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Vegetovascular dystonia does not happen and other myths about this disease
VSD, or vegetative-vascular dystonia, is one of the most discussed diagnoses both among doctors and among patients. Let’s finally figure out what is true and what is myth. Neurologist Elena Belenko will help us figure it out.
Physician-neurologist, neurologist-vegetologist, candidate of medical sciences, head of the Clinical Center for Autonomic Neurology
Vegetovascular dystonia, or the abbreviation VVD, well known to many, is one of the most discussed diagnoses both among doctors and among patients. Over the years, the names of this disease have changed. From hypothalamic syndrome to neurosis and further to generalized anxiety disorder and autonomic dysfunction syndrome. The names changed, but the problem and the disease itself remained unchanged. ⠀
From the medical history
At the heart of the disease is a disruption of the autonomic nervous system, which leads to a functional disruption of the work of internal organs, since they are controlled by this part of the nervous system. The mental sphere of a person also suffers. ⠀
By the way, about the suffering of the psyche, I will share an experimental scientific fact. In the laboratory of Academician Pavlov, the upper cervical vegetative nodes were removed from the dogs. These are the first nodes of the sympathetic chain that runs along the spine from the neck to the coccyx. And we observed the following picture: the dog developed neurosis, the dog forgot all the skills it had been taught, and lost the ability to learn, became emotionally unstable. That is, the brain remained completely intact! The same effect was observed when the nodes were not removed, but disrupted from work – they poisoned or introduced an infection. This is such an important function of the vegetative nodes – to ensure the full functioning of the brain.
Let’s take a look at the main myths associated with the problem of autonomic dysfunction. ⠀ ⠀
Myths about vegetative dystonia
1. There is no such disease ⠀ ⠀
A very harmful and unpleasant substitution of concepts – if there is no diagnosis of VSD, then there is no such disease either. I wonder where did she go? Or did the suffering people suddenly become simulators? And in the ranks of simulators there is a constant replenishment. ⠀
There really is no diagnosis, you will not find it in the modern classification of the disease. It remains strange that the wording of the VSD can still be found in the official extracts of hospitals.
Today, the diagnosis is formulated as follows – somatoform dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, and then it is revealed syndromally, that is, the main clinical manifestations. For example, cardiovascular syndrome, if you are worried about tachycardia or interruptions in the work of the heart, hyperventilation syndrome – with a feeling of lack of air, a coma in the throat, gastroenteric syndrome, if the gastrointestinal tract is worried.
2. It’s a vascular disease ⠀ ⠀
Vessels can certainly suffer, but secondarily. With vegetative dysfunction, everything is in order with the vessels themselves, they are completely passable and retain all their properties – to narrow, expand and deliver blood to its intended purpose. The problem is that the vegetative centers, being in a hyperactive state, cannot fully provide the normal vascular tone. The vessels do not narrow and dilate by themselves, but only on a signal from the autonomic nervous system. ⠀⠀
3. A terrible disease unknown to doctors ⠀ ⠀
This is the opinion of many patients with autonomic dysfunction. They come to this alarming conclusion for a number of reasons. Firstly, in almost all analyzes and examinations that patients pass and carry out in sufficiently large quantities, there are no deviations, and if they find something, then these are minor deviations that cannot explain the existing complaints. ⠀
Why is this happening? Because there are no problems in the work of organs and blood vessels, they are essentially healthy. Control over their work by the autonomic nervous system suffers. And this is not visible in the blood tests. In examinations of the work of organs, too. We need specific examinations that test the work of the autonomic division of the nervous system.
Secondly, often the prescribed treatment does not bring relief or brings temporary relief, the patient is disappointed, concludes that the diagnosis has been made incorrectly, and continues to search for the “true” disease. ⠀
4. Inherited ⠀ ⠀
There are such observations when, in the same family, the mother, the grandmother, the children have signs of autonomic dysfunction. However, this does not in any way confirm the fact of heredity.
Autonomic nerve centers can suffer from various reasons, no one is immune from them. All these are different types of stress, from severe psycho-emotional situations to chronic diseases or severe anesthesia, or alcohol.
5. Incurable
Different specialists are trying to find an approach to getting rid of this disease – psychologists, psychotherapists, osteopaths, reflexologists, neurologists. One thing is important – autonomic dysfunction is curable, in most cases completely and for a long time. Not all approaches are equally effective, this is the reason for the formation of such a myth. ⠀
The autonomic nervous system is sensitive to various types of physiotherapy. An important point is diagnostics in order to understand which part of the nerve chain must be returned to normal operation. In some cases, a reasonable drug correction of the manifestations of the disease is needed. All patients with autonomic dystonia have a chance of complete recovery.