Loss of consciousness with influenza. Treatment of intestinal flu

Loss of consciousness is a condition that occurs when the brain begins to experience hypoxia - a lack of oxygen. Very often, people briefly lose consciousness in stuffy rooms, from heat or hunger, and when they come to their senses, they do not experience negative consequences. But fainting with convulsions carries a serious danger and is often accompanied by serious complications for nervous system.

Causes of pathology

Convulsive syncope is often confused with an epileptic seizure, since external manifestations very similar to each other. But epilepsy is an independent neurological disease characterized by convulsive attacks both without loss of consciousness and with loss. And fainting with convulsions is a consequence of severe oxygen starvation, which can occur when various diseases or from the influence of external factors.

Unlike the usual loss of consciousness with convulsions, which is characterized by signs indicating a lack of oxygen, an epileptic seizure begins suddenly.

Loss of consciousness with convulsions occurs when the neurons of the cerebral cortex are overexcited, when, under the influence of a negative factor, the brain begins to lack oxygen. It is this section that is responsible for muscle contraction. Depending on which part sends the signal, cramps occur in different parts of the body. The intensity of muscle contraction and the condition of the blood vessels determines the man will fall fainting or not.

Loss of consciousness with convulsions may be caused by congenital or acquired diseases of the central nervous system:

Also, convulsions with loss of consciousness can occur against the background of strong nervous overstrain, shock, at very high temperatures, severe intoxication. Fainting occurs very rarely when there is a violation of the blood composition, for example, with severe magnesium deficiency.

The main causes of this condition in childhood:

Seizures occur in children whose nervous system was damaged during fetal development. Most often, convulsions with loss of consciousness in a child can occur in the first months of life and up to three years - it is during this period that the formation of the nervous system occurs.

How to recognize and stop an attack?

At the first attack, a person begins to get scared, and the growing panic only aggravates his condition. A fall during a non-epileptic seizure is characterized by signs that can be used to determine that a person may faint.

Symptoms

Before loss of consciousness, the following symptoms occur:

With a high febrile temperature, the child experiences a glazed look, body tension, and only then muscle spasms begin. Seizures similar to epileptic seizures often occur in alcohol-dependent people after heavy drinking. This occurs due to brain intoxication and potassium deficiency in the blood. In such patients, convulsions begin already in an unconscious state and can last for quite a long time.

Convulsions can begin immediately upon loss of consciousness, but when a person faints, they almost always stop. Or vice versa, spasms begin after loss of consciousness. Another development option may occur: first, a fall occurs, but if the victim does not come to his senses for a long period, and breathing does not normalize, then the brain, suffering from hypoxia, sends a signal to the muscles, and convulsions begin.

Consequences

With a one-time loss of consciousness with convulsions, it can be judged that this condition was caused external factors. If attacks are repeated regularly, the reason lies inside the body. This is why it is necessary to go full examination to identify the cause of fainting with muscle spasms. After diagnosis, treatment is prescribed that completely eliminates the problem or prevents the development of convulsive conditions.

If you do not begin to treat the disease, complications will gradually develop, which cannot always be eliminated. Frequent oxygen deprivation leads to the death of brain cells, which disrupts many functions: motor, thinking, speech. Damage to the central nervous system can be irreversible; household skills are lost, the person becomes irritable and sometimes aggressive. Against the background of this condition, mental illnesses often develop.

If a person has lost consciousness and is having convulsions, it is important to prevent him from harming himself. In an uncontrolled state, he can receive not only abrasions and bruises, but also more serious injuries:

Fractures.
Spinal damage.
Chest injuries.
Tongue biting.
Concussion and brain contusion.

First aid

At the first pre-fainting symptoms, it is very important to provide first aid, this will avoid an attack. The most important thing is to put the patient to bed and provide access to fresh air. If already developed loss of consciousness, and the person fell, then you can help him as follows:

A person who has lost consciousness but is already regaining consciousness should not be allowed to make sudden movements. He should lie down for 10 minutes, then sit down and after half an hour he can take a vertical position. At first, it is advisable not to give him a lot to drink to prevent vomiting; you can give him a few sips of warm water.

Dizziness during ARVI in an adult often occurs in addition to typical symptoms: severe migraine, runny nose and body pain (myalgia, arthralgia and osteoalgia). Another name for dizziness is “vertigo syndrome.” ARVI stands for “acute respiratory viral infection.”

Dizziness with ARVI is a common occurrence

Dizziness is also one of the typical flu symptoms. Dizziness does not disappear within 2-4 days, like most other symptoms, but lasts for several weeks with ARVI. If dizziness occurs in the context of a medical condition, there are various possible causes:

Cardiovascular disorders: blood pressure that is too low (hypotension) or high (hypertension). With a strong decrease in blood pressure, vertigo syndrome occurs with visual disturbances, migraines, tinnitus and short loss of consciousness.
Otological diseases: mainly inflammatory diseases inner ear affect the functioning of the vestibular apparatus. If the inner ear becomes inflamed, you may experience severe dizziness and a feeling of unsteadiness. In addition, it also leads to tinnitus and deafness.
Pregnancy.
Problems cervical spine spine due to tension during ARVI: in addition to pain and muscle tension, patients often complain of vertigo syndrome.

After ARVI, there is no need to treat dizziness. As a rule, it is temporary and does not cause complications.

Is vertigo syndrome dangerous with influenza?

Why does vertigo syndrome occur with influenza and is there anything that needs to be done? Flu is accompanied by an increase in body temperature. To lower the temperature, the body dilates the peripheral blood vessels of the skin to release heat into the environment. Since the blood volume remains unchanged but is distributed over more space, blood pressure in the vessels decreases. Symptomatic hypotension can lead to mild cerebral hypoperfusion: headache and dizziness.

Dizziness with the flu may be a consequence of intoxication

Additionally, dizziness with the flu can also be a direct result of the infection.

Inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx are typical for ARVI. Eustachian tube connects the nasopharynx to the middle ear and is responsible for ventilation, as well as pressure equalization.

If the infection spreads into the Eustachian tube, it may swell, become blocked (Eustachian tube catarrh), and no longer do its job. Due to the resulting negative pressure and lack of ventilation, there is an increased risk of infection of the middle or inner ear with viruses or bacteria (secondary infection). This condition can cause fluid to accumulate in the eardrum.

A cold often causes uncomfortable tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders due to an increase in body temperature. Tension can affect blood flow and therefore oxygen supply to the head. Just like low blood pressure, dizziness with a runny nose rarely occurs in these cases.

Mild dizziness, nausea and cough during ARVI do not pose a threat to the patient’s health. However, other symptoms such as strong pain in the ear (otalgia), dizziness, weakness, runny nose and hearing loss are signs of serious inflammation in the middle or inner ear. The above symptoms may cause permanent ear damage. In rare cases, the inflammation can spread to the meninges, leading to life-threatening meningitis.

Why does dizziness occur during a cold?

Ear congestion often occurs with a runny nose

If your ears become clogged during a cold, your body will no longer be able to properly balance pressure during movement, speech, coughing or sneezing. This is because the connection between the inner ear and the surface of the throat (Eustachian tube) becomes blocked or swollen. Dizziness during a cold occurs due to inflammation of the middle or inner ear. But it can also be a sign of inflammation of the lungs or heart muscle.

Ear inflammation due to a cold is not common. It indicates that viruses or bacteria have migrated upward from the mucous membranes to the nasopharynx area. The nasopharyngeal space, as mentioned above, is connected to the inner ear through the so-called Eustachian tube. Through it, bacteria and viruses can enter the ears and cause inflammation. The Eustachian tube helps equalize pressure when speaking, coughing, or sneezing. If the ears are blocked during a cold, the Eustachian tube swells and the pressure begins to increase greatly.

An infection in the middle ear can lead to permanent hearing loss. Sometimes the resulting pus causes very severe pain.

Ear pain due to otitis media

What complications arise from colds and ARVI?

With a cold, the mucous membranes in the nose and throat weaken due to viral attack. They become more susceptible to other pathogens. In addition, bacteria can attack the body. The most common complication of flu and colds is inflammation paranasal sinuses nose (sinusitis), tonsils (tonsillitis) or lungs (pneumonia).

Symptoms of sinusitis

If heaviness occurs in the frontal region, this is a sign of inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. Heaviness and sharp pain in the paranasal region during a cold indicates a secondary bacterial infection. With sinusitis, the cheek or area above the teeth hurts. Since such pain is rare, it is often confused with toothache.

Symptoms of tonsillitis

Inflammation of the tonsils is primarily associated with difficulty swallowing and painful sensations during a conversation. The tonsils become red and swollen with tonsillitis. Bad breath often occurs. Severe dizziness with a runny nose often occurs, especially in an adult patient. It should be noted that tonsillitis must be treated antibacterial agent. Other treatments should only be used after consulting a doctor.

Symptoms of pneumonia

Colds often cause bronchitis or pneumonia. Main symptoms – coughing and high body temperature. In addition, when you cough, the sputum is reddish-brown in color. Patients feel severe weakness, rhinitis, fatigue and nausea. Pneumonia can be very dangerous for the health of young children and elderly patients. Pneumonia causes neck pain in addition to other cold symptoms.

Fainting, or momentary loss of consciousness, is disturbance of consciousness and balance, which occurs when the brain temporarily shuts down due to insufficient blood supply. Although cases of fainting are more common among teenagers and older adults, average person experiences fainting during one or another period of life.

There are at least eight possible causes of fainting. According to the causes, syncope can be classified: neurogenic, idiopathic, cardiovascular, vasovagal, vestibular, metabolic, hypotensive, syncope in psychiatric diseases. Knowing about these potential causes of fainting, you can actively prevent them. Some patients, before syncope develops, experience dizziness, palpitations, blurred vision or hearing, their skin becomes covered cold sweat If you quickly loosen your tie or lie down on the sofa, you can interrupt the attack on pre-fainting stage.

1. Neurogenic syncope or syncope of nervous origin.
The most common reason why people experience neurogenic fainting is a reflex of the peripheral nervous system that controls blood pressure. Doctors diagnose the neurogenic nature of fainting in 24% of all cases. This type of syncopation usually occurs in people with low blood volume due to low sodium intake or high sodium losses due to diuretics. In stressful situations, for example, very high temperature environment, sympathetic The nervous system reflexively dilates the veins to increase sweating and heat loss.

Dilatation of blood vessels causes a sharp drop in venous return to the heart. The heart reacts to changes by developing tachycardia. The merit of the wanderer nerve parasympathetic nervous system is to slow down the heart rate. Inadequate blood flow to the brain causes fainting. Soon after the patient falls, the blood supply to the brain increases and he quickly comes to his senses.

2. Idiopathic fainting or loss of consciousness of unknown origin.

Unfortunately, 24% fainting, even after a complete diagnosis, no specific cause is found. Such cases of fainting are treated mainly symptomatic means.

3. Loss of consciousness during insufficiency blood circulation
About 18% of fainting fits into this category. They may be caused by structural abnormalities in the heart and blood vessels leading to the brain ( cerebral ischemia). In other cases, it may be due to abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).

4. Hypotensive syncope or syncope postural origin.
About 11% I have fainting postural origin . Sudden transition from lying down to a standing position leads to a drop in blood pressure.

5. Metabolic syncope or high/low blood sugar syncope.
The cause in this case is the development of hypo- or hyperglycemia. An overdose of diabetic medications is accompanied by very low blood sugar and leads to syncope. Insulin deficiency in type 1 diabetes can lead to very high blood glucose levels and secondary high levels of ketone bodies. This leads to a more serious type of syncope, where the patient may fall into a coma if the condition is not treated promptly.

6. Neuropathological fainting or loss of consciousness due to diseases of the central nervous system.
This may happen due to pressure tumors on brain tissue or due to bleeding into the brain (hematoma).

7. Loss of consciousness in mental illness.
May be observed with hysteria and anxiety.

8. Situational fainting.
Loss of consciousness occurs with severe emotional shock, anxiety, and worry.

If in Kyiv the excess is insignificant - only two percent, then in other regions of Ukraine the situation is different. For example, in the Chernihiv region last week there were 25 percent more patients than normal. What strain of influenza is observed in the country? What should you do to avoid getting sick? The head of the department of respiratory and other viral infections Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases named after. L. Gromashevsky AMS of Ukraine, Doctor of Medical Sciences Alla Mironenko.

“Currently, the H3N2 flu “A/Perth” is widespread in Ukraine, which is named after the Australian city of Perth, where the disease was first identified,” explains Alla Mironenko. “This is exactly the strain we predicted in the fall. For Ukrainians this is relative the new kind flu, so the population does not have developed immunity. In Kyiv, the epidemic threshold has been exceeded slightly, but the infection is spreading quite intensively. There are no fewer sick people.

— How can those who did not get vaccinated on time protect themselves now?

— Before going outside, it is advisable to lubricate the nasal cavity with oxolinic ointment. For unvaccinated people, I recommend spending less time in crowded places and limiting contact with those who are already sick. If you cannot avoid contact with patients, you should remember about gauze bandages, taking into account the rules for their use.

Bandages need to be changed every two to three hours. Some people take anti-flu medications for prevention, which your therapist will help you choose. Vitamin C is very useful. For prevention, it is advisable to take one or two tablets a day, and for those with the flu, four to six. I remind people suffering from illnesses gastrointestinal tract, acidic foods must be treated with caution. Naturally, this does not exclude other types of treatment: antiviral drugs, bed rest, hot drinks.

— Is it necessary to bring down a high temperature during influenza or ARVI?

— At elevated temperatures, the body produces protective interferon, which is necessary to fight infection. If the temperature is lowered, the healing process is delayed. Therefore, we usually do not recommend doing this until the thermometer rises above 38.5. But if the patient does not tolerate the temperature well, antipyretics can be taken. In young children, a high temperature can cause convulsions, so in such cases it is better to bring it down and call a doctor.

— How to distinguish the flu from a cold?

— If the symptoms of a cold appear gradually, then the flu makes itself felt almost immediately. The temperature of 39-40 degrees may jump in the first hours of illness, and a little later chest pain appears. A person feels hot and cold, he feels weakness, aches in the body and joints, and his eyelids seem to become “heavier.” With such health, the patient is simply unable to go to work and is forced to stay at home and get treatment. But as soon as the temperature drops and his health improves a little, he immediately forgets about medications and bed rest and hurries to go out into the public. This is the most common mistake. Due to the fact that the virus affects blood vessels, with any sudden movement a person risks fainting. Therefore, the flu cannot be carried on your feet.

The severity of the disease can only be determined by a doctor who examines the patient and listens to how his lungs work. Therefore, you should always contact a specialist.

— Now some media have reported that you can still get a flu shot. Is it so?

— Modern flu vaccines are not dangerous. The question is whether they are effective today. The principle of the vaccine is as follows: within two weeks after vaccination, the human body produces antibodies to the virus. This is only possible if the person does not get sick during this period. Now, when the virus is “walking” through the streets, this cannot be guaranteed.

In autumn and winter, not many people manage to escape a runny nose, cough, fever, sore throat and other ailments associated with outbreaks viral diseases- influenza or ARVI.

The symptoms of flu and colds are somewhat similar. But it only seems so. Actually it's two various diseases, the treatment of which is very different: often a cold can be cured with herbs and teas, but for the flu you cannot do without medication. Therefore, by self-medicating, you can harm your health, for example, if, with a slight ailment, you immediately grab antibiotics, or if you have a temperature of 39, you think that “it will go away on its own.”

According to doctors, the most correct way out, even if you are slightly unwell, is to consult a doctor who will make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Going to the doctor is especially important if your child is sick.

Flu or ARVI? How to tell them apart

It is especially important for those who self-medicate, avoiding a visit to the doctor.

1. Stuffy nose, severe runny nose.

2. Redness and sore throat.

3. Fever. Attention! With colds and ARVI, the temperature rarely rises above 38 °C.

4. Cough - dry, hacking, appears immediately.

5. The disease develops gradually. Often accompanied by a headache, there is a feeling like a “cast iron head”.

Flu symptoms

1. The flu begins abruptly: within 2-4 hours the temperature rises to 39 °C and above. As a rule, it lasts 3-4 days.

2. Dizziness, “aches” in the body (bones and joints).

3. Strong headache, in the temples and in the eye area; sweat, chills, fear of light.

5. Cough, runny nose, and nasal congestion do not appear immediately, usually within 2-3 days.

Doctor's advice. If you are sick or feel that you are getting sick, do not be selfish - do not infect others. Be sure to consult a doctor and start treatment.

With ARVI, the sick person will be safe for others within 5 days. If you have the flu, you will have to stay at home for at least 7 days.

Attention! For ARVI and influenza, there is no need to take antibiotics. They have no effect on viruses!

Almonds protect against the flu

Recently, British researchers have found a new way to prevent influenza. It's almonds! According to scientists, almond peel has high antiviral activity and stimulates the immune system. Thus, the components of brown almond husks stimulate white blood cells, which are responsible for detecting and suppressing viral agents that have entered the human body.
According to experts, constant consumption of almonds (80-100 g per day) is the most best prevention viral diseases - influenza and ARVI.

Learn more about how to treat flu and colds, read the articles.