If you are often worried about dizziness, increased heart rate, or pressure surges, then first of all you need to consult a neurologist (neurologist). It is an experienced neurologist at the EXPERT Clinic who will be able to carry out the differential diagnosis necessary to exclude other diseases with symptoms similar to VSD.
Neurologist Bezukh Svetlana Mikhailovna - Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor with 37 years of medical experience. The accumulated experience allows her to quickly formulate a diagnosis, prescribe only the necessary examination and effective treatment.
During the consultation, the doctor will conduct an examination and ask you in detail about your complaints - how, where exactly, in what situations your head hurts and feels dizzy, whether there are pressure surges, attacks of nausea, fainting, how long the attacks last and other questions.
The neurologist will also prescribe the necessary instrumental and laboratory examinations, which can be partially or fully completed immediately after the consultation:
- ECG
- Ultrasound of bracheocephalic vessels (head and neck)
- 24-hour ECG and blood pressure monitoring
- x-ray of the spine
- blood and urine tests.
Additionally, you may need to consult related specialists - a cardiologist, gastroenterologist, endocrinologist.
About vegetative-vascular dystonia
Vegetovascular dystonia (in other words, autonomic dysfunction) is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system is part of the nervous system that regulates many processes in the internal organs. It is sometimes called the autonomic nervous system because... regulation occurs autonomously, i.e. without the participation of human consciousness. The autonomic nervous system conventionally has two divisions: sympathetic and parasympathetic, which are responsible for oppositely directed actions: for example, the parasympathetic division stimulates digestion, and the sympathetic one slows it down. Normally, the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems are in balance without predominance of one over the other.
Vegetovascular dystonia is an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system, the consequence of which is disruption of the functioning of internal organs. Vegetative-vascular dystonia affects up to 70% of the adult population and 15-25% of children.
Heart sinking
Atherosclerosis
Menopause
37712 20 October
IMPORTANT!
The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Fading of the heart: causes of occurrence, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and treatment methods.
Description
Fading of the heart is a subjective feeling of the absence or skipping of another heartbeat in a certain period of time, accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the heart area, in some cases, dizziness and darkening of the eyes. Heart stopping is a symptom of a wide range of diseases: from the most harmless ones that do not require treatment to serious pathologies that require medical intervention.
Types of heart palpitations
Normally, the heart contracts rhythmically, at approximately equal intervals. The contraction frequency ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute.
There are several types of heart failure:
- Fading of the heart due to a compensatory pause during extrasystole. There is a sensation of a strong or double heartbeat against the background of a normal rhythm, followed by a short pause felt by the patient.
- Varying intervals between contractions can also cause the heart to feel as if it is stopping (common with atrial fibrillation).
- Pauses of the heart due to blockade of impulses.
- Feeling of freezing with reduced pumping function of the heart (with severe heart failure).
Possible causes of heart failure
First, we list the most common risk factors for cardiac problems:
- Smoking
is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This also includes alcohol, caffeine and drugs. - High levels of “bad” cholesterol
- intermediate, low and very low density lipoproteins (IDL, LDL, VLDL). - High blood pressure
.
The feeling of interruptions and pauses in the work of the heart in most cases is caused by extrasystoles, or premature contractions of the heart.
Extrasystoles are often observed in completely healthy people, while there are no signs of myocardial dysfunction, and correction is not required.
However, if attacks of extrasystole exceed the permissible norms per day (diagnosis is carried out using daily ECG monitoring), additional examination and treatment are required.
Less commonly, the cause of heart failure is atrial fibrillation (atrial fibrillation) or blockade of the conduction system of the heart. Atrial fibrillation occurs when the electrical activity of the atria is disrupted with the occurrence of a large number of impulses and chaotic contraction of the atria.
Only a portion of the impulses pass to the ventricles of the heart in an irregular rhythm - hence the fading of the heart, as well as other unpleasant sensations.
Atrial fibrillation can occur in the form of attacks (paroxysms), or it can be permanent. The diagnosis is made based on the results of the ECG.
Blockades of the conduction system of the heart, depending on the severity, manifest themselves in different ways: from asymptomatic to loss of consciousness. Feelings of heart stopping most often occur with 2nd degree atrioventricular block.
There is a gradual depletion of the atrioventricular (AV, AV) node, a decrease in the ability to conduct impulses, and a kind of pause occurs, which the patient clearly feels.
Causes of disturbances in the structure of the conduction system of the heart:
- myocardial infarction with subsequent replacement by connective tissue of destroyed heart structures, including important bundles that conduct electrical impulses from the sinus node;
- coronary heart disease, when due to atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, adequate blood supply to the myocardial areas in the area of the conduction bundles is disrupted and sclerodegenerative fibrosis (replacement with connective tissue) of the affected tissue areas develops;
- myocarditis (inflammatory damage to the heart muscle);
- dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy;
- congenital anomalies of the structure of the conduction system of the heart.
Sick sinus node syndrome (SSNS) is a rare condition caused by a decrease in the functional ability of the sinus node to act as the main pacemaker and ensure regular conduction of impulses to the atria, which predetermines the appearance of cardiac slowdown and accompanying arrhythmias.
Patients often complain of dizziness, poor exercise tolerance, shortness of breath on exertion, fatigue and episodes of weakness.
Many cardiac problems, which at first glance are not related to rhythm disturbances, can ultimately lead to the appearance of various arrhythmias, accompanied by a feeling of cardiac arrest. For example, with hypertension, the myocardial wall thickens and the nutrition of heart cells is disrupted, which leads to the appearance of ectopic (irregular) impulses. With various defects of the valve apparatus, without treatment, a gradual change in the structure of the heart muscle occurs with the appearance of connective tissue and disruption of the normal conduction pathways of the heart.
Among the non-cardiological reasons for the feeling of heart failure, it is worth noting the menopause, which is accompanied by changes in hormonal levels and various unpleasant sensations and discomfort not associated with disturbances in the functioning of the heart.
Hypothyroidism may cause a slow heartbeat (bradycardia) and a feeling of pauses in the heart. This is due to insufficient levels of thyroid hormones.
During intoxication (during infectious diseases, with severe sweating, vomiting and diarrhea), a loss of electrolytes (potassium, sodium and magnesium ions) occurs, which leads to disruption of the water-salt balance in the body and the occurrence of various rhythm disturbances.
Taking certain medications may be accompanied by a slower heart rate, slower impulse conduction, and a feeling of heart stopping. These drugs include cardiac glycosides, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, sympatholytic agents, antidepressants, and narcotic analgesics.
In persons with a labile psyche and frequent emotional experiences, a subjective feeling of discomfort in the chest area and cardiac arrest without visible organic pathology is possible.
Which doctors should I contact?
If various disturbances in the functioning of the heart occur, you should consult a cardiologist. To exclude non-cardiological causes of the feeling of heart failure, the cardiologist can refer you to a general practitioner and endocrinologist.
If the cause of heart rhythm disturbances is the use of medications, you must contact your doctor to adjust the dose or replace the drug.
Diagnosis and examination of cardiac arrest
First of all, to detect cardiac arrhythmias, counting the pulse and heart rate is used. When examining a patient, the doctor uses auscultation to listen to the heart rhythm and detect other accompanying symptoms in order to diagnose the disease that has caused the change in heart rate.
If a pathological change in heart rhythm is detected, a therapist or cardiologist will prescribe an electrocardiographic study (ECG).
Causes of vegetative-vascular dystonia
To get rid of vegetative-vascular dystonia, it is first necessary to identify the cause of the disease. An experienced neurologist can do this.
Autonomic dysfunction can occur for one of the following reasons or a combination of them:
- factor of hereditary predisposition (in this case, manifestations of VSD appear already in childhood)
- past acute and chronic infectious diseases or intoxication
- chronic psycho-emotional stress, depression, sleep disorders
- sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work and, as a consequence, poor posture and cervical osteochondrosis
- bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol)
- as a consequence of chronic disease of the endocrine (hormonal changes), cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract and nutritional disorders
- diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system.
Reasons for the development of VSD
VSD can be hereditary in nature, or it can develop as a result of illness, intoxication, emotional or physical stress, or hormonal imbalance.
Often, vegetative dystonia begins in early childhood - due to intrauterine oxygen starvation of the fetus, due to birth trauma, or congenital pathology of the central nervous system. Such children often have frequent complaints of headaches and lack of air, they are nervous and react poorly to changing weather, suffer from digestive disorders and are prone to colds.
In adolescents, the appearance of signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia is due to rapid growth and hormonal changes in the body (in childhood and adolescence, pathology is recorded in 12-29%). Symptoms such as chest pain, rapid heartbeat, arrhythmia, deterioration of memory and concentration, increased fatigue, and nervousness are typical.
Autonomic dystonia in adults can be provoked by an existing chronic disease, injury to the skull or cervical spine, physical stress, nervous disorder or hormonal changes.
1 Diagnosis of vegetative-vascular dystonia: EEG
2 Consultation with a therapist
3 Diagnosis of vegetative-vascular dystonia: ultrasound
Symptoms and manifestations of VSD
A dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system can affect one or several organs at once. Depending on this, there are several types of vegetative-vascular dystonia (also called syndromes), each of which manifests itself in its own way.
| Syndrome | Symptoms |
| hypertensive syndrome | increased heart rate, short-term increase in blood pressure (up to 140-170/100 mm Hg), which decreases without taking medications |
| hypotensive syndrome | decreased blood pressure to 90/60 mm Hg, headaches, weakness, dizziness, cold hands and feet |
| cardialgic syndrome | symptoms resemble angina pectoris, but are not associated with physical activity: nagging, bursting pain and burning in the heart area behind the sternum |
| tachycardial syndrome | increased heart rate up to 90-120 beats per minute, increased blood pressure, a feeling of vibration in the head, redness of the face |
| asthenic syndrome | weather dependence, physical weakness and fatigue in the morning, worsening in the evening, decreased attention, ability to work, and in a lying position - comfortable well-being |
| visceral syndrome | intestinal dysfunction, pain and bloating, flatulence, indigestion |
| respiratory syndrome | soreness and feeling of a lump in the throat, inability to take a deep breath, pain and tightness in the chest |
| mixed form | combination of two or more VSD syndromes |
If vegetative-vascular dystonia is not treated
Any form of vegetative-vascular dystonia significantly affects the quality and lifestyle of a person, depriving him of the opportunity to work and live normally. In severe cases, VSD can be manifested by loss of consciousness, increased heart rate and other dangerous conditions. In addition, if vegetative-vascular dystonia is not treated and controlled, it can develop into serious diseases of those organs in which the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic parts of the nervous system is disturbed:
- heart (hypertension, ischemia, stroke and heart attack)
- stomach and intestines (intestinal atony (hypotonicity), gastritis)
- kidneys and genitourinary system (urinary incontinence, diseases of the reproductive system in men and women)
- psyche and nervous system (convulsions, panic attacks).
All syndromes associated with vegetative-vascular dystonia are characterized by periodic exacerbations - crises or attacks. During an attack of VSD, all manifestations of the syndrome sharply worsen (tachycardia, fainting, shortness of breath), accompanied by a panic attack for no apparent reason. Such attacks can last a short or long time, and then pass without a trace.
What happens in the heart during tachycardia?
Accelerated contractions increase the heart's need for oxygen, and there are mechanisms that provide this opportunity, but for a short time.
Tachycardia itself helps pump more blood, and more oxygen is delivered to the heart and other organs. This occurs provided there is normal blood pressure, sufficient contraction strength, and good vascular patency. Also, heart cells can reduce their need for oxygen by improving the efficiency of its use: connecting more amino acids to oxidize glucose. If it is not possible to support the heart muscle during tachycardia, then it will suffer from a lack of energy, and pathological changes will occur in it. Prolonged or too frequent attacks of rapid heart rate deplete the resources of the myocardium, and its ability to adapt to the load is gradually reduced. Over time, this leads to the fact that all tissues are less well supplied with blood and suffer from hypoxia.
Other causes of chest pain
Pain in the heart area at rest is possible, which is of extracardiac origin, but simulates cardiac pathology. These may be problems with the lungs (thromboembolism of the branches of the pulmonary artery, pneumonia, cancer) or damage to the intercostal muscles, costal cartilages (costochondritis), osteochondrosis. Then there will be pain in the ribs, especially when breathing deeply, aching or stabbing pain, malaise or weakness. With thromboembolism, breathing problems, severe shortness of breath, increasing dizziness, and a feeling of lack of air occur.
It is not easy to recognize these pathologies, therefore, if any pain appears in the chest area, especially in the left shoulder blade, in the chest area, above the heart area, you should immediately call an ambulance or consult a doctor.
