Huazi has a friend who suffers from stomach pains and headaches from time to time. Went to the hospital to check the gastroscope and head CT, but could not find any cause. She told Huazi that every time she had symptoms, it was when she was in a bad mood. For example, when there is a lot of pressure at work, or when you feel anxious, you will experience discomfort everywhere in your body.
Hua Zi told her friends that she probably suffered from autonomic disorder, a disease for which no cause could be found because there was no organic disease. However, the disorder of autonomic nerve function will lead to symptoms in the central system, digestive system, urinary system, and cardiovascular system.
I. Diseases for which the cause cannot be found
In many people’s cognition, if a person is sick, there must be a problem with an organ. However, autonomic nervous disorder is still a “difficult and miscellaneous disease” for modern medicine, because although there are symptoms such as headache, stomach pain, palpitation, and frequent urination, after various examinations, no evidence of illness can be found.
In other words, no pathological manifestations can explain the symptoms of the patients, but the symptoms and sufferings of the patients are objective. Therefore, autonomic disorder is a functional disease for which no cause can be found.
According to the statistics of the World Health Organization, the probability of developing autonomic nervous disorder in adults in the world is about 11%, and the incidence rate in Chinese is about 15%~20%.
2. Diseases related to bad mood
The autonomic nerve is responsible for controlling the activities of the internal organs of the human body. When the disorder occurs, the smooth muscle and neurotransmitter regulation of various organs will appear Problems, which in turn lead to various abnormalities in the internal organs, and a feeling of discomfort.
The cause of autonomic nervous system disorder, although no specific cause can be found, most of them are related to bad mood.
Huazi has met many people with autonomic disorders, and they basically have similar personalities, such as sentimental, suspicious, sensitive, timid, poor emotional self-control, lack of self-confidence, habit of relying on others, Ask for perfection etc. These people are particularly susceptible to bad cues and doubts about their own health, which induces autonomic disorders.
III. Symptomatic treatment and psychological adjustment
Because “there is no cause”, the traditional treatment for autonomic nervous disorder is mainly symptomatic treatment. For example, insomnia, early awakening and other symptoms, give sleeping drugs; if there are symptoms of decreased appetite and indigestion, give digestive drugs; if there are symptoms of palpitation and tachycardia, use heart rate-lowering drugs, etc.
Symptomatic treatment can only provide temporary relief, but it cannot solve the underlying problem. Symptoms recur after the drug is stopped, and many people take symptomatic drugs without effect.
However, during the treatment process, people found one thing, that is, many people with symptoms of autonomic disorder and concurrent anxiety or depression, after receiving psychotherapy, the symptoms of autonomic disorder also will decrease or disappear.
Because the occurrence of anxiety and depression is related to the disturbance of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and other neurotransmitters in the brain, resulting in insufficient activity of the central nervous system in the brain, it will make people enter the mood. Depressed state, which in turn affects the autonomic nervous system, causing various symptoms.
Therefore, receiving psychotherapy and using anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs that have a regulatory effect on central neurotransmitters can relieve negative emotions and cause autonomic disorder symptoms caused by anxiety and depression. be effectively controlled. Hua Zi often recommends people with autonomic disorders to see a psychiatrist because of this reason.
In fact, autonomic disorder can be cured completely, because there is no real pathological change in the organs, as long as you understand the cause of the disease, eliminate fear in your mind, and strengthen the control of emotions, you can eliminate symptoms and achieve complete cure.
To sum up, autonomic disorder is a difficult disease with no exact cause and no substantial pathological manifestations, but it is closely related to negative emotions. Psychotherapy should also be carried out in addition to symptomatic treatment with medication. The medicine should be used under the guidance of a doctor. If you have any doubts about the medicine, please consult your doctor or pharmacist. I am Huazi, a pharmacist. Welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.
Reprinted from: Popular Science China
This editor: Changtu Rong Media Chang Xiyuan