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Neurasthenia gravis

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
 
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The diagnosis of "neurasthenia" is made for a disease of the central nervous system caused by its exhaustion due to prolonged moral or physical overload. Most often, patients over 20 years old, mainly men, are susceptible to the disease.

The appearance of pathology may be preceded by long-term chronic diseases or exposure to toxic substances.

The pathology can be treated depending on the type of disease.

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Causes neurasthenia

Neurasthenia (generalized decrease in muscle strength) can have a variety of causes and can be caused by both physiological and pathological factors. Some of the common causes of neurasthenia include:

  1. Physical fatigue: Long-term physical exertion or lack of sleep and rest can temporarily lead to decreased muscle strength and neurasthenia.
  2. Stress and psycho-emotional tension: Psychological stress, anxiety and depression can affect muscle function and lead to neurasthenia.
  3. Nutritional Deficiencies: Deficiencies of important macro- and micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates can cause weakness and neurasthenia.
  4. Illnesses and infections: Various illnesses, especially those with high fever, can temporarily weaken muscles and cause neurasthenia.
  5. Neurological disorders: Neurasthenia can also be associated with various neurological diseases such as myasthenia gravis, Parkinson's disease, Lambert-Eaton disease and others.
  6. Medications: Certain medications, including some antidepressants, muscle relaxants, and others, can cause neurasthenia as a side effect.
  7. Injuries and damage: Injuries, fractures, strains and other damage to muscles and bones can cause temporary loss of muscle strength and neurasthenia.
  8. Other Medical Conditions: Neurasthenia can be a symptom of other medical conditions such as anemia, diabetes, nerve damage, and many others.

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Pathogenesis

The pathogenesis of neurasthenia is complex and may include the following factors:

  1. Psychological factors: Neurasthenia is often associated with psychological stress, depression and anxiety. Long periods of emotional stress can lead to overload of the nervous system and depletion of emotional resources.
  2. Physical factors: Sleep disturbances, lack of physical activity, poor diet, and lack of rest can contribute to the development of neurasthenia. These factors can reduce overall energy levels and increase physical fatigue.
  3. Hormonal changes: Neurasthenia may be related to hormonal changes, such as irregular menstruation in women or thyroid hormone imbalance.
  4. Psychosomatic factors: Some physical symptoms such as chest pain, headaches and stomach upset may be related to psychosomatic reactions to stress and anxiety.
  5. Genetic predisposition: Some people may have a higher genetic predisposition to developing neurasthenia, especially if their family members also have similar conditions.
  6. Depletion of Neurotransmitters: The pathogenesis of neurasthenia may be associated with the depletion of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine, which play an important role in regulating mood and energy.

Symptoms neurasthenia

The first signs of pathology may be the following:

  • sleep disturbance (disturbed stage of falling asleep, restless sleep, difficult awakening, etc.);
  • general feeling of fatigue, headaches, migraines;
  • memory impairment, decreased concentration;
  • excessive emotionality, irritability;
  • instability of temperature and pressure;
  • heart rhythm disturbances;
  • decreased sexual desire, possibly impotence;
  • irritable bowel syndrome (increased gas formation, alternating diarrhea and constipation, loss of appetite, heaviness in the stomach);
  • dizziness, tinnitus, feeling of heaviness in the head.

Neurasthenia in women

The clinical picture of the disease in women is rarely the same - everything depends on the cause and severity of the mental state. Common symptoms include instant mood swings, loss of the ability to enjoy, indifference and even bitchiness.

A woman with neurasthenic syndrome almost never shows her discomfort. Outwardly, she may look confident, although internally she reacts quite painfully to factors that disturb her. This reaction can manifest itself in trembling in the hands and chin, pale skin. The patient periodically experiences heart pain, sharply criticizes loved ones, refusing to understand and accept anything. Because of this, problems arise not only at home, but also at work, which brings the woman to a position of despair. The inability to fully rest and relax adds tension, accumulating a feeling of fatigue. Over time, uncertainty, complete dissatisfaction with oneself, attention disorder and some inhibition in thoughts appear.

Dizziness with neurasthenia is pronounced, a woman may often be bothered by headaches (migraine) that do not go away for several days. In some cases, paresthesia and nagging pain in the limbs are possible.

Also typical for female patients is sexual neurasthenia – a nervous disorder that is provoked by problems in the sexual sphere. The reasons for this condition may be sexual dissatisfaction, lack of confidence in oneself as a woman, mistrust of a partner. The symptoms of the disease are the same: irritability, nervousness, libido disorders, migraines, mood instability.

Neurasthenia in children

What forms of neurasthenic syndrome occur in childhood, and for what reasons - let's consider this issue in more detail.

  • Neurasthenic disorder with a feeling of anxiety and fear. The child has unexplained attacks of fear and anxiety that last up to half an hour. Most often, such emotions arise closer to night and can be supplemented by various visions. The child is afraid to be alone, begins to be afraid of dark rooms, inventing incredible scary stories with mythical characters.
  • Pathology of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Accompanied by obsessive actions and fear of various objects and situations.
  • Depressive disorders. Typical for older children. Manifested as low self-esteem, tearfulness, inhibition.
  • Hysterical disorders. Most often observed in children aged 4-6. Expressed in falling on the floor, screaming and crying, respiratory attacks.
  • Asthenic disorders. The child is characterized by tearfulness, irritability, sleep and eating disorders. Usually such disorders appear in children who, in addition to school, also attend additional clubs and classes.
  • Hypochondriacal syndrome. Manifested by excessive concern for oneself and one's well-being, unreasonable fear of possible illnesses.
  • Neurotic stuttering. Formed between the ages of 2 and 5. The underlying factor is significant fear, severe psycho-emotional trauma.
  • Progressive neurasthenia. This disorder develops as a result of long-term illnesses, for example, inflammatory ones, which the child is forced to endure for a long time. Even after recovery, habits associated with the course of the disease remain.
  • Sleep disorders. Difficulty falling asleep, sleepwalking and frequent nightmares are possible.
  • Eating disorders. Manifested in refusal to eat, slow food consumption.
  • Neurogenic enuresis. The main symptom is unconscious urination, mainly at night. Often the cause is fear or traumatic situations.
  • Neurogenic encopresis. It is rare and manifests itself as unconscious excretion of feces. In most cases, it is provoked by severe punishments and excessive strictness of parents.

Success in treating neurasthenic children depends on whether the cause of the disease is found and eliminated.

Stages

Neurasthenia may develop gradually and go through different stages depending on the severity of the symptoms and the duration of the condition. However, there are no clearly defined stages of neurasthenia, like there are stages of certain diseases. Instead, neurasthenia is more often described as a complex of symptoms that may vary from person to person and change over time.

Below are some common features that may characterize the development of neurasthenia:

  1. Precursors: In the early stages of neurasthenia, precursors may appear, such as a feeling of fatigue, irritability, insomnia, headaches and muscle pain. People may begin to feel exhausted and emotionally drained.
  2. Active stage: During this stage, symptoms of neurasthenia may intensify. People may experience extreme fatigue, problems with concentration, memory, and solving simple problems. Anxiety and depression may occur. Emotional reactions to stress may be pronounced.
  3. Subclinical stage: At this stage, symptoms may remain subtle or milder, but the person may still experience increased fatigue, especially after physical or emotional stress.
  4. Rehabilitation and Recovery: With proper treatment and stress management, many people can recover from neurasthenia. Rehabilitation may include psychotherapy, learning stress management strategies, lifestyle changes, and, in some cases, medication.

The stages of neurasthenia may vary from person to person. It is important to seek medical help and support promptly if you or someone close to you has symptoms of neurasthenia to avoid long-term complications and promote recovery.

Forms

The disease can progress differently, depending on the form of neurasthenia.

Neurasthenia can have different forms and characteristics, depending on its causes and development mechanism. Here are some of the most common forms of neurasthenia:

  1. Muscle weakness: This is the most common form of neurasthenia, where patients experience general weakness and decreased muscle strength. Muscle weakness can be caused by a variety of reasons, including physical fatigue, stress, nutritional deficiencies, illness, and other factors.
  2. Neuromuscular neurasthenia: This is a form of neurasthenia that involves problems with the nerves that control the muscles. Examples of these conditions include myasthenia gravis and Lambert-Eaton disease, which can cause muscles to become weak and lose control.
  3. Neurasthenia Outgoing: In this form of neurasthenia, weakness begins in a specific part of the body and spreads to other areas. An example is Guillain-Barré palsy, which begins in the lower extremities and spreads upward.
  4. General Neurasthenia: General neurasthenia affects all the muscles of the body, causing weakness and fatigue. It can be caused by various factors such as infections, metabolic disorders, chronic diseases, etc.
  5. Transient neurasthenia: This form of neurasthenia is usually temporary and can be caused by factors such as fatigue, stress, lack of sleep, or muscle strain. Symptoms may resolve with rest and recovery.
  6. Asthenic neurasthenia: This form of neurasthenia is characterized by a feeling of physical and mental weakness and fatigue.

It is important to remember that neurasthenia is only a symptom, not an independent disease. For proper diagnosis and treatment, it is necessary to identify the underlying cause of neurasthenia and consult a doctor to conduct appropriate tests and determine the appropriate treatment.

Other forms of neurasthenia:

Hypersthenic neurasthenia is characterized by excessive irritability and excitability, instability of mood. Such patients are easily irritated, they are impatient, do not restrain their emotions, can easily offend and even insult without attaching much importance to it. They are irritated by the slightest noise, do not tolerate excessive crowds of people. Their performance decreases, absent-mindedness appears, inability to concentrate. This causes even greater irritation. Along with sleep disorders, a feeling of fatigue, negative mood, exhaustion, headaches are formed.

The phase of irritable weakness, or transitional cerebral neurasthenia, occurs in people with a relatively balanced nervous system who have survived the first stage without taking any measures to cure it. What is characteristic of this stage: a bad mood and irritation are replaced by physical or moral exhaustion, the patient can easily be brought to screaming, but he very quickly becomes exhausted and suffers from his own impotence. A person reacts emotionally even to trivial problems, but when making an important decision, as a rule, cannot concentrate and focus on anything. He often abandons unfinished business, unable to resist the growing general and nervous weakness. Sooner or later, complete exhaustion sets in.

Hyposthenic neurasthenia is the third stage of the disease. Sometimes it affects people, bypassing the first two stages - this happens in suspicious patients with a labile nervous system. The main signs of this phase are: a feeling of constant weakness, apathy, loss of interest in anything. A person feels anxious or sad, unmotivated melancholy and uncertainty fall upon him. He becomes emotionally unstable and even tearful, focused on himself and his own feelings.

All stages of neurasthenia, when the cause of the disease is eliminated, allow the patient to get back on his feet, restore sleep and activity. If the attacks are repeated, their duration will increase, and the condition will worsen. This is how chronic neurasthenia develops - a psychogenic disorder with a protracted course. This condition must be treated in all possible ways, since many organs and systems in the body can suffer.

Many people confuse an attack of neurasthenia and psychosis, but these two conditions do have differences, and they are quite significant. A patient suffering from neurasthenic syndrome is almost always aware of what is happening to him and purposefully seeks help. A patient with psychosis, as a rule, denies that he is sick, does not agree to treatment and rejects any attempts to help.

Complications and consequences

Complications of neurasthenia can vary depending on its cause, characteristics, and severity. Some of the potential complications include:

  1. Reduced quality of life: Neurasthenia can significantly reduce the quality of life, as it is accompanied by weakness and fatigue, which can make it difficult to perform daily tasks.
  2. Loss of independence: In severe neurasthenia, patients may lose independence in performing independent activities such as moving around or grooming themselves.
  3. Limitation of physical activity: People with neurasthenia may experience limitation of physical activity, which can lead to a decrease in muscle mass and overall physical fitness.
  4. Decreased social activity: Neurasthenia may limit social activity as patients may avoid participating in social events due to weakness and fatigue.
  5. Injuries and Falls: Due to muscle weakness, a patient with neurasthenia is more susceptible to falls and injuries.
  6. Mental problems: Constant weakness and fatigue can lead to mental problems such as depression and anxiety.
  7. Complications of the underlying condition: If neurasthenia is caused by an underlying medical condition, complications will depend on the nature and severity of that condition. For example, some patients with neurasthenia due to myasthenia gravis may experience acute attacks of weakness that can lead to respiratory failure and other serious complications.
  8. Side effects of treatment: Treatment for neurasthenia may involve the use of medications, which may also have side effects and complications.

The disease should be treated by a specialist psychologist or psychotherapist of the appropriate qualifications, otherwise the neurasthenic disorder may become chronic, which significantly complicates both the treatment itself and the rehabilitation period in the future. Residual effects of the disease can leave an imprint on a person's character, on his manner of communication. Often, even after a course of therapy, the patient becomes withdrawn, secretive, he still has a quick-tempered reaction to loud sounds, bright light, unpleasant smell. If the patient was initially an easily vulnerable person, then the disease can drag on, be poorly amenable to therapy and acquire a chronic course regardless of the completeness and timeliness of the treatment.

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Diagnostics neurasthenia

Diagnosis of neurasthenia usually involves several steps and is based on an assessment of symptoms and the exclusion of other possible medical causes. The doctor will conduct an anamnesis, a physical examination, and may order the following procedures:

  1. History taking: The doctor interviews the patient to learn about his or her symptoms, medical history, stress levels, lifestyle, eating habits, and other factors that may be affecting the condition.
  2. Physical examination: Your doctor will perform a general physical examination to rule out other medical conditions that may mimic the symptoms of neurasthenia.
  3. Laboratory tests: Complete blood counts and urine tests are performed to assess overall health and rule out other medical problems such as anemia, thyroid dysfunction, etc.
  4. Psychological assessment: A psychologist or psychiatrist may conduct a psychological assessment, including questionnaires and psychological tests, to assess the presence of anxiety, depression, and other psychological factors.
  5. Ruling Out Other Medical Causes: Your doctor may consider other medical diagnoses such as chronic fatigue, depression, autoimmune diseases, etc. and rule them out if necessary.

The diagnosis of neurasthenia is usually made based on the characteristic symptoms once other medical causes have been ruled out. It is important to remember that neurasthenia is a diagnosis of exclusion and can be difficult to diagnose due to the variety of symptoms and similarities to other conditions. Often, an accurate diagnosis requires the collaboration of multiple specialists, including physicians, psychologists, and psychiatrists.

Instrumental diagnostics allows us to exclude the presence of infectious, toxic or somatic lesions in the body. In addition, it is very important to make sure that there is no damage to the brain itself (neoplasms, inflammations, neuroinfectious pathologies). To exclude the listed disorders, the following is carried out:

  • computed tomography;
  • magnetic resonance imaging;
  • rheoencephalography (to assess the completeness of cerebral circulation).

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Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnostics are carried out with depressive neurosis, obsessive states, and panic disorders.

The success of diagnostic measures largely depends on the presence of trust and a full dialogue between the doctor and the patient. Since neurasthenic disorder, unlike systemic diseases, cannot be diagnosed based on any tests, it is important to listen carefully to the patient, using psychological skills and establishing a trusting contact.

Thus, we can highlight several basic methods that help in diagnosing neurasthenic syndrome:

  • assessment of complaints, collection of medical history;
  • neurological examination of the patient, dialogue with him;
  • if necessary – additional instrumental studies;
  • consultations with specialized specialists (for example, a psychiatrist, psychologist).

Who to contact?

Treatment neurasthenia

Treatment of the disease involves the use of physiotherapy, reflexology, and manual therapy. Sometimes a special multivitamin diet is even prescribed. Relaxation and hypnosis sessions are effective for this pathology. The patient is taught the skills of controlling his actions and deeds, and is taught positive thinking.

Clinical guidelines for the management of neurasthenia

Clinical recommendations for treating neurasthenia will depend on the specific cause and severity of symptoms. Here are some general recommendations that may help with neurasthenia:

  1. Consult a doctor: If you have muscle weakness or neurasthenia, be sure to consult a doctor. It is important to find out the cause of the weakness and conduct the necessary examination to establish a diagnosis.
  2. Treating the underlying condition: If neurasthenia is a consequence of another condition, the primary goal will be to treat that underlying condition. For example, if neurasthenia is due to neurological or rheumatic disorders, the doctor may prescribe appropriate treatment.
  3. Physical therapy and rehabilitation: Physical therapy and rehabilitation can help strengthen muscles and improve overall physical function. A physical therapist can develop a personalized exercise program for you.
  4. Rest and sleep: Neurasthenia can be aggravated by fatigue and stress. It is important to ensure that you get enough rest and quality sleep.
  5. Eat Right: Make sure your diet is rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals that are essential for healthy muscles.
  6. Medication: In some cases, your doctor may prescribe medications to help improve muscle function or manage symptoms.
  7. Psychological support: Neurasthenia can have an impact on psychological well-being. Support from a psychologist or psychiatrist can be helpful, especially if neurasthenia has been going on for a long time or is accompanied by depression or anxiety.
  8. Avoiding factors that aggravate neurasthenia: Avoid physical activity that can increase muscle weakness. It is also important to avoid factors that can worsen neurasthenia, such as stress, lack of sleep, and poor diet.

Drug treatment is prescribed as a complex course of therapy. Such a course includes taking biological stimulants, nootropics, antidepressants. Sedatives are prescribed separately.

Therapy should be combined with well-planned rest, minimization of mental work. Patients should be explained the need for daily walks, light physical activity, distracting activities (sports games, sewing, knitting, drawing, modeling, etc.).

Before starting treatment, it is important to establish the cause of the disease and do everything possible to eliminate it. It is necessary to reduce or temporarily eliminate the moral and physical stress on the patient, create a daily routine with a clear schedule of time for sleep, rest and work. Patients are recommended to take walks in the fresh air, get a good night's sleep with going to bed and waking up at approximately the same time.

Treatment at home can only take place if the cause of the disease is not related to living conditions or relationships within the family. When the home environment reminds the patient of any problems, successful treatment at home is impossible.

Psychotherapy for neurasthenia

Psychotherapy is perhaps one of the main methods of treating patients with neurasthenic disorder. This method involves various types of therapeutic effects on the psyche.

  • Conviction therapy is a type of treatment that involves providing the patient with information that convinces him of the correctness of certain actions. What can this give the patient? Under the influence of logical arguments, his attitude to problems, to the situation changes, fears and experiences gradually lose their significance.
  • The method of suggestion - direct or indirect. Suggestion can cause feelings, emotions, desires in the patient that will not be subject to conscious analysis of the personality, that is, will not be analyzed logically. After the session, the patient will believe that the new thoughts in his head were thought out and composed by him himself, albeit with the direct help of a specialist.
  • The method of self-hypnosis is the independent compilation of associations, the collection of information that is analyzed by the patient and reproduced by him. With this type of treatment, success is not immediately visible, but only after 1.5-2 months of therapy. This method also includes such procedures as autogenic training and muscle rest - relaxation.

Psychotherapeutic methods help not only to calm the patient, set him up for positive thinking and give him a boost of optimism. It has been noted that regular sessions with a psychologist help to stabilize the work of the heart, normalize breathing, and have a beneficial effect on neurological and vegetative processes within the body.

Medicines for neurasthenia

Drug treatment is carried out simultaneously with psychotherapy.

In the recent past century, bromine and caffeine-based drugs were used in the treatment of neurasthenic disorders. Now, however, there are more and more new effective medications that successfully treat the disease and do not cause addiction. The most commonly prescribed medications are tranquilizers, neuroleptics, psychostimulants, and antidepressants.

  • Tranquilizers soothe emotions of tension, eliminate feelings of anxiety and fear. Such drugs do not simply soothe the nervous system – they improve sleep, making it deeper and longer. At the initial stage, tranquilizers can cause side effects such as drowsiness, a feeling of lethargy, but over time these symptoms pass. These drugs are used according to individual indications.
    • Chlordiapoxide, Diazepam - sedatives and relaxants. Normalize the state of the autonomic nervous system, facilitate the process of falling asleep, eliminate convulsions.
    • Oxazepam (analogue of Tazepam) – eliminates phobias, internal tension, irritability, normalizes mood. In standard dosages does not suppress psycho-emotional activity.
    • Lorazepam, phenazepam – reduce the manifestation of anxiety, relax the muscular system.
    • Nitrazepam (analogue of Radedorm) – improves the duration and quality of sleep.
    • Medazepam (analogue of Rudotel) – effectively calms without causing lethargy or drowsiness.
    • Afobazol - reduces psychological discomfort and the effects of prolonged nervous tension, including irritability, tearfulness, anxiety, phobias, insomnia. Improves the mental and physical condition of the patient.
  • Neuroleptics – have a more pronounced calming effect than tranquilizers. Such drugs include Aminazin, Sonapax, Reserpine, Melleril, Triftazin, Haloperidol, etc. The listed drugs are used in small doses and mainly at night, as they can cause a feeling of mental stiffness and lethargy, as well as lower blood pressure. An overdose of neuroleptics can cause temporary suppression of sexual desire.
  • Antidepressants are designed to improve mood. The most commonly used of these drugs are Imizin, Amitriptyline, Azafen and Pyrazidol. Antidepressants enhance the feeling of cheerfulness, increase appetite, but at the same time can inhibit sexual activity. Eglonil is one of the popular antidepressants with neuroleptic and stimulating activity. It is used to combat apathy and anhedonia, a disorder in which the patient loses the ability to experience pleasure and joy. The active ingredient of the drug is Sulpiride.
  • Psychostimulants can additionally excite the nervous system. Such drugs are used only in medical institutions, under the supervision of a doctor. In the pharmacy network, psychostimulants are dispensed only by prescription.
  • Phenibut is a well-known psychostimulant used to treat attention deficit disorder and normalize human activity. It increases intellectual and emotional activity, restores memory and the ability to concentrate. It can be used to eliminate asthenia and anxiety-neurological conditions characterized by anxiety, fears, and insomnia. In childhood, the drug is prescribed to treat stuttering, enuresis, and nervous tics.

Any drug treatment must be comprehensive, in combination with psychotherapy, physiotherapy (darsonvalization, sleep therapy, manual therapy, laser and reflexology, galvanic collar), as well as spa therapy.

Folk remedies

Herbal treatment can be used either in the early stages of the disease, when the symptoms are not yet sufficiently expressed and a mild sedative effect is required, or simultaneously with complex therapy under the guidance of a doctor.

  1. A herbal decoction is prepared as follows: dry crushed grass (medicinal raw material) is poured with boiling water and boiled over low heat for 5 minutes (or kept in a water bath). The medicine is taken 1 tablespoon 3-4 times a day before meals. Bramble, woolly panzeria, creeping thyme, and bearberry are used as sedative herbs.
  2. Herbal infusions are prepared as follows: the medicinal herbal mass is poured with very hot water (90-95°C) and infused under a lid (or in a thermos). The infusion duration is half an hour. Then the medicine is filtered and taken 1 tablespoon up to 4 times a day. To make infusions, herbs such as marsh wild rosemary, hawthorn fruits, lingonberry leaves, crushed valerian rhizomes, and oregano leaves are used.
  3. Tinctures of herbs are prepared by infusing the raw materials in high-quality vodka or 40% medical alcohol. The medicine is infused for 10 days in a dark place at room temperature. Take 15-25 drops three times a day before meals. Hawthorn flowers and aralia rhizomes are most often used as raw materials for preparing tinctures.

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Massage for neurasthenia

Of course, massage is not considered the main treatment for neurasthenic disorders. However, it is beneficial to use it as an effective addition to the therapeutic course.

The main goal of massage is to stabilize the psycho-emotional state, normalize sleep, improve the functioning of organs and body systems, improve blood circulation, and relax the muscular system.

Massage procedures are often combined with psychotherapy sessions, paying special attention to the occipital and cervical-collar zones, as well as the spinal column. All movements should have a relaxing effect: thus, such movements as tapping, clapping, and hitting with the edge of the palm should not be used. Intensive impact is completely excluded.

One session lasts approximately 15 to 20 minutes, is carried out every day for 2 weeks. In case of severe moral or physical exhaustion of the patient, it is allowed to carry out the session in a darkened room, using light stroking, rubbing, superficial kneading. After the session, oxygen therapy is recommended for 10-15 minutes, or an oxygen cocktail with minerals and a rich microelement composition.

Vitamins for neurasthenia

In the issue of treating neurasthenic disorders with vitamins, the main role is given to vitamins of group B, and especially B¹. Thiamine has a calming effect on the nervous system, nourishing and improving the function of neurons, as a result of which the vegetative and central nervous systems are soon normalized. To meet the body's needs for thiamine, it is recommended to eat greens, in particular, parsley, dill, fennel. Such plants as chamomile, sage, clover and burdock are also useful. A large amount of the vitamin is contained in the leaves of lingonberry or raspberry.

Other vitamins of this B group are also important. They provide protection for nerve cells, stabilize processes occurring in the brain, eliminate depression, dissatisfaction and doubts.

Where to find B vitamins:

  • dairy products;
  • meat;
  • cereals (mainly buckwheat and oatmeal);
  • greens, vegetables and fruits;
  • legumes (peas, lentils, chickpeas, mung beans, beans);
  • rose hip.

You can also buy ready-made preparations at the pharmacy. For example, such multivitamin preparations as Vitrum Centuri, Neurobion, Pentovit, Combilipen are perfect.

Thanks to vitamins, you can not only strengthen the body, but also bring the nervous system to a normal, balanced state.

Prevention

The main point of preventive measures can be considered to be the observance of a well-thought-out daily routine, with a clear distinction between time for work, rest and sleep. Any potential patient should determine for themselves the most suitable relaxation techniques that they can use in case of nervous or physical overstrain - this can be swimming, massage and relaxation procedures, yoga or breathing exercises, etc. In no case should you use alcohol or other harmful substances as a means of relaxation.

In everyday life, you should avoid excessive physical exertion and stressful situations. Often, a change of scenery or activity helps - sometimes it is enough to simply organize a trip to the sea or an excursion to another city, relax in a sanatorium, or find a hobby to your liking.

When creating a daily routine, you should set aside time for a full eight-hour sleep: it is advisable to get up and go to bed at approximately the same time every day.

It is important to avoid conflict situations, avoid arguments and scandals. Also, do not try to do all the work in one day. Remember that inveterate workaholics are the first candidates for neurasthenia.

Forecast

Frequent and prolonged neurasthenic attacks have an extremely negative impact on the condition and health of the nervous system. The disease drags the patient deeper and deeper, and treatment becomes increasingly difficult over time. Repeated episodes of the disease significantly worsen the prognosis, creating all the conditions for the formation of persistent mental disorders. In addition, the disease undermines the immune system in the body. The person becomes weaker, hypersensitivity appears not only to nervous irritations, but also to bacterial and viral infections.

From the above, we can conclude that the earlier the treatment of the disease is started, the faster the recovery will come. In addition, it will be more stable and long-lasting. It is also worth mentioning that the treatment plan should be drawn up by a competent doctor, taking into account all the individual characteristics of the body.

And finally, I would like to answer a question that is currently relevant: do they take people with a diagnosis of neurasthenia into the army?

The reason for a deferment or discharge from the army based on the conclusion of a military medical examination may be reactive psychosis, severe neurotic disorders, deep depressive states with a change in personality. If these disorders are expressed moderately, continue rarely and for a short time, have a favorable course and end in a compensated state, then service in the armed forces, as a rule, is not contraindicated.

Neurasthenia is listed in the category “fit with restrictions” in the list of diseases.

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