Dizziness with vegetative-vascular dystonia

Vegetovascular dystonia is a controversial diagnosis in medical practice. It is given to many people if the cause of violations on the part of various body systems is unclear. It is difficult to make a correct diagnosis, because VSD is characterized by a variety of symptoms. According to research, there are approximately 150 clinical manifestations of dystonia.

These include the following:

• dizziness;
• headache;
• sleep disturbance;
• emotional lability;
• deterioration of attention, memory;
• heaviness in the heart, stomach, liver, intestines;
• fatigue;
• panic attacks;
• feeling of fear, internal anxiety;
• blurred vision;
• weakness;
• rise/fall of pressure;
• tachycardia or bradycardia;
• numbness, chilliness of the limbs;
• leg cramps;
• fainting.

The most common complaint of patients is dizziness with VSD. Why can she spin, what is meant by this term? This is a subjective state characterized by a feeling of movement of the body or surrounding objects in space. The mechanism of formation of this phenomenon is associated with a disruption in the supply of oxygen and the outflow of decay products from brain tissue.

Reasons for the development of dystonia

The appearance of VSD is due to the following reasons:

• burdened heredity;
• functional changes in the body;
• concomitant pathology;
• stress;
• obesity;
• bad habits;
• character traits of a person.

It has been proven that with a genetic predisposition, the disease can appear at an early age and be severe. The occurrence of VSD since childhood is considered a poor prognostic sign. A high risk of developing vegetative-vascular dystonia is observed during periods of body restructuring. Thus, during adolescence, with the intensification and activation of the production of sex hormones, symptoms of VSD often occur. A pregnant woman can also suffer from this disease. The critical period for its formation is considered to be the first trimester of pregnancy. In older people (after 60 years), metabolic processes slow down, causing a decrease in hormone production and functional restructuring of the body. This may cause the development of vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Why do you feel dizzy with VSD? Pathology of the thyroid gland, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease or neurosis can be the cause of the development of this symptom in patients with dystonia, or be a manifestation of the disease itself. To get rid of the feeling of dizziness, it is recommended to consult a doctor for a full examination and prescribe appropriate treatment measures.

Literary sources indicate another mechanism for the appearance of dizziness in vegetative-vascular dystonia. It lies in the fact that during anxiety or panic attacks, a person begins to breathe rapidly. This leads to the rapid removal of carbon dioxide from the lungs, and its level in the blood decreases (hypocapnia). Dizziness or short-term fainting occurs.

There is a connection between character traits and the manifestation of vegetative-vascular dystonia. Dizziness often occurs in people with an unbalanced temperament (melancholic, choleric).

How to get rid of nausea and vomiting with VSD?

1. Wash yourself with warm water or stand in the shower - the water will relieve nervous and muscle tension and the spasm will subside.
2. Even out your breathing - take a comfortable position and try to concentrate on your breathing. Take slow breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. As soon as breathing stabilizes, the attack of nausea will subside.
3. Make your abdominal muscles work. The “vacuum” exercise works well. To do this, exhale slowly and draw in your stomach as much as possible. Lock it in this position for as long as possible. The flow of blood into the gastrointestinal tract will improve your well-being and nausea will stop.

Important! Vegetative-vascular dystonia is not a problem of the gastrointestinal tract, but of the nervous system. Failures in the functioning of the central nervous system lead to the appearance of such disorders.

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The nature of dizziness with VSD

Depending on the form (constant or paroxysmal) and the severity of the manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia, the nature of dizziness changes. With a permanent form, discomfort occurs in the head (circling, pain). Their continuous flow makes the patient exhausted. He becomes irritable, feeling weak and tired. There may also be nagging or stabbing pain in the area of ​​the heart or other organs (liver, gall bladder, stomach), lack of appetite, and the person may feel sick.

Dizziness in the paroxysmal form of vegetative-vascular dystonia occurs against the background of vegetative crises. Differential diagnosis consists of a clinical picture characteristic of each crisis.

Dizziness during crises

Vascular crises with dystonia are divided into the following types:

• sympathoadrenal;
• vagotonic;
• mixed.

The development of a sympathoadrenal crisis is possible against the background of dystonia of the hypertensive type. In the literature you can find the definition of “panic attack,” which is another name for a crisis. Its main manifestations are as follows:

• acute onset;
• a sharp increase in blood pressure;
• facial redness;
• the appearance of headache and dizziness;
• noise in ears;
• skin hypersensitivity;
• dyspnea;
• palpitations and heart pain;
• coldness of the extremities.

The attack can last about two hours. Its end is indicated by copious discharge of light-colored urine.

Vagotonic crisis is manifested by the predominance of the following symptoms in the clinical picture:

• decrease in heart rate and pulse;
• feeling of weakness;
• ringing in the ears combined with dizziness;
• fainting;
• stomach ache;
• nausea;
• increased gas formation in the intestines;
• sweating;
• salivation;
• drop in blood pressure numbers;
• decreased body temperature;
• urinary retention.

The mixed type is characterized by the presence of manifestations of sympathoadrenal and vagotonic crisis.

Dizziness in schoolchildren

Children who study at school often suffer from various symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia, which may include the following:

• increased anxiety;
• increased sweat production;
• development of panic attacks;
• headache;
• the occurrence of dizziness.

What factors influence the occurrence of dizziness in schoolchildren?

• high mental and physical stress (especially occurring for the first time, for example, among first-graders);
• a large number of additional activities that do not allow the child to fully rest;
• change of usual environment;
• onset of puberty;
• anxiety about grades at school;
• phobias related to being in a large group of people.

We recommend reading: How to diagnose VSD with suffocation in the neck and throat area and carry out treatment

To neutralize the appearance of dizziness in school-age children, you should first of all change your usual lifestyle:

• adjust the daily routine by correctly determining the time for mental work, physical activity and rest;
• be sure to organize a good night’s sleep in a comfortable environment;
• walk outside every day, breathing in fresh air;
• improve your diet by including fresh foods, cereals, and lean meat and fish dishes in your diet, while eliminating fast foods, salted foods, and smoked foods.

Medicines, even with a slight sedative effect, can only be prescribed to schoolchildren by a doctor, after conducting an appropriate examination of the body.

Ways to relieve an attack

If you're feeling dizzy for the first time, don't panic. Sit down, take a few deep breaths and rest with your eyes closed for 1-2 minutes. It can often become stormy due to stress, so it is recommended to take sedatives - Valerian, Novo-Passit - to relieve the body of unpleasant sensations.

Be sure to measure your blood pressure. Taking a warm shower or drinking coffee with dark chocolate for hypotension can help reduce pain and burning in the head with VSD. High blood pressure must be treated with antihypertensive drugs previously prescribed by a cardiologist or therapist. If they are not in your first aid kit, it is recommended to call an ambulance or consult a doctor yourself to relieve the attack. An uncontrolled increase in blood pressure increases the risk of severe complications such as heart attack, stroke, aortic rupture, or hemorrhages in brain structures.

Determine the type of dizziness

There are 2 types of dizziness:

• vertigo (true),
• false (psychogenic).

In true cases, it seems to a person that he himself or the objects around him are rotating (labyrinthitis).

Psychogenic is not associated with disruption of the vestibular apparatus; with VSD it occurs unexpectedly, usually in a stressful situation due to being in a confined space or in crowded places.

Signs of psychogenic dizziness:

• feeling of “fog in the head”, dark vision, fear of losing consciousness;
• muscle pain, nausea, feeling of lack of oxygen.

Medicines prescribed for vertigo have no effect in the treatment of psychogenic dizziness; on the contrary, they can cause harm.

Classification of dizziness

Dizziness is divided into the following types:

• vertigo (true) or peripheral – pathology of the vestibular apparatus;
• psychogenic (false);
• central – damage at the cellular level of the brain.

Dizziness as a symptom occurs in various pathologies. There are about 80 diseases in which it appears. Among them are the following frequently encountered pathologies:

• Meniere's disease;
• VSD;
• insufficiency of the vertebrobasilar system;
• mental disorders (depression, neuroses, anxiety);
• osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine.

Types of ailments

There are two types of dizziness:

• Physiological . It is caused by insufficient vascular tone and lack of oxygen in the brain as a result of various pathologies.
• Psychogenic . Attacks of psychogenic dizziness catch a person at moments of emotional stress. The patient's consciousness begins to become confused, a feeling of vibration or rotation of everything around appears, he cannot focus his eyes and concentrate.

Reference! Physiological dizziness is usually called true, psychogenic - false.

Diagnostics

A comprehensive examination of patients allows us to accurately determine the cause of dizziness. To do this, it is necessary to undergo studies aimed at identifying pathologies of the cardiovascular, endocrine, nervous systems and musculoskeletal system. The patient must be sent for a consultation with an ENT doctor to confirm or rule out diseases of the vestibular apparatus.

In making a diagnosis, an important role is played by the results of instrumental research methods, such as:

• ECG;
• Ultrasound of the heart;
• MRI of the spine;
• angiography of head and neck vessels;
• EEG (electroencephalography);
• CT scan of the head.

How does the nervous system mock balance?

Some VSDers have noticed this pattern: after severe stress or another negative factor, several days should pass, and only then the nervous system will play a cruel joke on the brain. How does this happen?

We recommend that you read: Sweating due to nervousness - how to overcome it?

Treatment

The disease cannot be cured completely, but the number of relapses can be reduced. Noise in the head with VSD is psychogenic in nature. The type of VSD largely determines the further management of such patients. An important aspect of the treatment of patients with vegetative-vascular dystonia of both types is psychotherapy sessions.

The hypotonic type involves the prescription of medications that increase vascular tone, as well as immunomodulators and vitamin preparations. Patients with a tendency to low blood pressure should strengthen the body through exercise, walking, proper nutrition and giving up bad habits.

For the hypertensive type, antihypertensive and sedative drugs are prescribed. Such patients are recommended to reduce the impact of stress factors on the body, carry out comprehensive immunization and lead a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce the development of exacerbations of the disease or worsen the course of dystonia.

It is possible to use methods of traditional medicine and homeopathy. But you should not treat yourself, so as not to harm the body. Good results are observed in patients after sanatorium-resort treatment.

Therapy for dizziness

In order to avoid dizziness, an integrated approach is usually used during the course of the disease. Treatment for dizziness due to VSD includes the following:

1. The use of physical therapy. All exercises must be agreed upon with a doctor.
2. Drug treatment. The best pills for dizziness and for stabilizing the condition of VSD: Eltacin, Sulpiride, Pentoxifylline, Novopassit. Pharmacy tinctures also have a beneficial effect. For example, Eleutherococcus.
3. Psychotherapy. Often the causes of dizziness are laid down at a subconscious level. Several visits to an experienced psychologist will help reduce them to nothing.
4. Physiotherapy. It will be useful to attend procedures such as a massage room or a swimming pool.

Prevention

How to get rid of dizziness with VSD? You should adhere to preventive measures, which are based on the following:

• adhere to doctor's orders;
• balanced diet;
• normalization of work and rest schedule (8 hours sleep);
• playing sports (morning exercises, jogging, walking, swimming);
• hardening of the body (contrast shower);
• aromatherapy;
• remove bad habits;
• avoid severe stress and overwork;
• visiting massage sessions 2 times a year.

If you are prone to hypotension, it is recommended to eat foods that increase blood pressure - coffee, chocolate, green tea. If your blood pressure increases, on the contrary, limit their intake.

What to do when you feel dizzy

Let's consider what to do if dizziness suddenly occurs during VSD:

• give up panic, try to calm down;
• quickly take a horizontal position;
• breathe deeply;
• if possible, smell ammonia;
• eat a piece of chocolate or candy;
• put Validol under your tongue.

The main thing is that when your condition improves, do not jump up and run to do your daily activities. This will contribute to the recurrence of the attack. It's better to allow yourself to relax and unwind a little.