Symptom of presyncope causes

Causes of fainting

A general feeling of weakness is a very common symptom of autonomic nervous disorder. The feeling of weakness can be chronic (chronic fatigue syndrome) or appear suddenly during everyday physical and psycho-emotional stress. A person suddenly experiences instability, dizziness, nausea and other symptoms of an autonomic disorder, depending on the degree of its neglect. This happens because the autonomic nervous system experiences difficulties in functioning and has difficulty adapting the body to the slightest load.

Treatment of vascular headache and prevention of VSD

There is no actual treatment for vascular headache, i.e. It is extremely difficult to stop an attack of pain. Therapeutic measures are aimed at increasing vascular tone, restoring normal blood circulation to the brain and improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Read more about the treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia and specifically headaches at the Aximed neurology clinic “here”.

In addition to drug treatment for people suffering from headaches and other symptoms of VSD, Aximed neurologists recommend:

• eliminate stressful situations from your life as much as possible (change jobs, undergo a course of family psychotherapy, etc.),

• maintain a sleep/wake and work/rest schedule,

• stop smoking (this constricts blood vessels and weakens the elasticity of the walls),

• eat a complete and balanced diet,

• Jogging is highly recommended, since in the process the brain is actively saturated with oxygen (which may be lacking due to reduced blood supply to the brain),

• massages (especially the collar area).


Are you plagued by headaches? Consult a neurologist. Vegetative-vascular dystonia can be treated, but the more advanced the case, the longer it will take, and the more likely it is that the pain will return again. Do not delay treatment, because life without pain is much more pleasant.

Presyncope: Cases from practice

Female, 22 years old, HR manager.

In 2011, a young girl contacted us. During minor psycho-emotional stress, she often experienced faintness, general weakness, and drowsiness. There was a feeling that she was “about to faint,” but she never completely lost consciousness.

With little physical activity (rising to her feet, turning her body), instability and dizziness, and a feeling of loss of consciousness also occurred. I felt like “the blood was leaving my head to my feet.” I was looking for something for support. I was forced to control my every movement while walking.

The patient also complained of an unreasonable increase in heart rate and sleep disturbance: from time to time she could not fall asleep for a long time at night for no apparent reason.

At first, the patient associated the symptoms of the disease with a drop in blood pressure, but it, as a rule, turned out to be normal or even elevated. The condition of the blood vessels was also normal.

It is obvious that the autonomic nervous system, being in a “shaken” state, did not adapt the processes occurring in the body to minimal physical activity and, even more so, to more complex psycho-emotional stressful situations. The autonomic department of the nervous system did not rebuild the blood vessels instantly and worked at a slow pace. Therefore, such a pathological condition arose.

After one course of treatment, the girl felt much better and did not need repeated treatment.

Woman, 42 years old, translator.

The patient has a history of episodes of dizziness, nausea, and lightheadedness since adolescence. Rare fainting occurred during school, and after a long break, it recurred at the age of 22 and 23 due to stressful situations.

The woman contacted us in 2011. Since 2008, she began to complain of general poor health due to psycho-emotional stress. She experienced a feeling of unsteadiness when walking, dizziness and heaviness in her head.

A few months later, the condition began to gradually worsen: noise in the ears appeared, at times vision decreased: a “veil” appeared before the eyes, a feeling of loss of consciousness arose, waves of heat or cold rolled in. Approximately once a month, the condition worsened sharply: the feeling of nausea reached the point of vomiting.

The woman drew attention to the dependence of her condition on changes in weather factors (meteodependence), as well as on being in a stuffy room.

At the Center for Autonomic Neurology, the patient underwent two full courses of treatment. After the first course, I noted a 70% improvement in my condition. Carrying out a repeat course eliminated all remaining complaints.

Symptoms of headache with vegetative-vascular dystonia

The symptoms of vascular headaches are very diverse, but the main difference from other types of pain is less intensity, rather “background” pain, but painful attacks, for example, migraines, can also occur.

• Headache with VSD accompanies a person constantly with varying intensity. She goes away during sleep, but returns within the first minutes after waking up. Due to the “background” course of pain, it often begins to be perceived as a normal condition. But if you ask such a patient if he has a headache, he will always answer “yes.” 

• The pain with VSD is “dull.” It can be squeezing, bursting, pulsating, etc. Its intensity is low (except for attacks, which are also “dull”, although strong), therefore, if the patient complains of acute pain, this most likely will not be VSD. 

• A constant headache slightly disrupts the perception of reality: sounds may seem muffled, the movements of the surrounding world are inhibited and excessively smooth. This condition can be dangerous for a person, as he may inadequately assess the situation and, for example, get hit by a car. 

• Vascular headache is often accompanied by other vegetative manifestations and neurological conditions: dizziness, unsteadiness of gait and difficulties with balance and coordination of movements, fainting, drowsiness, weakness, nausea, tinnitus, “stars” before the eyes, increased sweating (especially of the palms).

• The pain may intensify when bending over, which once again proves its vascular origin.

• The localization can be absolutely any: the entire head, one half of the head, a “hoop” at the level of the forehead, only the forehead/temples/back of the head/vertex/eye sockets, with irradiation to the ear or neck.

• The nature of the pain is usually aching, squeezing or, conversely, bursting, often pulsating (not necessarily in time with the heartbeat).

• Painkillers are usually ineffective for vascular pain. In some cases, antispasmodics help. 


Often, exacerbations of headaches occur during periods of intense and prolonged mental activity, strong emotional stress, physical overload, weather and climate changes, etc. Read more about the causes and symptoms of VSD here.

VSD in faces

This page contains excerpts from patient histories, covering the main complaints with which people turn to us for help. This is done with the goal of showing how different and “complex” the symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia can be. And how closely it is sometimes “fused” with disturbances in the functioning of organs and systems. How it “disguises” itself as “heart”, “pulmonary”, “stomach”, “gynecological” and even “psychiatric” problems that people have to live with for years...

To learn more

Diagnosis of headache due to VSD

A headache can occur in many cases and for various reasons, so it is very important to carry out a differential diagnosis of vascular headache:

• magnetic resonance or computed tomography (to exclude tumors, stroke, vascular malformation, consequences of traumatic brain injury, etc.), electroencephalography,

• X-ray of the head and cervical spine (to exclude sinusitis, skull injuries, displacement of the cervical vertebrae),

• vascular doppler,

• neurological examination (palpation of the neck and shoulder girdle, neurological tests),
• 
blood tests.


If you suffer from frequent headaches, you need to visit a neurologist who will prescribe the necessary tests and select adequate treatment.

VSD classification

Signs of the disease depend on the condition of the blood vessels. Depending on this, several types of vegetative-vascular dystonia are distinguished - hypertonic, hypotonic, cardiac, mixed, vagotonic.

This disease occurs in the form of attacks, in the form of two or three pathologies. Depending on the severity of VSD, the following forms are distinguished:

1. Mild – working capacity remains, symptoms of VSD do not cause discomfort. There are no vegetative crises.
2. Moderately severe – periods of loss of ability to work appear from time to time. This is associated with relapses of vegetative-vascular dystonia and the appearance of a vegetative crisis.
3. Severe – represents a long and persistent course of VSD; acute conditions and crises are common. Then the inability to work for a long time is diagnosed.

Hypertensive type

Symptoms and treatment are associated with pronounced vascular tone. It is accompanied by an increase in blood pressure. Main criteria for VSD:

• cardiopalmus;
• hot flashes;
• headache;
• increased fatigue of the body and psychological mood;
• nausea and vomiting;
• loss of appetite;
• increased sweating;
• strong feeling of fear;
• floaters before eyes.

Hypotonic type

Characteristic symptoms of the disease leading to a decrease in vascular tone and blood pressure include:

• darkening of the eyes;
• fainting;
• weakness in the body, arms and legs;
• a sharp drop in pressure;
• pale skin;
• nausea;
• gastrointestinal dysfunction - diarrhea or constipation;
• heartburn, belching;
• respiratory disorders;
• cold feet and palms.

Mixed type

It is characterized by variability in vascular tone, so blood pressure parameters fluctuate. It rises sharply, then suddenly falls.

With this type, the symptoms of VSD change. This negatively affects the quality of life of patients; weakness, increased sweating, and fainting are replaced by headaches, hot flashes, and symptoms of tachycardia.

Attacks during VSD are accompanied by fear of death and breath holding. This provokes aggravation of the situation. There is pain in the heart.

Cardiac type

Accompanied by aching, throbbing pain in the heart muscle. It has no effect on well-being. Sometimes patients with VSD develop symptoms of arrhythmia and severe sweating, but studies do not reveal pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

Vagotonic type

This type of vascular dystonia is characterized by respiratory abnormalities. The person is unable to take a deep breath and feels tightness in the chest. There is a high probability of low blood pressure and slow heartbeat. Increased salivation is observed, and gastrointestinal problems appear.

VSD in men

A distinctive feature of VSD in male patients is considered to be erectile dysfunction. Then they go to the doctor. When vascular dystonia is detected, symptoms and treatment (taking pills) will differ significantly.

VSD in women

In women, VSD develops due to hormonal instability. Such problems are observed during menopause or pregnancy. A hereditary tendency becomes a risk factor.

Panic attacks with VSD

VSD and panic attacks are considered completely different conditions. Many patients confuse these diseases because they differ in other similar symptoms. During an attack of dystonia and at the time of a panic attack, a release of adrenaline, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine occurs (observed in the sympathetic form). Therefore, many experts diagnose people with a tendency to panic attacks as VSD.

This conclusion is considered erroneous. To eliminate vegetative-vascular dystonia, it is necessary to take medications, and the treatment of panic attacks is carried out using psychotherapy methods.

It is easy to confuse VSD and a panic attack. Experts in the post-Soviet space practically do not diagnose panic attacks. They are treating the disease. To eliminate the symptoms of panic attacks, you do not need to take medications.

To stabilize blood pressure parameters, to combat headaches and pathologies in the heart area, the help of a psychotherapist is needed. This deviation is a neurosis. Vegetative vascular dystonia is considered a deviation of the autonomic nervous system. This condition requires the use of medications.