Vegetative dystonia
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| F45.9 | Somatoform disorder, unspecified |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
According to current knowledge, vegetative dystonia is when the conduction of excitation in the vegetative nervous system is disturbed. This is the autonomous, involuntary nervous system that regulates body functions such as blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate and digestion. Involuntarily, it means that it cannot actually be influenced by the will (at most indirectly, for example through meditation or autogenic training ).
If mental stress, stress and hectic pace arise, the healthy body first falls back on its performance reserves. When these are used up, minor or elusive irregularities can occur in the involuntary nervous system, which trigger functional complaints in the organs, but without any objective organic findings. The clinical picture differs significantly from the serious illness dystonia . There is often confusion here.
Symptoms
The following symptoms can be an expression of vegetative dystonia: nervousness, restlessness, irritability, insomnia, dizziness, climacteric complaints, shortness of breath, shallow breathing, headache, cramps of the muscles (calf cramps, toe cramps, muscle tremors, muscle twitching), heart problems (irregular beat, heart palpitations, rapid heartbeat Heartache, tightness in the chest), cramps in the blood vessels (cold hands), cramps in the stomach, pressure in the stomach, in the intestines and in the bladder, constipation, liver and gallbladder problems (severe flatulence), loss of sexual desire.
Often there is a diffuse merging of physical complaints and purely emotional symptoms such as fear, restlessness, and displeasure. Many also suffer from several disorders or complaints. It is therefore difficult to differentiate vegetative dystonia from other diseases.
causes
The unconsciously autonomous regulation of body functions is disturbed. Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system , the two partners in the autonomic nervous system and their control centers in the diencephalon ( diencephalon ) work together not harmonious. Sometimes the sympathetic nervous system predominates, sometimes the parasympathetic nervous system, there is a rapid change between sympatheticotonia and vagotonia , but not always.
Occurrence
The occurrence of vegetative dystonia is favored by the increasing blurring of the natural, structuring rhythms: day - night, seasons, working hours - rest time.
Origin of the term
The term is derived from the concept of → organ neurosis . In 1950 Franz Alexander (1891–1964) coined the term vegetative neurosis . “Vegetative dystonia” is therefore a term intended to free those affected from the stigmatization of a psychiatric diagnosis, see the conceptual history of neurosis . In the absence of organic findings, it is not permitted to conclude that the cause is a psychological disorder, see also Chap. 6 criticism .
criticism
The diagnosis of vegetative dystonia is controversial. Critics see it as a diagnosis of embarrassment or state that it is not scientifically recognized. The term is not mandatory as such: terms such as functional complaints , disorders of wellbeing , stress syndrome, psycho-physical exhaustion or psychosomatic complaints can just as well describe the symptoms.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Alphabetical directory for the ICD-10-WHO version 2019, volume 3. German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI), Cologne, 2019, p. 208
- ↑ Sven Olaf Hoffmann , G. Hochapfel: Neuroses, psychotherapeutic and psychosomatic medicine. Compact textbook. 6th edition. Schattauer, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-7945-1960-4 , p. 199.
