Vibration sickness

Vibration sickness
Vibration disease is an occupational disease that is caused by prolonged stay at work in conditions of exposure to vibration on the body. Often, this disease is diagnosed in workers whose work requires the use of rotary or percussive instruments. These workers mainly work in the construction, transport, shipbuilding, mining, and metallurgical spheres. Representatives of the following professions are at risk: grinders, drillers, polishers, tram drivers.

The content of the article:
Causes and mechanism of vibration disease development
Classification of vibration disease
Symptoms of vibration sickness from local vibration
Symptoms of vibration sickness from general vibration
Diagnosis of vibration disease
Treatment of vibration disease
Prognosis of vibration disease
Vibration sickness
Vibrations can be local, which appear due to the work of hand tools, general – the work of machines, moving machines, equipment, as well as combined. Prolonged exposure to vibration on the body, the duration of which is at least three years, inevitably leads to serious health disorders. The most dangerous consequences of vibration disease include:

cervical-brachial plexopathy;
arthrosis of the elbow, shoulder and wrist joints;
dyscircular encephalopathy.
Causes and mechanism of vibration disease development
The etiology of the disease is based on the impact on the body of industrial vibration, as well as the accompanying professional factors such as cooling, noise, static muscle tension, constant forced inclination of the body. Under the influence of all these factors, vibration disease develops very quickly. The greatest harm to the body is caused by vibration with a frequency of 16-200 Hz.

The danger of industrial vibration lies in its aggressive effect on the tissues of the body. It causes the greatest harm:

bone and nervous tissue;
peripheral receptors that are localized on the surface of the feet and the skin of the hands;
the receptors of the vestibular apparatus that are located in the ear labyrinth;
auditory receptors — vibration has a noise-canceling effect on them.
In workers who work in conditions of industrial vibration, the formation of destructive phenomena is observed in the corpuscles of the Vater-Pacini, neurons of the spinal cord, nerve fibers, ganglia of the vertebral and intervertebral columns. In the future, they have a decrease in the perception of vibration sensitivity, as well as the appearance of pain syndrome. The more pronounced the changes in the vegetative apparatus, the more likely dystrophic disorders occur in the bone system, skin and muscles. In this case, the receptors of the large joints of the shoulder girdle are mainly affected.

Vibration disease appears in the case of prolonged exposure to vibration on the body — about 3-5 years. In fact, the disease is the result of chronic microtraumatization of peripheral tissue formations, which leads to a violation of blood supply and tissue trophic.

Classification of vibration disease
In clinical neurology, it is customary to distinguish three forms of vibration disease.The classification criterion is the extent to which the human body is subject to vibration: whether vibration acts on the whole body or only on its individual parts.

The first form of the disease is called local vibration disease. It occurs due to the local impact of a negative production factor.
The second form of pathology implies a general effect of vibration.
The third one combines the features of the first two forms.
There are also several stages of vibration disease, depending on the degree of its severity. According to this factor, there are initial, pronounced, moderate and generalized stages.

Symptoms of vibration sickness from local vibration
At the initial stage of vibration disease, which was caused by the local impact of a negative production factor, patients experience painful sensations in their fingers, as well as their numbness.
At the second stage, the pain worsens, becomes stable, various changes in vascular tone are manifested, as well as noticeable sensory disorders. Asthenia and autonomic dysfunction may occur.
The third stage is characterized by the fact that trophic and vasomotor disorders become pronounced and come to the fore in the clinical picture. Also, patients complain of frequent attacks of numbness, pain, paresthesia, whiteness of fingers and sensitive disorders. This stage of the disease is characterized by inhibition of tendon reflexes, loss of vibration sensitivity. Patients complain of gastrointestinal disorders.
The fourth stage of local vibration is characterized by more serious clinical manifestations: the pain syndrome in the fingers begins to acquire a stable character, micro-focal symptoms occur.
Symptoms of vibration sickness from general vibration
This form of the disease is characterized by a combination of sensitivity disorders with neurasthenic syndrome. The patient shows symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, irritability, hypersensitivity, numbness and aching pains in the lower extremities. With the aggravation of the disease, these symptoms are joined by vegetative crises, which are characterized by tachycardia, thermoregulation disorders, fear of dying, a feeling of nausea, lack of air.

A more detailed study of the clinical picture of pathology reveals symptoms such as attacks of pallor of the toes, memory loss, sleep disorders, tearfulness. At the beginning of the disease, the patient experiences disinhibition of tendon reflexes, and then their suppression. There are also pronounced trophic disorders — muscle hypotension and thinning of the skin on the toes.

Sometimes patients are diagnosed with a combined form of vibration disease caused by both local and general exposure. Its most characteristic signs are severe headaches and non-systemic dizziness. Patients also complain of visual and hearing impairments, gastrointestinal dyskinesia, as well as severe abdominal pain.

Diagnosis of vibration disease
A therapist and a neurologist are engaged in the diagnosis of vibration disease. However, in some situations, they may also need to consult a gastroenterologist, vascular surgeon, cardiologist or otolaryngologist. The first stage of diagnosis involves examining the patient and collecting anamnesis. During the examination of the patient, the doctor pays special attention to the skin tone of the extremities, studies pain and vibration sensitivity in detail, checks the state of the cardiovascular system, bone-joint and muscle apparatus.

The most effective diagnostic techniques are considered:

cold tests;
thermometry;
capillaroscopy;
electrometry;
polycardiography;
electroencephalography.
Doctors can make a more accurate diagnosis after conducting such examinations of the gastrointestinal tract as gastroscopy, gastric probing, ultrasound of the liver. Hearing studies are also conducted using acoustic impedancometry, electrocochleography and audiometry.

Differential diagnosis of vibration disease
The clinical picture of pathology is very diverse and similar to the symptoms of a large number of diseases. That is why doctors pay special attention to differential diagnosis. First of all, vibration disease should be distinguished from neuritis, polymyositis, sciatica, Raynaud’s disease. If the patient has diencephalic disorders, the doctor should exclude infectious pathologies of the central nervous system such as neurosyphilis and encephalitis during the diagnosis.

Treatment of vibration disease
The success of the treatment of vibration disease depends on how quickly it was diagnosed. The main method of treatment is considered to be the elimination of the main etiological factor — vibration exposure. In addition, the patient should not allow hypothermia and overwork of the body. The therapeutic treatment regimen is prescribed to the patient individually, depending on the predominance of clinical signs of pathology.

Medical treatment of vibration disease
If patients have neurosensory disorders in the clinical picture, they are prescribed medications with a ganglioblocking effect (difacil, hexamethonium, pachycarpine). It is also considered appropriate to prescribe vasodilating medications (cavinton, drotaverine, nicotinic acid). It is possible to improve microcirculation processes by taking trental and pentoxifylline.

With the manifestation of vegetative paroxysms, the patient is indicated to take pyrroxane. The disease is often accompanied by astheno-neurotic syndrome. To eliminate it, biogenic stimulants such as glutamic acid and aloe are included in the treatment regimen. Treatment of cardiovascular syndrome involves the appointment of cardiovascular drugs like validol and papaverine.

Strengthening and physiotherapy techniques
Complex treatment of vibration disease also implies restorative therapy. In particular, the patient is prescribed calcium carbonate, intravenous glucose infusions, vitamins B1, B6 and B12.

Physiotherapy techniques have also proved their effectiveness in the treatment of the disease. These primarily include procedures such as electrophoresis of the collar zone and hands, UHF, reflexology, baths with oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide or radon, massage.

Prognosis of vibration disease
The most favorable prognosis for patients is presented in case of exclusion of vibration effects on the body. Such a decision is made by the medical commission. People who are sensitive to increased vibration should not be allowed to work with a vibration factor. The prognosis for the patient also depends on the timely detection of the disease.

If adequate treatment is prescribed to the patient immediately after the appearance of early symptoms of vibration disease, this guarantees a high probability of full recovery. If the disease is neglected, its course can take a serious acute form, which is likely to lead to disability.

It is quite possible to prevent the disease if preventive measures are followed. They are aimed at reducing the impact of aggressive factors on the body. For this purpose, sanitary and technical measures are carried out at enterprises in order to reduce vibration when using mechanisms such as vibrating installations and pneumatic tools.

Prevention of vibration sickness also implies the preparation of an adequate work schedule for workers. In this schedule, there should be breaks in work at hazardous production every 1.5 hours. It is recommended that workers spend their rest time on performing a set of gymnastic exercises.

Regular massage is indicated to relieve tension in the extremities. Another method of preventing pathology is taking vitamin B1. In order to detect the disease in a timely manner at its early stage, employees must undergo an annual preventive examination. The medical commission usually includes a therapist, an otolaryngologist and a neurologist.

Hiring for production with increased vibration should be carried out after a thorough medical examination. There are a number of contraindications, in the presence of which the applicant may be denied a job. These include:

peptic ulcer disease;
endocrine disorders;
hearing problems;
previously suffered frostbite of the hands;
polyarthritis;
polyneuritis.

Post Views: 704

Scientists have discovered a mechanism that slows down aging

Hysterical neurosis

Asthenia

Most Popular

WHO: 1 billion people in the world are served by medical institutions without reliable power supply

Gastritis symptoms and what is it

Diarrhea

Rectal prolapse

Recent Comments