At the height: the most frequent diseases of the past year are named
Hypertension, acute respiratory viral infections and osteochondrosis were the leaders among citizens' requests for compulsory medical insurance last year. They are closely followed by oral problems and so-called cerebrovascular diseases associated with impaired blood supply to the brain. Izvestia found out how to counter such problems and what should be done urgently in the coming year in order to visit doctors less.
How to avoid high blood pressure
Hypertension is a persistent increase in blood pressure, recalls Denis Prokofiev, a general practitioner, cardiologist, and holder of the status of "Moscow Doctor." When determining the diagnosis, doctors are guided by the numbers from 120 to 80. If the indicator consistently exceeds the norm, then changes begin to form in the so-called target organs, which are the most vulnerable in terms of risk. These include the heart, kidneys, blood vessels, and eyes.
"As a result, the risk of heart attack and stroke increases," warns Dr. Prokofiev. — These diseases are based on a violation of the mechanisms of internal organs and systems that control blood pressure. The situation is aggravated by risk factors such as overweight, smoking, stress factors, elevated cholesterol and glucose levels.
Due to excessive blood pressure, changes occur in the heart. As a rule, this is myocardial hypertrophy, that is, an increase in the volume of the main muscle.
"The problem of chronic heart failure and coronary artery disease is also possible," adds Prokofiev. — Dysfunctions of the left ventricle and right atrium are also the consequences of high blood pressure.
The term "hypertensive heart" has even appeared in the dictionary of patients, that is, a heart with organic changes operating under increased stress.
The cardiologist complains that in the modern world, many people have a risk of developing hypertension due to an improper lifestyle (physical inactivity, overeating, and bad habits).
"Modern therapy most often offers a person the only remedy — a medical correction of high blood pressure,— comments Prokofiev. — This must be done in order not to lead to a heart attack and stroke.
However, the expert believes that it is quite possible to live without hypertension, if only because it is not the diagnosis that everyone "should" have. First of all, it is important to regularly measure blood pressure and analyze why it is rising. People experience spikes in it due to stress, weather changes, and the abuse of salty foods and alcohol. According to Prokofiev, episodes of high blood pressure, as a symptomatic form, occur in almost everyone. Sometimes it is enough to remove the provoking factors to reduce the risks. The sooner a person pays attention to the high numbers and identifies possible causes with a specialist, the more likely it is to make the process reversible. All cardiology and therapy in the modern world is based on reducing risk factors, the general practitioner emphasizes.
What helps to fight viruses
Respiratory tract infections do not accidentally hold the second place in the ranking of the most popular diseases. From year to year, this picture practically does not change — no one is immune from such a scourge.
— ARVI has 200 different viruses, including some of the most pathogenic active recently — influenza-B and coronavirus, — says Denis Prokofiev. — All of them cause infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract. The virus, penetrating into the body, weakens our immune system, resulting in a bacterial infection, which often leads to the development of pneumonia.
The main thing is to prevent the development of viral and bacterial complications, the expert emphasizes. This is primarily the task of maintaining immune status, and secondly, seeking medical help.
— It is impossible to prevent infection, but it is quite possible to avoid the risk of severe viral and bacterial consequences. Vaccination will help this, as well as the control of all chronic diseases and, of course, timely treatment. Then a person will tolerate acute respiratory viral infections in a fairly mild form, without consequences," says Dr. Prokofiev.
A general practitioner warns that after the age of 40, the mechanisms that previously protected our blood vessels and heart stop working as they did when we were young. And this is primarily due to the fact that throughout life a person has been exposed to respiratory viral infections and various bacteria that cause bronchitis, sinusitis and pneumonia. Such tests undermine the protective functions of the body, so it's not a sin to listen to the advice of doctors and act "to intercept".
Why does my back hurt?
The concept of "osteochondrosis" in everyday life often turns into a word that refers to almost any back or neck pain, emphasizes Tatyana Hrebtova, a neurologist at the Scandinavian Health Center. In modern medicine, they do not talk about osteochondrosis, but about degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine.
— In reality, for most people, it's not about any one "breakdown", but about the fact that the spine and muscles begin to live in an overload mode when there is little movement and a lot of static posture, - says Hrebtova.
The doctor advises you to look at yourself from the outside: a modern person sits a lot, his head goes forward, his shoulders curl up, the thoracic region becomes inactive. Some muscles are constantly tense, while others, on the contrary, weaken and shut down from work.
— Because of this, the load distribution changes: the intervertebral discs (pads between the vertebrae) and the small joints of the spine receive pressure unevenly. Ligaments and fascia (connective tissue that "holds" muscles and organs) begin to stretch and become irritated, and the nervous system gradually gets used to keeping the zone in protective mode.
Hence the chronic feeling of stiffness, "cramps", "pulls", "aches", explains the neurologist.
According to Tatiana Hrebtova, MRI or CT scans often show protrusions or signs of wear on the spine, even in people who have no pain.
Doctors are increasingly saying that Russians get musculoskeletal problems while sitting at a computer. In this case, not only the health suffers, but also the appearance of the person.
— If you live in a "computer" pose for years, then the body gets fixed in it, — warns Hrebtova. — The head moves forward, a stoop appears, the shoulders become rounded, the neck visually shortens, posture and gait change. Some people get body skewed because one side is chronically stronger and more active than the other.
Pain restricts movement, a person walks and exercises less, sleeps worse, gets tired faster, begins to take care of his back and avoid exertion, the expert emphasizes. It turns out to be a vicious circle: muscles become weaker, load tolerance decreases, episodes of pain recur more often.
— If there is a compression of the spine (compression of the nerve root that comes out of the spine), then the pain may radiate to the arm or leg, numbness, weakness, and "wadding" of the limb appear. This is no longer about "sitting on the phone," but about a specific neurological syndrome, says Hrebtova.
With increasing weakness in the leg or arm, impaired urination, numbness in the perineum (the "saddle" zone), high fever, sudden weight loss for no reason and severe pain after injury cannot be tolerated — a full-time diagnosis is needed.
— It is impossible to get rid of osteochondrosis as an age—related change, and it is not necessary, - says the neurologist. — The goal is different: to keep your back strong, mobile and free of pain. And this is most often achieved by fairly mundane things — movement and constant muscle strengthening.
Not to lie down and "take care" of yourself, but to restore the body's ability to hold the load, the expert emphasizes. Strength exercises for the body, buttocks and upper back will help, so that the muscles keep the load, and not the neck and lower back "on the same spasm."
— The mobility of the thoracic region, shoulders and hip joints is also important, — the neurologist continues. — When they are "wooden", the spine begins to compensate for this and becomes overloaded.
The expert considers the hygiene of sedentary work to be an important point: periodically you need to change your position, take short pauses every 40-60 minutes, walk, stretch your neck and shoulders, and take a few deep breaths. All this reduces the accumulation of tension. Normal sleep is also important, because with chronic lack of sleep, the nervous system becomes more sensitive, and pain increases even with normal exertion. It is necessary to exclude smoking — due to this habit, microcirculation (blood supply to small vessels) deteriorates, which is associated with more frequent and prolonged episodes of pain.
What diseases enter the body through the mouth
Doctors call the oral cavity the entrance gate for a bacterial infection — from here it spreads throughout the body.
— Dental caries is a bacterial infection of the oral cavity, — says Dr. Prokofiev. — It's not for nothing that when a person is preparing for surgical treatment, a dentist's opinion is required that the oral cavity has been sanitized.
The spread of bacteria can lead to various pathologies, including diseases of the respiratory system. The general practitioner reminds us that the digestive process begins with the oral cavity — our teeth provide mechanical processing, splitting of food and formation of a food lump. "And if this process does not occur properly, then there is a risk of pathology of the gastrointestinal tract," warns Prokofiev.
If the virus penetrates through the oropharynx, an inflammatory process occurs with the possible addition of a bacterial background. It is dangerous to start this process because of the strong multiplication of bacteria - in this case, you will need to prescribe systemic antibiotics. It is also important to examine the oral cavity regularly so as not to miss unpleasant surprises.
— It happens that streptococcal and staphylococcal infections, as well as candidiasis of the oral cavity, do not make themselves felt for a long time. The patient has been living with this for a long time, although in order to determine the bacterial background, it is enough to take a smear to determine the microflora and the sensitivity of antibiotics to them. There should be no pathogenic microbial flora in the oral cavity. If you do not allow its reproduction, then there will be no complications," emphasizes Dr. Prokofiev.
Oxygen starvation kills the brain
The fifth place in the ranking is held by cerebrovascular diseases. First of all, this is a violation of the blood supply to the brain, which can be caused by age—related vascular changes, atherosclerotic lesions, as well as problems associated with hypoxia — oxygen starvation.
"Hypoxia is inherent in absolutely all people of the older age group," warns Dr. Prokofiev. — It serves as a starting mechanism for neurological diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer's disease, as well as for diagnoses accompanied by dizziness, vestibulopathy, and memory disorders.
The doctor calls hypoxia the basis for the development of problems related to the disruption of the central nervous system and the brain itself. It is very difficult to avoid it, because the vessels do not get younger with age. For prevention purposes, it is important first of all to check the condition of the brachiocephalic arteries and vessels of the neck and head, suggests Prokofiev.
— These are the main main vessels supplying blood to the brain. In case of blood movement disorders, concomitant therapy is prescribed. You should also eliminate such a bad habit as smoking.: it creates artificial hypoxia of the brain, which significantly aggravates the situation," says the expert.
Vascular health can also be maintained through cognitive training and taking special medications prescribed by a doctor.
Cerebrovascular diseases are based on systemic disorders such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, hypoxia artificially created by smoking, as well as age—related changes and heredity.
— Of course, the extreme manifestation of CVD is stroke, — says Dr. Prokofiev. — The main types are ischemic and hemorrhagic. The symptoms are quite different.
If an ischemic stroke causes severe headache, partial or complete loss of mobility of the upper extremities, or facial asymmetry. With such symptoms, you should immediately call an ambulance.With hemorrhagic stroke, only a headache may be present.You should pay attention to its intensity.
The so-called transient ischemic attacks, that is, short-term vascular spasms, are also of concern, the expert notes.
— Sometimes this reason is simply related to increased blood pressure, the so-called hypertrophic encephalopathy. It is important to diagnose this with the help of specialists and not take medications yourself, with the exception of relieving a hypertensive crisis," the cardiologist suggests.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
