Nausea dizziness anxiety psychosomatics

Symptoms of psychogenic dizziness

Psychosomatic dizziness is a complex of symptoms in the form of:

• lightheadedness;
• feelings of intoxication;
• anxiety;
• tension;
• darkening before the eyes;
• loss of balance;
• tinnitus;
• sensations of rotation of surrounding objects;
• lack of oxygen;
• increasing anxiety, severe nervousness.

Symptoms usually occur spontaneously, but usually the person begins to notice that the cause is a specific situation (for example, a fear of closed spaces or when a person begins to be among crowds).

Almost always, vertigo in depression is accompanied by hyperventilation, muscle spasms, and tachycardia, which indicates its vegetative nature.

How to distinguish from physiological vertigo

The main clinical sign that allows psychogenic dizziness to be distinguished from physiological (true, DPP) is that it is accompanied by a chain of interrelated processes. Emotional anxiety provokes depression, depression aggravates anxiety.

This affects the somatic nervous system, causing lightheadedness and dizziness. Vertigo can be sporadic or constant.

When should we say that dizziness is caused by psychosomatics?

In life, attacks of dizziness can appear for completely different reasons. It could be due to a change in weather, increased blood pressure, or simply as a symptom of some disease. It is not for nothing that doctors do not like such a complaint as dizziness, since it is extremely difficult to determine its cause.

When are we talking about psychosomatics? When is dizziness due to some internal cause rather than a disease of the body?

The answer is simple - if there are no obvious reasons, but dizziness appears systematically. In this case, the disease goes into the section of psychological problems.

The main causes of the disease

According to scientists who have studied the psychosomatics of dizziness, it is more common in people prone to panic attacks. Mostly psychogenic vertigo occurs against a background of stress, and there are many factors that can provoke it. This can be a constant state of anxiety for yourself or your loved ones, chronic fatigue and even lack of sleep.

Climax

Menopause occurs in women around 50 years of age and is accompanied by hormonal disorders and loss of reproductive function.
One of the main problems that a woman faces during menopause is a violation of psychological balance. She is disturbed by suspiciousness, irritability, and becomes vulnerable. Vertigo may appear against a background of constant anxiety.

During this period, the support of loved ones and a friendly atmosphere are important to the lady. This helps get rid of unpleasant symptoms.

Stress and depression

Stress is one of the main causes of psychogenic dizziness. When a person is on edge, the lungs hyperventilate, which in turn causes the arteries to narrow, causing less blood to reach the brain and other parts of the body. The result is that a person becomes dizzy and his fingers and toes go numb.

To relieve dizziness after stress, you need to sit down, calm down, breathe deeply, or go for a walk in the fresh air.

Lack of sleep

Lack of sleep can cause persistent headaches and dizziness. If lack of sleep is constant, the pain can turn into a migraine.

Usually the pain is concentrated in the neck area, sometimes affecting the upper back. Getting rid of the disease is simple. All you need to do is get a good night's sleep.

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Osteochnodrosis is a common disease of people employed in sedentary professions. When it occurs, abrasion of the vertebrae occurs, even to the point of disc rupture. In advanced stages, the pathological process is accompanied by dehydration, lack of vitamin C, and infectious processes.

The first symptom that occurs with osteochondrosis is dizziness. Patients also feel:

• nausea and vomiting;
• blood pressure problems;
• visual impairment;
• noise, ringing in the ears;
• instability, unsteadiness of gait, loss of coordination.

With sudden movements of the head, vertigo intensifies, and headaches with osteochondrosis cannot be treated with analgesics, as they are caused by traumatic processes in the vertebrae. Typically, patients with osteochondrosis are prescribed Mexidol.

Meniere's disease

Meniere's disease is a disease of the inner ear that causes sudden attacks of dizziness when everything around you seems to be spinning. Hearing loss or tinnitus are common. Attacks of vertigo may be accompanied by vomiting, sweating, and weakness. They last for several hours, after which improvement occurs. As deafness increases, attacks occur less frequently.

High blood pressure

Vertigo is a common and common symptom of hypertension. During crises, a person can only lie in bed with his eyes closed. When you open your eyes, the headache and dizziness intensify, and the urge to vomit appears.

Sometimes increased blood pressure is accompanied by increased heart rate and nosebleeds.

Due to frequent illnesses, the character deteriorates. The person becomes angry, irritable, tough.

Previous stroke

A stroke does not go away without leaving a trace and is accompanied by disruption of many body systems. Thus, the blood supply suffers, atrophy of brain tissue is observed, and some functions are lost.

One of the complications after a stroke is frequent dizziness, which is accompanied by headache. A course of restorative therapy and lifestyle changes help relieve discomfort.

Pinched artery in the neck

Pinched cervical artery or vertebral artery syndrome occurs due to disruption of blood flow in the vertebral arteries. This condition is accompanied by vertigo. Occurs for the following reasons:

• abnormalities in the structure of the artery, its pathological tortuosity;
• diseases that reduce the lumen of blood vessels (arteritis, atherosclerosis, embolism and thrombosis;
• external compression of the artery due to cervical osteochondrosis, trauma, scoliosis, due to tumors or muscle spasms.

Neuritis

Sudden dizziness and disturbances in the functioning of the vestibular system are observed with inflammation of the vestibucochlear nerve - vestibular neuritis. In this case, dizziness is caused by a disease of the inner ear.

Neuritis occurs spontaneously and the factors that caused its development are uncertain. Usually these are viruses, problems with the vegetative-vascular system (VSD), infections, fungi, Meniere's disease, drug intoxication, i.e., secondary problems.

Problems of blood supply to the vestibular apparatus

The vestibular system is responsible for human balance and orientation in space. When its work is disrupted, dizziness, problems with hearing and vision occur. This is a consequence of the development of infectious, inflammatory diseases, as well as impaired blood supply.

A particularly dangerous problem is blockage of the internal auditory artery, as it occurs in conjunction with a circulatory disorder in the brain. The result may be a cerebellar stroke or heart attack.

The main signs of circulatory disorders of the vestibular apparatus are acute dizziness, loss of balance and coordination, and one-sided deafness. If you notice these symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.

A brain tumor

50% of patients with brain tumors experience dizziness. It is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, cold sweat, drop in temperature, cold extremities, pale skin, tinnitus, and fainting.

During vertigo, muscle cramps may appear, limbs begin to shake, and spontaneous turns of the eyes and head to the sides occur.

Dizziness most often occurs in the morning, in a certain position in bed. This results in people being forced to hold their head in a certain position.

Migraine

According to statistics, 70% of people suffering from migraines complain of vertigo of varying severity and nature.

Vestibular disorders occur during a migraine attack, but sometimes in the intervals between them. Dizziness precedes the headache and lasts from a few minutes to an hour. Accompanied by nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, blurred vision.

These symptoms are based on deterioration of blood circulation in the vertebrobasilar arteries.

Why do you feel dizzy?

From a psychosomatic point of view, everything is quite simple. The most important reason for this symptom is the lack of soil under your feet, lack of stability . This often happens when a person:

• changes job
• changes place of residence,
• starts new relationships,
• destroys old relationships/loss of a loved one,
• makes an important decision in life,
• experiencing stress.

These situations are stressful for the body and nervous system, and also bring novelty and uncertainty.

Any human being is afraid of the new, it’s like something unbridled, something where “the foot has not yet stepped”, which is why dizziness appears.

The solution in this situation will be deep calm and acceptance of the inevitable. You need to stop worrying and let things happen as planned.

This is a rather difficult goal, but it is its achievement that leads to internal stability, and as a result, relief from dizziness.

Another reason for dizziness is a reluctance to see reality.

When your head starts to spin, everything around you loses clarity and outline, turning into blurry pictures. And sometimes a person completely loses consciousness. This is how the soul sends a signal to the body that it does not want to see reality clearly as it is.

This can apply both to the entire perception of the world as a whole, and to its individual elements.

For example, a person may not want to perceive his boss, and in the morning before work he feels dizzy. Or you don’t want to see your husband/wife’s shortcomings, and your head is spinning at home, etc.

The main recommendation for this reason is to accept reality again. It is impossible to change the world or someone, but it is possible to change the attitude towards it. This installation will help correct your internal position and get rid of dizziness.

Diagnosis of the disease

Before starting treatment for psychogenic dizziness, you need to undergo a diagnosis. The patient is recommended to consult the following specialists:

• therapist;
• otolaryngologist;
• cardiologist;
• neurologist;
• psychiatrist.

To determine the causes and nature of vertigo, the following types of examinations are prescribed:

• Ultrasound examination (ultrasound) of large vessels and arteries that supply blood to the brain;
• computed tomography (CT) of the brain. Allows you to identify disorders in the structure of the brain;
• radiography of the skull and cervical spine;
• blood tests: general and biochemical;
• determination of blood sugar levels;
• balance tests;
• audiography;
• definition of nystagmus.

At the initial stage of diagnosis, the doctor must exclude all causes that may be associated with loss of balance. These include:

• problems with vestibulation;
• diseases, the symptoms of which are dizziness and fainting.

The examinations described above help to detect and distinguish between these diseases.

At the second stage, neurotic disorders that arise against the background of stress and depression are diagnosed. The most common causes of a psychogenic nature are anxiety-depressive disorders and panic attacks.

Treatment

When examining a patient and further prescribing therapy, it is necessary to take into account that a prolonged state of nausea and vomiting disrupts metabolic processes. The primary reason for this is a decrease in extracellular fluid volume and loss of hydrogen ions.

Severe pathology can lead to rupture of the esophageal mucosa, as well as injury to the esophagogastric junction. Therefore, treatment will be aimed not only at improving the emotional state, but also at physical complications.

In order not to experience the unpleasant sensations of nausea and vomiting of a psychosomatic nature, you need to change your attitude towards life. Perceive each situation in the form of a positive lesson, another interesting stage, and benefit from passing through it.

Complex treatment

How to treat psychogenic dizziness? Therapy is carried out using medicinal and non-medicinal methods, with preference given to the latter:

• psychotherapy;
• gymnastics to improve the vestibular periphery;
• breathing exercises to improve vascular tone.

The main goal of therapy is to change the internal attitude towards traumatic situations in such a way that disturbing symptoms and vertigo do not occur. This is a difficult task, as it requires a lot of work on yourself and your fears.

The patient’s diet is also reviewed; it is necessary to take vitamins C and A. They are contained in the following products:

• citrus fruits (oranges, lemons);
• beef liver;
• fish fat;
• carrot;
• rose hip;
• persimmon;
• strawberry;
• black currant;
• fatty dairy products;
• sprouted grain crops.

The correct diet and the content of all necessary vitamins, macro- and microelements in the diet are important. It is recommended to eat at the same time, portions should be small, and meals should be frequent. Among the medications for the treatment of psychogenic dizziness, the following drugs are prescribed:

All of the above drugs are prescribed by a doctor and taken in long courses until a positive effect is achieved, when the patient feels better.

Folk remedies

Since the priority for the treatment of psychogenic dizziness is non-drug means, folk recipes are welcome. Let's name some unconventional methods on how to get rid of vertigo at home:

1. Aromatherapy with juniper and orange oil.
2. Oregano infusion: pour 2 tbsp. l. herbs 0.5 liters of boiling water.
3. Lavender infusion: 1 tbsp. l. herbs per glass of boiling water.

You can eat pomegranate and drink ginger tea half an hour before each meal. Although such methods do not give quick results, with long-term use they help fight vertigo.

Associated symptoms

The most common symptoms of dizziness in vegetative-vascular dystonia and neurosis are:

• feeling of confusion;
• a feeling of unreality of what is happening, which is accompanied by “fog” in the head;
• loss of clarity of vision and blurriness of surrounding objects.

Additional symptoms that often accompany dizziness with VSD are:

• increased blood pressure;
• an inexplicable feeling of fear and anxiety;
• cardiopalmus;
• chest pain;
• trembling in hands;
• shortness of breath (feeling of lack of air);
• apathy.

There are symptoms that patients mistakenly confuse with dizziness.

Here are some of them:

• Feeling unsteady.
• Feeling of "emptiness" in the head.

Since the psychosomatics of vegetative-vascular dystonia leads to disturbances in the elasticity and tone of blood vessels, this favors the development of many diseases. There are no specific signs by which one can judge the development of disorders.

Symptoms will depend on which part of the body reacts to the stimulus to a greater extent. It is worth noting that in women with vegetative-vascular dystonia, the psychosomatics of the disease are more pronounced than in men.

Prevention

Dizziness from stress can be prevented and even cured if you take simple preventive measures:

1. Vestibular gymnastics. Improves a person’s ability to maintain balance and navigate the surrounding space, and helps control attacks of vertigo.
2. Active and healthy lifestyle. Mobility is a great workout for the vestibular system.
3. Proper nutrition and special diet.
4. Compliance with the work and rest regime. You need to sleep at least 8 hours a day, as lack of sleep can cause attacks of vertigo.
5. Minimizing stress in order to eliminate neurosis, neurasthenia and depressive disorder.

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How to diagnose psychosomatic manifestations of nausea

But what to do when the body works without failures, there should be no physical metamorphosis, but a person constantly experiences a feeling of nausea or empties his stomach at the wrong moment? Then you should look for the reasons for this much deeper, namely in your brain.

Emotional instability and psychological disorders are the first causes of psychosomatic diseases. If you do not take any action and let everything take its course, then in the future diseases will appear one after another, the nature of which no doctor will know.

Strong experiences are common to every person. They can be noticed before some important events in life: getting a new job, exams at school or university, before a first date with a person you really like. Very often such emotions lead to nausea. It is difficult to deal with it and many cannot combine these two events: worries about some reason and vomiting. But they are inseparable. With frequent manifestations, psychosomatic disease occurs.

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Today in the #theoryofpsychosomatics20 section we will briefly talk about the problem of dizziness.