VSD and menstruation
In Russia and the CIS countries, doctors still diagnose vegetative-vascular dystonia. Meanwhile, international medicine believes that such a disease does not exist, does not exist. With this term, doctors designate a complex of syndromes indicating a violation in the work of the autonomic nervous system.
Typically, such problems arise in women against the background of hormonal instability caused by the peculiarities of the cycle. In this case, the main symptoms of VSD before or with the onset of menstruation are intensified due to fluctuations in the hormonal background. This makes life much more difficult.
Causes of exacerbation of manifestations
The main factor in the development of a vegetative crisis on certain days of the cycle is a violation of the hormonal background.
As a rule, in girls prone to the disease, critical days are irregular. This, in turn, indicates an imbalance in hormones and requires additional treatment.
It is worth remembering about such a feature of the female body as PMS, which has the same symptoms as with VSD. However, these two states should not be equated, since they basically have different mechanisms of development.
Not only patients with hormonal problems are prone to VSD attacks. In certain periods of life, the parts of the brain responsible for the perception of the level of estrogen, progesterone and androgen distort the information received, which leads to the appearance of unpleasant symptoms.
Most susceptible to such phenomena:
- adolescent girls during the formation of the cycle;
- pregnant women, only survivors of this condition or women who have had an abortion;
- girls with severe underweight.
To identify the cause of the painful condition, it is necessary to pass a number of tests.
Symptoms of exacerbation of VSD before menstruation
A few days before the onset of critical days, an exacerbation of the VSD, which has symptoms similar to PMS, is possible.
This happens for a number of reasons:
- stressful condition;
- sharp changes in the weather in the presence of vascular pathology;
- chronic fatigue;
- excessive physical activity;
- constant emotional tension, nervousness.
A negative reaction to the weather can develop at any age. The risk is high in people with low or naturally high blood pressure and a sedentary lifestyle.
The main manifestations of the syndrome in the period before menstruation include:
- headache;
- disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
- nausea without vomiting;
- dizziness, bouts of weakness;
- depression, bad mood;
- changes in mood, irritability, aggressiveness.
The manifestation of only one or two signs is possible. But it happens that they appear in a complex manner, reducing the quality of a girl’s life on regular days.
During menstruation
During the onset of critical days, the symptoms of vascular dystonia, characteristic of the patient, intensify. The reason is the same: hormonal fluctuations in the body.
The onset of a vegetative crisis during menstruation cannot be ruled out.
Typical manifestations are:
- decreased performance, both physical and intellectual;
- an increase in problems with the psychological state: depressive states, neuroses, outbursts of unmotivated aggression, hysteria, panic attacks;
- sleep disorders, two conditions are characteristic: the girl suffers from insomnia or constantly feels sleepy, sleeps 10 hours a day;
- headache;
- problems with the digestive tract.
It should be borne in mind that symptoms inherent in menstruation are added to the above symptoms. Namely: cramps in the lower abdomen, painful sensations in the area of the mammary glands.
So the well-being of women on these days of the month can hardly be called satisfactory.
Not everyone thinks about the pathological nature of such manifestations, attributing them to the characteristics of the organism. However, such a difficult course of critical days is a clear sign of an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system, requiring correction and full treatment.
Treatment
When contacting a gynecologist with complaints of poor health during menstruation and clear signs of VSD, the girls are sent for examination in order to establish the cause of the pathology.
First, they check the state of the hormonal balance in the body, and then find out the features of the functions of other body systems.
After excluding possible diseases, vegetative vascular dystonia is diagnosed and complex treatment is prescribed, based on the individual characteristics of the patient.
Common methods of treating VSD are:
- exercise therapy complexes specially selected for each woman;
- therapeutic massage sessions;
- bioresonance therapy;
- transcranial magnetic stimulation;
- the use of special breathing exercises;
- regular long walks in the fresh air;
- the use of drugs to stabilize blood pressure;
- taking multivitamin complexes;
- a healthy diet for the brain;
- sleep at least 8 hours a day.
During critical days, it is necessary to avoid physical exertion and stress, which negatively affect a woman’s health.
Prophylaxis
Regular use of preventive measures will not only help reduce the level of discomfort with PMS. But even after the course of treatment, it will not allow the VSD to develop again.
As a preventive measure, it is recommended:
- revise the diet, excluding from it energy drinks, smoked foods, alcohol, nicotine;
- normalize diet – malnutrition is just as dangerous as overeating;
- if possible, avoid stress, emotional stress during critical days;
- maintain minimal physical activity – a simple workout once a week will have a positive effect on women’s health;
- regularly undergo examination in a medical institution to identify abnormalities in the work of the body;
- reduce the impact of bad ecology on the body.
When studying the characteristics of a woman’s health, doctors can offer specific approaches to prevention that are effective for a particular patient.