Dyscirculatory encephalopathy: what is it? Causes and symptoms of the disease

It's not a secret for anyone that even the slightest violation of blood circulation in the brain affects the work of the whole organism. That is why many people are interested in questions about why dyscirculatory encephalopathy occurs, what it is and what symptoms accompany it. After a malfunction in the functioning of the nervous system can be extremely dangerous.

Dyscirculatory encephalopathy: what is it?

This form of the disease is accompanied by lesions of the nervous system that arise against the backdrop of chronic circulatory insufficiency. As is known, along with blood, nerve tissues receive oxygen and nutrients. Any violation of the blood supply leads to a disruption in the supply of neurons, which, of course, affects not only the work of the nervous system, but also the state of the whole organism. There is both acute and chronic dyscirculatory encephalopathy. And regardless of origin and severity, the disease needs appropriate treatment.

The main causes of dyscirculatory encephalopathy

In fact, the causes of circulatory disorders in the brain may be different. Most often, vascular insufficiency is caused by atherosclerosis, which is accompanied by a decrease in the lumen of the vessel. The most common reasons include hypertension. But there are other, less common risk factors, under the influence of which the disease develops.

Dyscirculatory encephalopathy can be the result of any heart disease accompanied by chronic circulatory failure. The causes also include anomalies in the structure of the vessels, vasculitis, certain blood diseases, compression of the arteries and veins, cerebral amyloidosis and diabetes mellitus.

Dyscirculatory encephalopathy and its developmental stages

Most often, this disease develops slowly, gradually. At the first stage, some obvious symptoms may be absent, patients only occasionally complain of headaches, fatigue and decreased concentration. The second stage is accompanied by deeper lesions in the nervous system, which, of course, affects the clinical picture, patients have memory problems, changes in character and behavior. The third degree of encephalopathy is the most severe and, in the absence of treatment, often results in paralysis and even death of a person.

The main symptoms of encephalopathy

As already mentioned, the clinical picture in this case depends on the degree of brain damage. In fact, there are many different symptoms that cause dyscirculatory encephalopathy. What is it, and what are the characteristic signs worth paying attention to?

At the first stages of chronic encephalopathy there are sleep disorders, drowsiness, increased irritability and constant fatigue. In the future, there are problems with memory, changes in gait, tremor in the fingers. As the disease progresses, the patient gradually loses the capacity for coherent thinking, has difficulty communicating, reading and remembering information.

Often against the background of encephalopathy there are neuroses. For example, some patients suffer from hypochondria. Along with this, the confidence of a person in himself decreases. As the nerve tissues are destroyed , the patient loses the ability to solve everyday problems.

The third stage of the disease is the most dangerous, since lesions cover important parts of the brain, coordination of movements is disturbed , which often results in partial or complete paralysis.

How is encephalopathy treated?

Certainly, in no case should not engage in self-medication, only a specialist knows why discirculatory encephalopathy has arisen, what it is, and what therapy will really be effective. The acute form of the disease requires immediate hospitalization, while the initial stages of chronic damage to the nervous system can be cured at home. It is extremely important to determine the causes of vascular insufficiency in the brain and to eliminate them. The patient needs rest, so it is worth limiting the amount of physical and mental stress. For treatment, calcium channel blockers, vitamins, nicotinic acid preparations, nootropics, antihypoxants, in short, means that stimulate blood flow to the brain. In some cases, a psychoneurologist needs treatment.