamomile, elecampane root, birch buds, St. John's wort, rose hips. All components are mixed in an enamel bowl, poured with cooled boiled water (2 tbsp.), and brought to a boil. After cooling and straining, add 1 tbsp to the broth. l. honey The product should be taken twice a day - in the morning shortly before meals and in the evening after dinner.

1. For heart palpitations and insomnia, after consultation with a doctor, take a remedy based on infusions of hawthorn, valerian, motherwort and Corvalol. The components are mixed in equal proportions into one bottle. The resulting product should be taken 15 drops, diluted in 0.5 tbsp. water twice a day for 12-14 days.
2. For loss of strength and reduced immunity - a remedy made from oat grains (1 tbsp), honey (5 tbsp), water (1 l) and milk (according to the proportion). Oats are boiled in water until thickened, after which the broth is filtered and milk (in a 1:1 ratio) and honey are added. The composition should be taken 0.5 cups three times a day.
3. Herbal products prescribed by a doctor - eleutherococcus, ginseng, gingko biloba, glycine.

Regular physical exercises selected by a doctor, a contrast shower, provided there are no contraindications, and massage will also help improve your well-being with vegetative-vascular dystonia at home.

Features of the functioning of the ANS

The pathology has several names: vegetoneurosis, cardioneurosis, vegetative-vascular or neurocirculatory dystonia. And the main causes of VSD lie in the disruption of the autonomic system.

What is VSD? And why do almost 80% of adults and 20% of children suffer from a disorder such as autonomic dysfunction syndrome or vegetative-vascular dystonia?

It will be interesting to know that vegetative-vascular dystonia as a diagnosis is established only in the countries of the former Union. There is no such pathology in ICD-10.

To make it clear why vascular dystonia occurs and what it is, it should be said about the importance of the autonomic system.

This is a structure that is responsible for the functioning of internal organs. Thanks to the presence of the sympathetic and parasympathetic departments, it regulates various processes occurring in the body.

For example, the autonomic system monitors:

• heartbeat and blood pressure readings;
• breathing (frequency and depth);
• the body's ability to maintain the required temperature;
• material exchange;
• reproduction processes.

Of course, this list is incomplete, however, the main thing is that the departments of the Supreme Tax Service function harmoniously.

The work of the sympathetic department is aimed at:

1. Increased metabolism.
2. Increased heart rate.
3. Increased blood pressure.
4. Inhibition of peristalsis.

One of the most important functions of the sympathetic system is to maintain vascular tone.

The functions of the parasympathetic department are completely opposite:

• restoration of expended forces;
• decrease in blood pressure along with pulse;
• activation of peristalsis, as well as the activity of the gastrointestinal tract.

When a person rests, the parasympathetic system begins to work more actively. The main goal of parasympathetics is to reduce cardiac excitability, especially at night.

If departments function in harmony:

• the body responds correctly to external stimuli;
• adapts well to new conditions;
• Normally withstands stress and excessive loads.

If there is an imbalance between the departments, depending on the predominance of one of them, the development of sympathicotonia or vagotonia can be observed. In this case, a condition called VSD appears.

Etiology of the disease

When the autonomic system is affected, doctors deal with manifestations that often cannot be associated with any known cardiac, pulmonary or gastric disease. Due to the close connection of vegetative neurosis with the psyche, the patient experiences symptoms that are psychological in nature, so during the examination one cannot do without the help of a psychotherapist. It is difficult to convince patients that they do not have any pathological disorders of internal organs, because they are sure of the opposite.

The appearance of VSD is often explained by factors that occurred in childhood or even during the formation of the fetus in the womb.

In general, vascular dystonia can be provoked by:

• Damage to the central nervous system, which occurs in late pregnancy, during delivery and during the first days of the baby’s life. The nervous system suffers if the expectant mother drinks alcohol, smokes, takes medications without the consent of a specialist, or is exposed to stress. Also, during childbirth, the baby's hypothalamus may be damaged.
• The environment in which the child spends most of the time. In other words, the disease can be caused by quarrels in the family, the presence of alcohol addicts in the house where the child lives, divorce, excessive care for the baby, conflict situations at school, mental overstrain, stress, and emotional overload.
• Heredity.
• Chronic pathologies.
• Changes in climatic conditions and place of residence.
• Bad environment.
• Deficiency of necessary substances.
• Overstrain of a physical, emotional, mental nature.
• Neuroses.
• Depressive state.

• Puberty.
• Hormonal changes in women.
• Addiction to alcohol, drugs, smoking.
• Lesions of the spinal column.
• Problems with sleep.
• Intoxication.

The reasons for the occurrence of VSD in adolescence are the rapid growth of the body, when all systems cannot be rebuilt at the same time, in particular, this applies to the ANS. In women, the appearance of vegetative neurosis is directly related to the changes that occur in the body during PMS, menopause, and also at the moment when menstruation begins.

Most experts are confident that psycho-emotional trauma and neurotic disorders are the primary factors influencing the formation of VSD, while VNS disorder is a secondary manifestation.

How to recognize neurocircular dystonia

Since the disease affects many organs, the signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia can appear very diverse. To find out what is happening in the body, patients have to consult almost all specialists.

A detailed examination often shows that no pathological changes have occurred. However, patients continue to complain about manifestations that indicate disorders in several systems simultaneously. This is precisely why neurocirculatory dystonia differs from other diseases.

With VSD, the signs are practically never clearly distinguishable and specific.

Vegetoneurosis is a combination of syndromes:

• cardiac;
• respiratory;
• asthenic;
• digestive disorders.

Cardiac syndrome is the most common.

Symptoms of VSD in adults of the cardiac type manifest themselves as:

1. Cardialgia, that is, pain in the heart. In almost all patients, the pain is aching and pressing in nature, and it is constantly present. Sometimes a condition occurs that occurs with angina or heart attack.
2. Blood pressure surges. A decrease in blood pressure is accompanied by weakness and throbbing pain in the head, dizziness and drowsiness, as well as loss of ability to work. If blood pressure increases, the patient experiences a bursting headache, tremors in the limbs, dizziness with spots before the eyes.
3. Heart rhythm disturbances. Although arrhythmia with VSD does not pose a danger as such, patients begin to worry due to the appearance of such a symptom. Therefore, the doctor often prescribes medications that help normalize heart function.

Respiratory syndrome can be described by:

• rapid breathing, while its depth decreases;
• attacks of hyperventilation, which often end in fainting.

The occurrence of attacks is explained by a feeling of lack of air. It is difficult for a person to breathe deeply. The attacks are accompanied by increased heart rate, anxiety and fear of death.

Asthenic syndrome is recognized by the presence of a high level of psychoinstability, difficulties with adaptation, and depressed mood.

The patient suffers from:

• deterioration of physical condition;
• weaknesses;
• severe fatigue;
• lethargy;
• violations of movement coordination;
• lowering blood pressure;
• drowsiness.

Vascular dystonia, in particular symptoms of asthenic syndrome, are often detected in schoolchildren. You can observe how a child’s performance declines, while his behavior is characterized by hot temper and irritability. This is not explained by brain pathologies, but by the inability to concentrate on the educational process. The manifestations of digestive disorder syndrome are not so difficult to distinguish.

The patient complains of:

• The presence of a lump in the throat while swallowing.
• Dyspeptic phenomena.
• Loss of appetite.

• Alternating diarrhea and constipation.
• Frequent nausea, sometimes developing into vomiting.
• Discomfort in the stomach area.

Most patients who have these symptoms confidently claim that their digestive organs are affected by cancer.

All of the above symptoms of VSD can be supplemented with signs that are also found in those suffering from vegetative neurosis.

This is about:

• increased sweating, which, in most cases, is noted on the palms and soles of the feet;
• low-grade fever for a long period;
• hot flashes;
• poor heat tolerance;
• chronic headaches, sometimes reminiscent of migraines;
• paresthesia;
• cold extremities;
• pale, red or marbled skin color;
• frequent urination, accompanied by pain, but there are no signs indicating infection;
• sexual disorders.

Symptoms characteristic of vegetative-vascular dystonia in women and indicating disorders in the sexual sphere are decreased desire, immaturity in development, and vaginismus. As for the stronger sex, they face erectile dysfunction and problems with ejaculation.

The clinical picture of the disease will depend on what predominates - vagotonia or sympathicotonia. You should also know that with VSD, symptoms and syndromes can be combined in a wide variety of variations, which makes the disease a truly serious problem. This pathology often masks diseases that, without proper treatment, result in dangerous complications. Therefore, patients who have the slightest suspicion of VSD should be referred for all necessary examinations.

Effective treatment

Patients will certainly be interested in: is vegetative neurosis treated and how exactly are doctors going to treat vegetative-vascular dystonia in a particular case?

Doctors always say: if you fight an illness and do it in a timely manner, the results, in most cases, will be positive. In other words, treatment of any disease, including vegetative-vascular dystonia, will be carried out without fail, the main thing is not to let the disease progress.

How to treat VSD? Naturally, before drawing up a treatment course, the patient is prescribed a series of examinations, thanks to which the attending physician will be able to understand how to get rid of VSD.

You may need to consult:

• neurologist;
• Laura;
• endocrinologist;

• ophthalmologist;
• psychiatrist.

Treatment of VSD includes:

1. Elimination of factors that contribute to the occurrence of autonomic dysfunction.
2. Changing the patient's lifestyle.
3. Relief of existing symptoms using certain means.

To cure vegetative-vascular dystonia, it is necessary to normalize the emotional background. If the depressive state is dominant, antidepressants are prescribed. If the patient suffers from constant anxiety, then he will need to take tranquilizers. At the same time, the manifestations of pathology are eliminated.

Symptoms and treatment are directly related.

The signs that are most pronounced are fought with:

• antihypertensive drugs (if arterial hypertension is present);
• sleeping pills (for insomnia);
• stabilizers of vascular tone and ganglion blockers (for vegetative crises).

You should know that treatment of vegetative neurosis or vegetative-vascular dystonia begins with plant-based drugs that have a milder effect.

How to cure VSD if there is no effect? If there are no results, therapy is supplemented with light tranquilizers and antidepressants. How to deal with VSD if the patient suffers from excessive anxiety, panic attacks and neuroses? In this case, medication correction will be required.

When vegetative-vascular dystonia is detected, treatment is most often carried out using:

1. Novo-passita. The herbal remedy has a sedative effect, so it helps to cope with anxiety and fear. Take 1 tablet three times a day or 5 ml before meals.
2. Valocormida. Effective treatment is carried out due to the presence of antispasmodic, relaxing and cardiotonic effects. Prescribed 10-20 drops 2-3 times throughout the day.
3. Corvalola. The drug is characterized by a barely noticeable relaxing effect. Well normalizes sleep. 1-2 tablets per day are recommended.
4. Vinpocetine. In adults, treatment with this remedy is carried out in order to improve blood circulation in the brain. Initially, you should drink 5-10 mg of the medicine three times a day. Gradually the dosage will be reduced.
5. Seduxena. The tranquilizer has a muscle relaxant, sedative, and anticonvulsant effect. For adults, the average dose is 5-20 mg per day, which should be taken in several approaches. The maximum amount at one time is 10 mg.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia causes many problems; you can also get rid of the disease forever using various physiotherapeutic procedures:

• electrosleep;
• electrophoresis;
• magnetic therapy;
• galvanization;
• inductothermy;

• laser therapy;
• aeroionotherapy.

For patients who want to know how to overcome VSD, experts recommend visiting sanatorium-resort institutions. They use both specialized methods to help cope with the disease, and a number of additional procedures.

In particular, sanatorium treatment involves the use of:

• massage;
• reflexology;
• physiotherapy;
• psychotherapy;
• physical therapy;
• dietary ration.

Traditional medicine methods

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is quite treatable with folk remedies, so it would not hurt patients to learn how to treat vegetative neurosis using traditional medicine. Many have already gotten rid of this unpleasant problem. The main thing is to talk to your doctor first about using certain prescriptions. The means should be selected depending on the nature of the pathology.

If the hypertensive type is present, you can prepare an infusion:

1. Dill seeds (1 cup) and crushed valerian root (2 tbsp) are poured with boiling water (0.5 l).
2. The product should stand for 15-20 hours. It is best if it is in a thermos.
3. After straining, honey (150 g) is added.
4. The resulting drink should be drunk three times a day, and the infusion should be enough for 6 doses.

For the hypotensive type, herbal tea will help:

1. You will need a well-closing fireproof container in which you need to put St. John's wort and angelica in a ratio of 10:1. The herbs are taken fresh.
2. Place the vessel in the oven for 3 hours, keeping the fire low.
3. The raw materials are crushed and used as tea leaves.
4. For longer use, the product can be divided into several servings and frozen.

A huge number of herbs can cure VSD, the main thing is to be able to select the right components.

Timely diagnosis and properly formulated treatment are a guarantee of getting rid of an unpleasant pathology. Advanced vegetative neurosis will result in multiple disorders that will be very difficult to combat.

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A child's immune system is quite weak, so children often get sick. During this same period, their psyche is formed and the process of puberty begins. All these factors attract diseases like a magnet, so vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD), or as it is also called vegetative dystonia syndrome (VDS), occurs constantly in children. According to statistics, approximately 25% of children suffer from the pathology, but in fact, many doctors are confident that virtually all school-age children have it. Over the years, the immune system strengthens, the psyche becomes more stable, and hormonal surges decrease, so the disease in most cases goes away on its own. Sometimes, due to pathology, problems with internal organs and mental disorders arise.

Autonomic dystonia syndrome in children is difficult to diagnose and often all symptoms are similar to ordinary fatigue. VSD is manifested by a whole complex of symptoms associated with abnormalities in the internal organs, but most often failures occur in the cardiovascular system.

Reasons for the development of the disease

The main factor due to which pathology arises and develops is genetic predisposition. According to research results, symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia are more likely to appear in a child whose parents suffered from heart or nervous system diseases.

The main reasons for the appearance of vegetative-vascular dystonia in children include injuries, especially those received by the child during childbirth. Often they do not manifest themselves in any way, and the baby lives a normal life, but over time their effect on the cardiovascular system becomes obvious. Sometimes the reason lies in fetal hypoxia, that is, oxygen starvation, which causes various pathological changes in the baby’s body.

There are also secondary reasons for the development of VSD symptoms:

• Dysbacteriosis;
• Frequent colds;
• Belching;
• Infections.

Unlike adults, children have not yet developed their psyche and have difficulty with the slightest problems. During school years, a child constantly experiences mental stress, and if his parents also take him to sports clubs, then physical stress. Their combination can provoke the development of VSD in children.

Features of vegetative-vascular dystonia

It is not possible to classify VSD to this day, but there are generally accepted definitions. They are used to identify a particular group of symptoms that have arisen.

The disease is divided into the following forms according to its course:

• Hidden type. The problem begins to appear during overexertion or stress, as well as against the background of colds and other diseases;
• Paroxysmal type. It arises spontaneously and acutely, but fades away over time. This type of VSD is characterized by frequent relapses, especially due to overexertion;
• Permanent type. This course is chronic, but it is not characterized by exacerbation, so most often everything is attributed to fatigue;
• Mixed look. It is characterized by different types of pathology. VSD can occur in a chronic form or intermittently.

VSD was also divided according to disruptions in the cardiovascular system:

• Cardiac form. It is characterized by symptoms of arrhythmia (heart rhythm disturbances);
• Hypertensive form. People with this type of disorder have a rapid heart rate and high blood pressure;
• Hypotonic form. Because of it, the patient’s blood pressure decreases;
• Mixed form. It includes all types of heart failure.

Such factors are considered key in identifying the disease, but vegetative-vascular dystonia also has a lot of symptoms. If they occur, you should contact a specialist so that he can conduct an examination and prescribe a suitable course of treatment.

Symptoms characteristic of VSD

It has long been proven that children have a higher pulse than adults; for example, in a child under 10 years old it is on average 90 beats per minute, and from 15 to 50 years old it is considered normal to have no more than 70 beats. That is why it is quite difficult to find out whether a baby has VSD or not. Children will have to focus on other groups of symptoms.

VSD on the skin is manifested by the following signs:

• Changes in the shade of the skin and blood vessels;
• Itching without specific localization;
• Overactivity of the sebaceous glands, due to which the child constantly sweats;
• Rashes;
• Edema;
• Disruptions in the endocrine system;
• Decrease or increase in body weight;
• The appearance of acne during adolescence;
• Slowing down the process of puberty (puberty) in boys;
• Acceleration of puberty in girls.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia can affect the child’s thermoregulation. This process is characterized by causeless sudden changes in temperature. This problem arises mainly due to stress.

The disease also affects the baby's behavior. They become inactive and the children’s condition resembles depression. Toys and objects that previously interested them no longer attract them. Against this background, attacks of panic, fear and anxiety sometimes occur.

The respiratory system is also disrupted due to VSD. You may notice the following symptoms:

• Rapid or slow breathing;
• Shortness of breath;
• Periodic deep breaths;
• Constricted cough.

One of the most common problems with vegetative dystonia syndrome is disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract.

This phenomenon is characterized by the following signs:

• Loss of appetite;
• Increased or decreased salivation;
• Nausea to the point of vomiting;
• Feeling of a lump in the throat;
• Gastroduodenitis, which is inflammation in the pylorus of the stomach and duodenum. The problem occurs in children after 11-13 years of age;
• Malfunctions of the bile ducts;
• Pain in the stomach.

It is quite difficult for parents to suspect VSD in their children, since the symptoms are characteristic of most mild pathological processes. That is why the baby needs to be completely examined at least once a year. After all, such signs can tell a pediatrician a lot. The doctor will conduct diagnostics, after which he will be able to make an accurate diagnosis.

Symptoms characteristic of VSD are often a consequence of other pathologies:

• Pathological changes in the heart muscle;
• Heart defect;
• Irregularities in the heart rhythm typical of young children;
• Diffuse toxic chills;
• Cushing's syndrome;
• Infectious heart diseases of an inflammatory nature.

For diagnosis, the doctor will select all the necessary examination methods that will help identify related pathologies. The following measures are used to make a diagnosis in the following cases:

• When a child shows signs of a mental disorder, additional consultations with a psychiatrist will be required to rule out mental illness;
• If the baby has colitis and pain in the heart area, the doctor will prescribe an examination, the purpose of which will be to find out the presence of rheumatism. After all, this pathology has symptoms similar to VSD;
• Sometimes breathing problems can be caused by bronchial asthma, so you will need to examine your lungs;
• If a child has persistent high blood pressure, he will need to be examined to rule out hypertension.

In children, the hyperkinetic type of VSD is most often diagnosed, the cause of which may be stress or illness. In such a situation, the doctor tries to exclude various diseases, for example, oncology and acute respiratory infections, using tests.

Features of the course of therapy

First you need to understand that a child is a fragile and immature organism that grows and develops by looking at its parents and the world around it. He needs to be protected from a cruel society with care and love. All quarrels and conflicts should take place in a place where the baby cannot see it, because they can traumatize his fragile psyche.

Treatment of VSD in children should be carried out in stages and it is advisable not to use medications alone, which in large quantities can be harmful. In addition to them, you will need to create a daily routine so that the baby knows when and what he needs to do. Such a schedule should be compiled comprehensively, and not just 6 hours of physical education and 6 hours of study. It is necessary that the same time is set in the schedule for eating, walking, exercising, sleeping and studying. The baby’s body must have time to rest and be in good shape. For this purpose, it is desirable that all processes occur at the same hour every day, for example, if dinner is scheduled for 6 pm, then it should be at this time every day.

It is recommended to send your baby to a class, such as swimming or karate. After all, sport helps a child develop and strengthens his immunity. You should choose a sport based on your child’s preferences, since if he doesn’t like playing, another emotional burden will appear.

Experts advise taking a course of physiotherapy. Massage, acupuncture, and water procedures are of particular benefit in the treatment of VSD. It is not recommended to use such treatment methods on your own and only a doctor has the right to prescribe a course of physiotherapeutic treatment. Otherwise, you can harm the child’s body.

It is advisable to use traditional medicine only after permission from a doctor. It includes many methods to calm the nervous system and relieve the inflammatory process, if present in the body. Mainly used are decoctions of motherwort, valerian, hawthorn, mint, lemon balm, etc. If the desired effect of the treatment has not been achieved, then medications will have to be used. Among them, drugs with a sedative effect are usually chosen.

For preventive purposes and to reduce the manifestation of pathology, it is recommended to improve the diet. In it you need to reduce your consumption of junk food, such as sweets and fast food, and enrich your menu with vegetables and fruits. It is advisable to cook food by boiling or steaming, and avoid fried and smoked foods completely. It is not recommended to use spices.

It is necessary to follow the daily regimen and dosage of prescribed medications. You cannot increase or decrease the dose without the knowledge of the attending physician, since the effect should be achieved gradually and only a specialist knows best when to change the course of treatment.

The course of therapy often uses antidepressants and drugs to improve blood circulation. To enhance the effect, vitamin complexes are prescribed. Once every six months, regardless of the results of treatment, it is necessary to thoroughly examine the child, since it is necessary to find out whether pathological changes are developing in the body.

Treatment without drugs

The body of children is not yet strong enough and it is not recommended to overload it with drugs, especially psychotropic ones. It is for this reason that experts recommend doing without medications for vegetative-vascular dystonia. The following methods are useful for treating a child:

• Phytotherapy;
• Healthy sleep at least 8 hours a day;
• Treatment by a psychiatrist;
• Reducing physical and mental stress;
• Frequent walks in the fresh air;
• Proper nutrition;
• Taking vitamins.

Children love to sit in front of the computer and TV, so parents should ensure that this hobby is limited. The same applies to phones, which also strain the nervous system.

Treatment with drugs

With vegetative-vascular dystonia, symptoms and treatment in children are interrelated, but taking medications to relieve them is not always required. Doctors are reluctant to prescribe drugs in many cases. After all, the body can cope with most problems on its own if you lead a healthy lifestyle, but there are times when it needs help. In such a situation, it is necessary to use a medicinal course of treatment. It must be combined with drug-free therapy methods, proper nutrition and exercise.

At advanced stages of vegetative-vascular dystonia in children, treatment is prescribed after undergoing a medical examination by a group of doctors. Based on the general conclusion, the pediatrician will be able to formulate a course of therapy that is most suitable for a particular case.

The following groups of drugs are usually prescribed depending on the symptoms of VSD:

• Antidepressants. The tablets are used to relieve anxiety and bring the child out of depression;
• Antihypertensives. This group of drugs is intended to lower blood pressure;
• Circulatory stimulants. Drugs in this category are designed to improve blood flow;
• Neuroprotectors. Such tablets protect nerve cells and improve metabolism in the brain;
• Tranquilizers. They act as a sedative;
• Blockers. Designed to normalize heart rate during tachycardia;
• Antioxidants. A group of drugs that remove toxins from the body and also slow down cell oxidation.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia usually begins to be treated not immediately, but over time, when its course worsens and it begins to interfere with the normal rhythm of life. In children, this pathology can cause mental disorders, so it is recommended to undergo a course of therapy when the first symptoms of the pathology occur.

Sweating, weakness, increased fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, nausea... Modern medical science has described about 30 syndromes and about 150 complaints, on the basis of which a diagnosis of vegetative-vascular dystonia can be established. This diagnosis is heard so often even in pediatrics that it can easily claim the title of a disease of the 21st century. So what kind of disease is this? Should parents panic if their child’s medical record shows “vegetative-vascular dystonia”?

To begin with, it must be said that this disease does not pose a great danger to the life and health of the child, and many pediatricians consider it a borderline state between pathology and health. But the disease cannot be ignored - very often vegetative-vascular dystonia in children is accompanied by high or low blood pressure, which can later lead to the development of hypertension, coronary heart disease and many other dangerous diseases. VSD is an insidious disease: it is quite difficult to diagnose due to the heterogeneity and multiplicity of symptoms, because it affects several body systems at once, and it is not easy to treat.

Childhood vegetative-vascular dystonia, if we put aside all the complex medical terms, is a condition characterized by disruption of the functioning of organs or organ systems due to a disorder of nervous regulation. The disease does not cause disruption or damage to the integrity of organs and systems. All its manifestations are associated only with disturbances in the activity of the nervous and vascular systems - with vegetative-vascular dystonia, the nerve fibers do not cope with the functions assigned to them by nature, as a result of which disturbances in vascular tone appear.

It is important to promptly and correctly identify the symptoms, carry out a diagnosis with medical help and prescribe a course of treatment if the diagnosis is confirmed, because it is very difficult for a child to be in such a state.

Causes of vegetative-vascular dystonia

In childhood, the incidence of this disease ranges from 10-50% depending on age. The main reasons for the development of the disease are:

• vegetative-vascular dystonia in infants up to one year old - intrauterine infections, hypoxia, hereditary predisposition and perinatal pathology, for example, a newborn with encephalopathy has a high risk of VSD, toxic effects on the autonomic nervous system;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia in children under 5 years of age - toxicoinfectious (tonsillitis, caries, chronic tonsillitis) and general infections, anemia, allergic damage to the autonomic nervous system, traumatic brain injury;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia in children over 5 years of age and adolescents - high psycho-emotional stress, unbalanced nutrition, hormonal changes in the body during puberty, non-compliance with sleep and wakefulness, physical inactivity, stressful situations.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. The appearance of VSD is always facilitated by the congenital inferiority of the child’s autonomic nervous system. Depending on age, the disease will manifest itself differently.

Manifestations of the disease. Symptoms

Parents and doctors sometimes have to spend a lot of time and effort to establish a diagnosis in a child, because very different clinical symptoms can be observed at the same time.

In childhood up to 1 year

In infants, the main symptoms that suggest dystonia are observed in the gastrointestinal tract. The newborn often cries, has unstable stools, accompanied by persistent diarrhea or constipation, and burps excessively and frequently. His appetite is reduced, and weight gain is insufficient. Such children often suffer from food allergies, diathesis, dermatitis of various origins, and have inadequate sleep, often interrupted by waking up crying. An infant is not able to voice his complaints, so diagnosing VSD at this age is often difficult.

In preschool age

The child’s adaptive abilities are reduced - he often suffers from infectious diseases, is prone to colds, and is weather dependent. The baby chews poorly, has low body weight, is irritable, capricious, does not find a common language with his peers, is very attached to his mother, and does not want to communicate with anyone else. The child is extremely impressionable, fearful, and has low sociability.

At primary school age

At this age, paroxysmal symptoms come to the fore. The child may suffer from night terrors, insomnia, and anxiety. Hysterics, headaches, shortness of breath, increased fatigue, gait disturbances, pale skin, sudden mood swings, poor memory, sweating or chilliness are observed. Children complain of fainting conditions, body temperature often rises to low-grade fever for no apparent reason.

During adolescence

Due to hormonal changes, children at this age may experience disturbances in the sebaceous and sweat glands, dry and pale skin, and acne. The teenager often complains of drowsiness or insomnia, increased salivation, diarrhea, hiccups and nausea. He is suspicious and anxious, not stress-resistant.

The predominance of one or another symptom makes it possible to divide VSD according to the prevailing syndrome:

• cardiac syndrome. Manifests itself in disturbances of heart rhythms - bradycardia, arrhythmia, tachycardia. Sometimes an increase or decrease in blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, a feeling of lack of air, dizziness when changing the position of the body in space, discomfort in the heart area are recorded;
• respiratory syndrome. The child complains of shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, a feeling of lack of air, and it is difficult for him to inhale or exhale. Breathing is noisy and deep;
• thermoregulation disorder syndrome. Manifests itself in sweating or chilliness, body temperature rises to 37.5 -37.7 degrees and lasts for several hours;
• neurotic syndrome is characterized by prolonged periods of apathy, bad mood, depressive states, anxiety, susceptibility to fears or hysterics. The child is often prone to demonstrative behavior;
• Vegetative-vascular crises. The child may complain of difficulty urinating, pain in the stomach or intestines, and numbness in the limbs. Laboratory tests reveal an increase in glucose levels. The skin is pale or, on the contrary, reddened, “marbled” skin is observed.

If a child exhibits any symptoms characteristic of vegetative-vascular dystonia, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive examination of the body. Self-medication will not only bring no benefit, but can also further harm the child’s health.

The word is up to the doctors

All parents dream of their child being healthy. Therefore, the first thing to do if you suspect your baby has VSD is to contact your pediatrician. To make an accurate diagnosis and treatment, you may need to consult a neurologist, endocrinologist, or psychologist. Only the doctor decides how to treat vegetative-vascular dystonia in children, and it is up to the parents to strictly follow his recommendations.

Treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia in children is carried out mainly by non-drug methods, and as part of the diagnosis it is necessary to establish the factors that contributed to the development of the disease. Parents often try to treat their child with alternative medicine, but this can only be done after consulting a doctor.

Doctors turn to drug therapy only in cases of very severe disease, when its manifestations prevent the child from leading a normal lifestyle. It is symptomatic. The main goal of drug treatment is to restore the normal functioning of the nervous system. The main drugs for treatment are:

• group of nootropics: “Pantogam”, “Actovegin”, “Cavinton”, “Piracetam”. Nootropics help improve metabolic processes in nerve cells and restore microcirculation in the brain
• multivitamin complexes with micro and macro minerals. Particular priority is given to the administration of B vitamins;
• antispasmodics and analgesics are prescribed for pain.

Non-drug therapy involves massage, especially often of the collar area, physiotherapeutic procedures, exercise therapy, swimming, acupuncture, herbal medicine, electrophoresis, and psychotherapy. The sanatorium-resort treatment has proven itself to be excellent.

Traditional medicine offers its own recipes for normalizing conditions with VSD. Mint tea will help relieve attacks of irritability, a decoction of valerian will calm the nervous system and make it easier to fall asleep, milk with honey before bed will improve the quality of your sleep.

Prevention of VSD

It is necessary to normalize the child's daily routine. Avoid psycho-emotional stress; the time allotted for sleep should be at least 7-8 hours. The child should receive a fully balanced diet. Pay special attention to products containing increased amounts of vitamins, potassium and magnesium.

Limit your child's time at the computer or TV screen. Instead, give him the opportunity to be outdoors more often, regardless of the time of year and the temperature outside your window.

Smoking among teenagers, unfortunately, is not uncommon. Nicotine provokes vascular spasticity, which can further aggravate the course of vegetative-vascular dystonia. It is necessary to convince the teenager of the need to say goodbye to the bad habit.

The child must lead an active lifestyle. It is advisable to play sports that do not involve much physical activity: volleyball, swimming, cycling, skiing.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia has many symptoms and manifestations, many of them appear sooner or later in almost every child, but this does not mean that it is vegetative-vascular dystonia. In no case should parents independently establish a diagnosis and engage in treatment; this is the prerogative of the doctor. And the task of parents is to create optimal conditions for his growth and development!

Autonomic dysfunction or vegetative-vascular dystonia (neurocirculatory dystonia) is a set of symptoms or a separate syndrome that can develop as a result of many diseases, without being a separate ailment. The essence of the pathology is that there are no violations of the integrity of systems and organs. All manifestations of VSD are associated only with dysfunction of the vascular and nervous systems that arise for various reasons. VSD is not a disease, but a state of the body bordering between pathology and health.

Reasons for development

Approximately 25-80% of children are susceptible to the development of vegetative-vascular dystonia. As a rule, children living in large cities have an increased risk of autonomic dysfunction. VSD can manifest itself at absolutely any age in children, but according to statistics, the average age of pathology is 7 years. Also, children are especially prone to developing neurocirculatory dystonia during puberty.

The main reasons that cause vegetative-vascular dystonia are directly related to psychological and socio-economic factors:

• physical and mental stress that exceeds the norm that a child can withstand;
• the child’s adaptation to new conditions in society or in school life;
• large volume of training program;
• fast pace of learning;
• the use of new products, household chemicals and cosmetics that negatively affect the child’s health;
• change of world view;
• low social status of the family;
• difficulties communicating with other children;
• excessive demands of family members on the child;
• the child’s self-esteem is too low;
• a large flow of information that the child’s psyche is not able to process.

A child’s experience of situations at school and family that lead to stress adversely affects the state of the vascular and nervous system. Such disorders can fail in many systems within the body. There have been many cases of genetic predisposition to autonomic dysfunction, but the heredity factor is not the key factor in the development of the pathology.

Classification

There is no approved classification of vegetative-vascular dystonia; however, there is a division of pathology into generally accepted types. Autonomic dysfunction can be divided into two main types:

• primary – the pathological condition develops independently;
• secondary – develops as a result of diseases of the nervous system or internal organs (spinal cord or brain injuries, renal failure, diabetes mellitus).

Depending on the form of the disease and the nature of the course of VSD, it can be:

• constant – a chronic form of dystonia that does not have drops and jumps;
• paroxysmal - periodically exacerbations occur, but the rest of the time vegetative-vascular dystonia is invisible;
• mixed – signs of the two above types are present;
• hidden - the likelihood of developing dystonia appears only with a strong provoking factor.

The classification of disorders that occur during VSD in the cardiovascular system is as follows:

• hypotonic type – blood pressure is much lower than normal;
• hypertensive type – high blood pressure accompanied by a strong heartbeat;
• cardiac - this type of VSD is characterized by disturbances in the heartbeat, rhythm changes, and jumps;
• mixed type - includes all of the above types of violations.

There are a number of factors by which autonomic dysfunction can be divided into several more types, but the essence will always be the same: pathology can be accompanied by many unpleasant symptoms, so it is necessary to seek their exact definition from a qualified doctor and follow all his instructions.

Symptoms

Clinical manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia can be varied. There are no specific symptoms of this condition, which confuses many parents. As a rule, the manifestation of the syndrome is perceived as symptoms of various pathologies in systems or organs.

Particular attention should be paid to the child when observing the following indirect symptoms:

• cardiopalmus;
• frequent headaches, sometimes migraine-like;

Headache is a clear sign of the development of vegetative-vascular dystonia

• sleep disorders: insomnia or drowsiness;
• frequent mood swings, groundless fears and anxiety, tearfulness, apathy or anxiety;
• decreased activity, loss of interest in previously favorite games, decreased mobility;
• frequent sighs or shortness of breath;
• sudden periodic increases in body temperature for no apparent reason;
• manifestations of a dyspeptic nature (vomiting, nausea, diarrhea), abdominal pain, decreased appetite, strong or weak salivation;
• profuse acne;
• dry skin or, conversely, excessive sweating (disruptions in the secretion of sweat and sebaceous glands).

It is especially important for parents to carefully monitor the condition of young children who are not yet able to describe the feeling of discomfort and their unpleasant sensations.

Frequent manifestations of VSD in children are symptoms of respiratory neurosis: frequent sighs, difficulty exhaling, sudden shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air.

Symptoms of VSD from the digestive system are as follows: nausea, vomiting, hiccups, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. It may manifest itself as pain in the chest when swallowing due to spasm of the esophagus. Also a common symptom in children may be a failure of bile outflow.

Clinical symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia can also manifest themselves in the following disorders:

• urination: the bladder is emptied often, with a small amount of urine or rarely, but the amount of urine is copious;
• thermoregulation: during the day the child’s body temperature reaches 37.5 degrees, but returns to normal at night; may feel cold or chilly; there are likely to be different temperatures in the left and right armpits;
• nervous system: groundless fears and anxiety for no apparent reason, bad mood, hysterics, depression, lethargy, hypochondria, loss of interest in current events and high fatigue.

In a state of depression, a child may complain about sensations in the body that are not pleasant to him. Senestopathies (sensations of different nature, intensity and localization) are repeated, as a rule, every day, but can also be periodic. According to children's descriptions, they may resemble a feeling of coldness, burning, pain, distension or tingling. One day the sensation is aching, the next it’s stabbing. But such subjective symptoms are not a sign of autonomic dysfunction, despite the assumptions of many parents.

Autonomic crises are characteristic of neurocirculatory dystonia. However, with a mild form of the disease, they may not even appear. Panic attacks happen unexpectedly and quickly, over the course of several minutes. Such attacks are characterized by the following reactions and sensations: suffocation, trembling in the body, palpitations, numbness, sweating, weakness of the limbs.

The development of neurosis is likely as a consequence of fears of a recurrence of a similar condition. Not only does the child’s behavior change, but there is also a noticeable deterioration in adaptation in the social environment. Sometimes a child is able to blackmail adults with his poor health.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia may be accompanied by disturbances in vision, gait, speech and hearing. Sometimes children may feel a sense of hopelessness, fear for their health and fear of death. Such manifestations can be the cause of mental and physical stress or hormonal changes. In some cases, there is a connection between crises and weather changes.

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.

Treatment methods

In the treatment of autonomic dysfunction, two main methods are used - non-drug and medicinal. Traditional medicine is also sometimes used, but they can only be used after consultation with a qualified specialist.

Therapy without the use of medications is intended to eliminate the symptoms of a disease with mild or moderate manifestations. In such cases, it would be advisable to adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Use of psychotherapy in treatment: various relaxations, family psychotherapy.
2. Maintaining a daily routine: walks in the fresh air, reducing training loads, sleeping for at least 8 hours, limiting the use of a computer and TV.
3. Take multivitamins as prescribed by your doctor.
4. Maintaining a proper diet, which includes a sufficient amount of foods recommended by a special diet.
5. It is necessary to play sports with a moderate load: outdoor games, cycling, skating, swimming, gymnastics in the morning.
6. A course of physiotherapy (electrosleep, electrophoresis, etc.) and therapeutic massage is recommended.
7. It is permissible, according to the recommendations of a doctor, to use herbal medicine with a sedative or tonic effect.

Drug therapy is necessary in extreme cases, when vegetative-vascular dystonia is severe and interferes with a full life. Drugs are selected individually and strictly according to the doctor’s recommendation.

Nootropic drugs are used to normalize the functionality of the nervous system. These drugs are: Cavinton, Piracetam, Cerebrolysin, Pantogam. Complexes rich in minerals and vitamins, especially vitamin B, are also used. Antispasmodics are used for pain: No-shpa, Papaverine. Regarding how pronounced psychosomatic reactions are, antidepressants, psychostimulants, tranquilizers, antipsychotics are used: Rexitin, Bellataminal, Amitriptyline and others.

Traditional medicine that can help alleviate the condition of a sick child:

• tea from pine needles;
• infusion of mulberry (branches);
• a decoction of dill seeds and valerian (root);
• infusion of buckwheat (flowers);
• a decoction of a collection of herbs (chamomile, St. John's wort, immortelle) and birch buds with the addition of natural honey;
• warm milk with natural honey before bed.

Self-diagnosis and self-prescribed treatment are strictly contraindicated for VSD. It would be best for parents to provide the most favorable conditions for the child to calmly overcome the pathological condition.

Video: Doctor Komarovsky on the treatment of autonomic dysfunction

What should nutrition be like for VSD?

Nutrition correction is one of the main points in the treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia. That is why it is necessary to increase the amount of magnesium and potassium salts entering the body. They are contained in the following products:

• oatmeal and buckwheat porridge;
• legumes (peas, soybeans, beans);
• rose hip;
• raisin;
• dried apricots;
• eggplant;
• carrot;
• salad;
• nuts;
• parsley.

Thanks to these products, nerve impulses are transmitted and the performance of the heart and blood vessels improves. Also, foods rich in magnesium and potassium have a beneficial effect on restoring the balance between the sections of the ANS.

With the hypertensive type of autonomic dysfunction, you need to limit the consumption of the following products:

• coffee;
• salt;
• pickles and marinades.

Preference should be given to products that help reduce vascular tone: carrots, beans, spinach, lettuce, barley porridge, cottage cheese.

With the hypotonic type of neurocirculatory dystonia, increase the consumption of products that help increase vascular tone: coffee, tea, kefir, milk.

With the normotonic type of VSD, the diet includes foods that reduce spasms in blood vessels and improve blood flow: citrus fruits, vegetable oils, spices in moderation.

The danger of the disease and its prevention

Any manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia should not be attributed to nerves or age-related changes. It is quite possible that a child develops some serious illness. Self-treatment for VSD is excluded, since medications “for the heart” or “for blood pressure” have side effects. These effects may be particularly unpredictable in children.

When the syndrome develops gradually, the child may develop psychosomatic pathologies: physical or psychological maladjustment. Also, neurocirculatory dystonia with low or high blood pressure is the basis for the manifestation of coronary heart disease, hypertension and other serious diseases in older age.

You should be more attentive to children whose blood pressure is not normal. Constant monitoring of blood pressure levels is necessary throughout life, even in cases where there are no obvious sensations of an altered state.

Preventive measures should be aimed at preventing the impact of potential risk factors, harmonizing the child’s development, and measures aimed at overall improvement of health.

Prevention carried out consistently, timely detection of the disease and adequate treatment of disorders of the autonomic system in children can eliminate the manifestations of the pathological condition or significantly reduce them.

Important! Children who have been diagnosed with vegetative-vascular dystonia must be monitored by doctors and undergo regular preventive treatment.

Features in adolescence

Vivid manifestations of autonomic dysfunction occur in adolescent children, especially in adolescents of senior and middle school age. At this age, life is quite unstable and emotionally intense, and besides, children try to do everything: studies, friends, activities in clubs, homework.

The pathological condition in adolescents is accompanied by fatigue, drowsiness, irritability and weakness. Often the child complains of headaches, cold hands and feet, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing after minor physical exertion. A teenager may feel hot or cold; darkening of the eyes occurs (most often during sudden ascents); An increased heart rate and an attack of heart pain are often observed. Fainting is quite likely with vegetative-vascular dystonia in adolescents.

The disease is complicated by the fact that during the transition period, internal organs quickly grow and form in adolescents, which causes an imbalance in the body, metabolic failure and hormonal imbalances. This aggravates the course of autonomic dysfunction.

Almost all children in adolescence have disorders of somatic and autonomic functions. This is manifested by deviations that are characteristic of the period of formation of a teenager’s character and stabilization of his nervous system, that is, autonomic dysfunction. Experts note that almost 100% of teenagers suffer from this disease.. With age, the pathological condition disappears, remaining in only 15%. But if the disease is accompanied by diseases, then there is a need to undergo diagnostics and begin treatment.

So, if a child exhibits symptoms characteristic of vegetative dystonia, there is no need to postpone a visit to a specialist. It is imperative to carry out a diagnosis of VSD in order to establish how serious the child’s health condition is and to eliminate possible negative consequences.