Also if the sensitivity is too high. Highly Sensitive People: Problems, Features, Benefits, and Research. They are more frustrated if they make "bad" or "wrong" decisions.

Hyperosmia is a violation of the sense of smell, in which even weak odors, barely distinguishable for an ordinary person, become pronounced and intense.

Heightened sensitivity to aromas is a painful condition and often accompanies certain diseases. But first things first.

How is the sense of smell in humans?

The olfactory analyzer is responsible for the perception and recognition of odors, which consists of an olfactory epithelium, consisting of several types of cells (olfactory, supporting and basal).

Olfactory cells are located in the nasal mucosa and terminate on the surface with olfactory cilia that trap odorous molecules.

Each such cell is “attached” to nerve fibers, which are combined into bundles called axons.

It is through them that impulses arrive in the corresponding parts of the brain, which are instantly interpreted.

As a result of the analysis of the main characteristics of the aroma (intensity, quality, identity), it is recognized and classified (pleasant, unpleasant, disgusting).

Hyperosmia - what is it? Symptoms of the disease

Hyperosmia is a strong sensitivity to odors present in the environment. A patient who has an exacerbation of the sense of smell is able to catch and recognize subtle aromas.

Such a condition can lead to headaches, severe migraines, dizziness, pain in the paranasal sinuses, depression and emotional instability, mental disorders.

Hyperosmia imposes many restrictions, since an acute reaction to the smells present around will inevitably lead to irritability, nervousness and depression.

Attention

Hyperosmia can become a source of problems when a person, trying to find the cause of a painful condition, constantly asks the question: “I smell a lot, why?”.

Despite the fact that it seems to an outsider that the problem is far-fetched, people suffering from a heightened sense of smell experience real physical pain and seek to get rid of the disease by any means.

Olfactory hallucinations are sometimes observed when the patient notes: "I smell a scent that isn't there!" Any violation of the olfactory function requires immediate treatment to a specialist.

Hypersensitivity to odors: causes

The sense of smell is a kind of frontier that filters the aromas coming from outside. And if for some reason a failure occurs at one of the stages, then olfactory dysfunction develops.

Heightened sense of smell may be due to:

inflammatory processes occurring in the nasal cavity. At the same time, a respiratory type of olfactory disorder develops, in which the passage of air through the nasal passages is difficult. Such a pathology may be a complication of a recent acute respiratory viral infection, trauma, tumors of the nose or brain;

the appearance of problems with the functionality of the olfactory analyzer. This is a neurosensory type of increased sensitivity to odors, which develops as a result of causes not related to the disease of the nasopharynx and pathological intracranial processes.

For example, an increase in the sense of smell can provoke the use of certain medications (amphetamines, thiazide drugs) over a long period of time. Refusal to use such drugs leads to a complete restoration of the olfactory function.
Source: website Hyperosmia is often the first symptom of a mental personality disorder:

depressive state;
schizophrenia;
neurasthenia;
hysteria.

One of the chronic diseases can affect a person's susceptibility to smells:

hypothyroidism (diffuse toxic goiter);
diabetes;
hepatitis;
Turner syndrome.

The sensitivity of the same person to different scents varies throughout the day. There is a minimum perception threshold at which a certain concentration of odorous molecules provokes an adequate reaction of the olfactory analyzer.

Women, on the contrary, are more likely to experience hormonal changes during their lifetime and are more prone to hyperosmia.

It has been noticed that the threshold of olfactory perception in a child is lower in comparison with an adult, therefore, children react sharply to unpleasant odors and more often show emotions in relation to odors.

Exacerbation of the sense of smell during pregnancy

Increased sensitivity to odors during pregnancy is associated with a change in the hormonal background of a woman. At the same time, both individual aromas (partial, selective hyperosmia) and absolutely all odorous substances (complete hyperosmia) can cause irritation.

After the birth of a child, when the balance of hormones normalizes, acute susceptibility to smells disappears without a trace.

Increased sense of smell during menstruation

In perfectly healthy women, the reaction to smells changes during one menstrual cycle. This is due to regular hormonal changes.

Most often, a heightened sense of smell in women before menstruation or during ovulation (in the middle of the cycle). The sharpness of the scent also increases when taking oral contraceptives, undergoing hormonal therapy.

Treatment of acute sense of smell (hyperosmia) with medicines

Hyperosmia is very often one of the manifestations of a disease, so the main treatment is aimed at eliminating the root cause.

If the exacerbation of the sense of smell is due to acute infectious or pathological processes in the nasopharynx, then therapy should be aimed at restoring the respiratory function of the nose and eliminating the focus of inflammation.

Treatment of neurological problems with the help of effective pharmacological drugs that have a sedative and psychotropic effect on the patient's body will eliminate hyperosmia.

For a successful cure from the underlying disease and, accordingly, a heightened sense of smell, it is necessary to constantly adjust the treatment regimen by a neurologist and a psychiatrist.

Restoring the functionality of the thyroid gland will require taking medications that compensate for the deficiency of certain hormones.

In severe cases, surgery may be needed. Restoring the hormonal background will also eliminate the painful reaction to odors.

Pronounced hyperosmia with such unpleasant symptoms as severe headache, dizziness, migraine is an indication for endonasal novocaine blockade, which temporarily reduces the susceptibility of olfactory receptors to odors.

Treatment with folk remedies

Since diffuse toxic goiter is considered one of the main manifestations of hyperosmia, traditional medicine offers the following recipe: put young willow leaves in a saucepan, pour cold water, boil until the liquid thickens a little and turns into concentrated resin.

With willow mass, you need to lubricate the goiter at night, use the method as an adjuvant therapy.

For internal use, a mixture of 200 g of honey, chopped nuts and ground buckwheat is recommended. The resulting remedy is eaten within one day, and repeated on days 3 and 9.

It is normal to have emotional sensitivity, but at some point this sensitivity can harm you. Control your strong emotions so that they are your allies, not enemies. Due to increased emotional sensitivity, imaginary or unintentional grievances can be taken with hostility. Misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the actions of others prevent you from living a peaceful, happy life. To stop overreacting to everyday events, you must be able to find a balance between sensitivity and common sense, confidence and resilience.

Steps

Part 1

Feeling analysis

Accept that heightened emotional sensitivity is part of you. Neuroscientists have discovered that our ability to be emotionally sensitive is partly linked to our genes. Presumably about 20% of the world's population have hypersensitivity. This means that they have an increased perception of subtle stimuli that many do not notice. In addition, the effect of these irritants on people with hypersensitivity is much stronger. This increased sensitivity has been linked to a gene that affects the hormone norepinephrine, or the stress hormone, which also serves as a neurotransmitter in the brain and is responsible for attention and response.

Do a self-analysis. If you are not sure if you are really hypersensitive, you can take some steps and check yourself. For example, you can complete the Emotional Sensitivity Survey on PsychCentral. These questions will help you evaluate your emotions and feelings.

When answering these questions, try not to judge yourself. Answer honestly. Once you become aware of the extent of your sensitivity, you can focus on controlling your emotions in a more beneficial way.

Examine your emotions by keeping a diary. Having an "emotional diary" will help you observe your emotions, explore them, as well as your reaction to them. This will help you understand what causes you to overreact emotionally, as well as know when your reaction is justified.

Don't label yourself. Unfortunately, people with hypersensitivity are often insulted and given nicknames, such as "crybaby" or "slobber". Worse still, these insults sometimes turn into descriptive "labels" that other people use. Over time, it's very easy to put that label on yourself as well, seeing yourself as something other than a sensitive person who only cries occasionally but behaves normally 99.5% of the time. In this way, you will focus on one side of your personality to the point where you think it defines you completely.
- Resist negative labels with rethinking. This means that you must remove the label and look at the situation in a broader context.
- For example, a teenage girl cries because she is upset. An acquaintance is standing nearby, he mutters “crybaby” and leaves. Instead of taking the offense to heart, she reflects like this: “I know I'm not a crybaby. Yes, sometimes I overreact. Sometimes it means that I cry when less emotional people would not cry. I'm working on ways to respond in a more appropriate way. In any case, insulting a person who is already crying is too rude. I'm too kind to do that to others."
Identify triggers for your sensitivity. You may or may not know what causes you to over-react. Your mind may have formed a pattern of automatic response to certain stimuli, such as a stressful experience. Over time, this pattern of behavior will become a habit, and you will immediately react in a certain way without thinking about what is happening. Fortunately, you can change how you react and form new patterns of behavior.

Check if you are codependent. A codependent relationship occurs when your self-esteem and self-awareness depend on the actions and reactions of another person. The purpose of your whole life is self-sacrifice for the good of your partner. If your partner does not approve of your actions or feelings, this can be a severe blow to you. Codependency is very common in romantic relationships, but it can occur at any stage of the relationship. The following are signs of a codependent relationship:
- You believe that your satisfaction with life is connected with a particular person.
- You acknowledge your partner's unhealthy behavior, but despite this, you still stay with him.
- You go to great lengths to support your partner, even if it means sacrificing your own needs and health.
- You constantly experience anxiety about the status of your relationship.
- Lack of common sense regarding personal boundaries.
- You feel terrible when you have to say no to someone.
- You respond to everyone's feelings and thoughts, agreeing with them or immediately defensive.
- Codependency can be overcome. The best option is professional psychological help. There are also various support groups.
Do not hurry. Getting to know your emotions, especially sensitive areas, is a tough task. Don't force yourself to do everything at once. Psychologists have proven that personal growth needs to go beyond their comfort zone, but too hasty actions can lead to regression.

Allow yourself to feel your emotions. Avoiding heightened emotional sensitivity does not mean that you should stop feeling your emotions altogether. In fact, trying to suppress or deny your emotions can be harmful. Instead, you must embrace unpleasant emotions like anger, pain, fear, and grief—emotions that are just as essential to emotional health as positive ones like joy and elation—and not let them take over. Try to balance your emotions.

Part 2
Thought Analysis
1. Learn to recognize cognitive distortions that can make you hypersensitive. Cognitive distortions are stereotyped deviations in thinking and behavior that we have brought up in ourselves. You can learn to identify and deal with these deviations.
  - Cognitive biases almost never occur in isolation. After analyzing your thought pattern, you will notice that you experience multiple distortions in response to a single feeling or event. Take the time to fully explore your reactions to understand which ones are helpful and which are not.
  - There are many types of cognitive biases, but the most common culprits for emotional hypersensitivity are personalization, labeling, “should” sentences, emotional reasoning, and jumping to conclusions.
2. Recognize and combat personalization. Personalization is a fairly common distortion that causes heightened emotional sensitivity. It means that you see yourself as the cause of things that may not have anything to do with you or that you have no control over. You can also take personally what does not apply to you at all.
  
  Recognize and fight labels. Labeling is an all-or-nothing type of thinking. It often occurs in conjunction with personalization. When you label yourself, you generalize yourself based on one single action or event, instead of realizing that your actions and who you are are not the same thing.
  - For example, if you receive negative comments about your essay, it may make you feel like you're a failure. By calling yourself a failure, you subconsciously think that you will never get better, which means that there is no point in even trying. This can lead to feelings of guilt and shame. Because of this, you also find it difficult to tolerate constructive criticism, because you perceive any criticism as a sign of failure.
  - Instead, you should accept your mistakes and failures for what they really are - concrete situations from which you can learn something and become a better person. Instead of labeling yourself a failure when you get a bad grade on an essay, you should accept your mistakes and think about what you can learn for yourself: “Okay, I did a bad job on this essay. I'm disappointed, but it's not the end of the world. I will talk to my teacher to find out what I need to do differently next time."
3. Recognize statements with the word "should" and fight them. Such statements are harmful because they force you (and other people) to a standard that is often exorbitant. They often depend on non-essential ideas instead of relying on those that really matter. By breaking another “should”, you can punish yourself for it, thereby further reducing your motivation to change. Such ideas can cause guilt, despair and anger.
  
  Recognize emotional reasoning and fight it. When using emotional reasoning, you confuse your feelings with facts. This type of distortion is quite common, but with a little effort you will learn to identify and deal with it.
  
  Recognize jumping to conclusions and deal with them. Jumping to conclusions is very similar to emotional reasoning. In jumping to a conclusion, you cling to a negative interpretation of the situation without any evidence to support that interpretation. In extreme cases, this can lead to hysteria, such as when you allow your thoughts to gradually spiral out of control until you reach the worst possible scenario.
Part 3
Taking action
1. Treat yourself and others with compassion. You will discover the fact that due to being overly sensitive, you avoid stressful and unpleasant situations. It may seem to you that any mistake in a relationship can become a stumbling block, so you avoid relationships altogether or they are insignificant. Treat others (and yourself) with compassion. You need to see the best in people, especially those you know personally. If your feelings have been hurt, don't assume it was intentional: express the compassionate understanding that everyone, including friends and loved ones, makes mistakes.
  
  Seek professional help if necessary. Sometimes, even with your best efforts to deal with emotional sensitivity, you can still lose to it. The participation of a licensed psychologist will help you learn about your feelings and reactions to them in a safe and supportive environment. An experienced psychologist or therapist can help you uncover harmful mindsets and teach you new skills to help you deal with your feelings.
2. High emotional sensitivity maybe be associated with depression or another disorder. Some people are born very sensitive, which is noticeable from their early childhood. This is not a disorder, not a mental illness or some kind of ailment - this is just a trait of a person's character. However, if a person's sensitivity has increased from normal to excessive, he has become unnecessarily touchy, whiny or irritable, this may be a sign of problems being experienced.
  - Sometimes high emotional sensitivity can be the result of depression, which makes a person unable to cope with emotions (both negative and positive).
  - High emotional sensitivity can be caused by chemical imbalances. For example, a pregnant woman may react very emotionally. The same goes for a young man going through puberty or a person with thyroid problems. Some drugs or treatments can also cause emotional changes.
  - An experienced doctor should examine you for depression. You can also easily diagnose it yourself, but it's still best to seek the help of a professional who can understand if the person is depressed or if their over-sensitivity is due to other factors.
3. Be patient. Emotional growth is like physical growth. It takes time and is sometimes unpleasant. Experience will come through mistakes to be made. Failures and other problems are necessary in the process of emotional growth.
  - Being overly sensitive in youth is much more difficult than when you are an adult. Over the years, you learn to deal with your feelings more effectively, and also gain the ability to cope with life's difficulties.
  - Don't forget that you have to know something very well before doing anything. Otherwise, it will be like traveling to new places after a cursory glance at the map without understanding anything. You don't know enough about the area to set off and will probably get lost here. Examine your mind map, and then you will better understand your sensitivity and how to deal with it.
- Compassion for one's shortcomings eliminates shame and increases empathy for others.
- Don't feel like you always have to explain your anxiety to others to justify your actions or emotions. It's okay to keep them to yourself.
- Deal with negative thoughts. Internal negative dialogues can cause serious harm. If you have overly self-critical thoughts in your head, think about the following: "How will he feel if I tell him this?"
- Emotional triggers are individual for each person. Even if you know someone with a similar trigger for a similar problem, how it affects you may affect them in a completely different way. This principle is rather random and is not universal.

> Skin hypersensitivity

This information cannot be used for self-treatment!
Be sure to consult with a specialist!

What is skin hyperesthesia, and what is it like?

Hypersensitivity of the skin or hyperesthesia is a pathological condition of the skin in which even minor external influences on them cause the development of a very strong reaction. Such a pathology most often becomes a consequence of a malfunction of the nervous system.

Hyperesthesia of the skin can be local (local) in nature, when sensitivity is increased only in one limited area, and general, when there is hypersensitivity of the entire skin.

Causes of skin hypersensitivity

The cause of local hypersensitivity may be an increase in the sensitivity of skin nerve endings. This is observed with wounds, burns, herpes zoster infection, eczema, atopic dermatitis. The same form of skin hypersensitivity is observed in radiculitis and neuritis.

There may also be a central form of hyperesthesia, in which the excitability of nerve cells in the central nervous system increases. In this case, the entire skin is affected. This condition can appear with benign and malignant tumors, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, meningitis, chronic poisoning with various poisons, chemicals, alcohol or drugs.

Types of hyperesthesia and characteristic clinical signs

Depending on the type of stimulus to which the skin reacts, it is customary to distinguish several types of hyperesthesia: thermal, polyesthesia, hyperpathy and paresthesia.

With a thermal variant of increased sensitivity of the skin, the irritating factor is cold or thermal exposure. At the same time, high or low temperature causes severe pain at the site of contact, which does not correspond to the applied force.

With polyesthesia, the skin responds to a single irritation (prick with a sharp object) with a sensation of multiple impacts (tingling in the affected area, "goosebumps").

With hyperpathy, even the slightest touch to the skin causes a feeling of intense pressure or pain.

With paresthesia, unusual sensations occur in the skin even without any obvious irritating factor, for example, the sensation of "creeping goosebumps" with limb ischemia.

All symptoms of such a pathology can have different degrees of severity: from the most insignificant to severe, when a person’s life becomes much more difficult, and sometimes even disability occurs.

It happens that patients with hyperesthesia present complaints associated with a violation of the trophism of skin tissues. They are concerned about excessive dryness and flaking of the skin, the appearance of foci with increased or reduced pigmentation, itching and a feeling of tightness.

Often, patients with hypersensitivity of the skin have pronounced dermographism - the appearance of a red or white trace at the site of contact, which does not disappear for a long time.

How does a doctor detect hypersensitivity of the skin?

Diagnosis of hyperesthesia includes a neurological examination with skin tests. In the supposed area of skin hyperesthesia, light injections are applied with a sharp object, touch the skin with varying degrees of pressure, alternately apply test tubes with warm and cold water to the affected area.

If a central origin of skin hypersensitivity is suspected, magnetic resonance or computed tomography, a study of cerebrospinal fluid, and a blood test for the content of toxic substances are indicated.

Treatment and prevention

Treatment of hyperesthesia is to eliminate the cause that led to its occurrence. With severe symptoms, it is possible to use analgesics, as well as drugs that reduce the excitability of the nervous system.

There is no specific prevention for this condition. All preventive measures consist in the timely treatment of the pathology of the nervous system, the rejection of bad habits.

SENSITIVITY (sensibilitas) - the ability of the body to perceive various kinds of irritations coming from the environment or internal environment, and respond to them with differentiated forms of reactions.

Sensitivity plays an important role in the adaptive activity of the organism. Its study is important for assessing the state of the functions of the nervous system. In addition, the problem of sensitivity is of great importance from an epistemological point of view, since through sensitivity and the sensations arising from it, the subjective reflection of the objective world and the processes of cognition are carried out.

Physiology

Sensitivity as a specific differentiated form of response to the action of stimuli arose from a more elementary property of the simplest organisms - irritability, or the ability to have a general undifferentiated reaction to stimuli. This evolutionary principle was formulated by I. M. Sechenov.

Sensitivity is the result of an improvement in the body's adaptive reactions (see Adaptation) in the process of evolutionary development, which occurs as a result of the formation of special morphological structures in certain parts of the body and a selective increase in their ability to respond to the appropriate (adequate) stimulus. The most significant development of sensitivity is associated with the emergence of specialized sensitive (sensory) nervous structures - receptors (see) and complex sensory organs - vision (see), hearing (see), smell (see), taste (see), balance (see Balance of the body), perceiving and transforming various forms of physical energy acting on them into a series of afferent impulses transmitted to the central nervous system. The highest form of sensitivity is sensation (see), that is, the ability to subjectively identify the properties of the stimulus. Some more complex forms of sensitivity, such as stereognosis (the ability to recognize a familiar object with closed eyes by feeling), arose during the transition of a person to a vertical mode of movement, which led to the transformation of hands from an organ of support into an organ of labor activity. The development and complication of sensitivity occur not only in the process of phylogeny, but also during the life of each individual, in the process of his production activity. High perfection, for example, is achieved by sensitivity in persons engaged in the organoleptic evaluation of nutrients in connection with the training of a certain type of sensitivity.

Sensitivity is based on the processes of reception (see), biol. the meaning of which lies in the perception of stimuli acting on the body, their transformation into excitation processes (see), which are the source of the corresponding sensations (light, tactile, pain, etc.). However, not everything that excites the receptor is accompanied by a subjectively experienced sensation. For a sensation to occur, a certain intensity of irritation is necessary. So, for example, in order to excite a separate light receptor of the eye (rod), one quantum of light is enough, however, a light sensation occurs when several photons of light act on the eye. The minimum intensity of stimulation that can cause sensation and is called the threshold of sensation, as a rule, is higher than the sensitivity threshold of an individual receptor. In those cases when the excitation coming from the receptors in the central nervous system is below the threshold of sensation, it does not cause the corresponding sensation, but can lead to certain reflex reactions of the body (vascular, etc.).

The explanation of physiological mechanisms of sensitivity gives IP Pavlov's doctrine about analyzers (see). Analyzers consist of peripheral sections - receptors, the conductive part - afferent (sensory) pathways and cortical (central) sections, represented by brain structures. As a result of the activity of all links of the analyzer, a subtle analysis and synthesis (see Afferent synthesis) of stimuli acting on the body is carried out. In this case, not only the passive transmission of afferentation from the receptors to the central section of the analyzer occurs, but a complex process that includes the reverse, efferent, regulation of sensitive perception (see Feedback), carried out at all levels of the passage of an afferent impulse to the central nervous system (see Self-regulation of physiological functions).

The most important type of sensitivity in the life of a given animal is provided in the brain by a large area of the cortical (central) part of the corresponding analyzer. For the mole, for example, the most important kind of sensitivity is the sense of smell; accordingly, more than half of his brain is occupied by the central section of the olfactory analyzer. In birds, the sense of balance is of great importance, in connection with this, they have the greatest development of the cerebellum. In humans, a significant part of the brain is occupied by the central section of the analyzer of skin and musculo-articular sensitivity of the hands and face.

Sensitivity is constantly changing in the process of development and life of the body, adapting the body to stimuli of varying intensity. The sensitivity of the eye, for example, makes it possible to see both at night and in bright sunlight, that is, with the brightness of light that differs by a factor of billions. Such an adaptive ability of the organism is provided by a complex sum of sensitivity adaptation processes occurring both in the receptors and in the central sections of the analyzer. With the loss of any type of sensitivity, a compensatory development of its other types is observed. So, for example, in people who have lost their sight or hearing, as a rule, there is a high level of development of skin sensitivity.

The works of X. Megun, J. Moruzzi, R. Granita and others established that any sensory impulse that arose in the peripheral receptor apparatus reaches the cerebral cortex not only along specific (see below) conducting (lemniscal) pathways, but also along to nonspecific systems of a reticular formation (see). The anatomical substrate for the flow of nonspecific afferent impulses is the spinoreticular pathway and collaterals to the cells of the reticular formation, which give off the fibers of the spinothalamic pathway and the medial loop at the level of the brainstem. The reticular formation also has a downward regulatory effect on the process of afferentation in sensory pathways through the activating and inhibitory reticular systems (see Functional systems). It also participates in the selection of information coming from the periphery to the higher parts of the sensitivity system, passing some impulses and blocking others.

Classification

Depending on the place of exposure to the corresponding stimuli, there are superficial (exteroceptive) and deep (proprioceptive) sensitivity. Superficial sensitivity includes pain, temperature (thermal and cold), tactile (sense of touch), hair, a sense of humidity, etc., to deep - muscle-sutural, vibrational, a sense of pressure and a sense of weight. Separately, more complex types of sensitivity are distinguished: localization, discriminatory sensitivity, two-dimensional-spatial feeling, stereognosis, etc. Sensations that occur when receptors of internal organs or vessel walls are stimulated are referred to as interoceptive sensitivity. (see Interoception). All these types of sensitivity refer to general or contact sensitivity associated with the direct effect of irritants on the skin, mucous membranes, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and blood vessels. In addition to the general, there is a special sensitivity associated with the function of the sense organs. It includes sight, hearing, smell, taste. The first three types of special sensitivity are associated with distant receptors, that is, terminal nerve formations that perceive irritations at a distance, the last - with contact receptors.

G. Ged proposed to divide sensitivity into protopathic and epicritical. Protopathic sensitivity, phylogenetically older, characteristic of a more primitive organization of the nervous system, serves to perceive sensations signaling a danger threatening the body. Protopathic sensitivity includes types of sensitivity associated with the perception of nociceptive (Latin nocens harmful) stimuli that threaten the body with tissue destruction or even death, for example, the perception of strong, sharp pain stimuli, sharp temperature stimuli, etc. Epicritical sensitivity, phylogenetically later, is not associated with perception of damaging effects; it enables the organism to navigate in the environment, to perceive weak stimuli, to which the organism can respond with the so-called choice reaction - a certain motor act that has the character of an arbitrary action. Epicritical sensitivity includes tactile, perception of low temperature fluctuations (from 27 to 35 °), a sense of localization of irritations, their discrimination (distinction) and muscular-articular feeling. Just as the phylogenetically younger pyramidal system selectively inhibits and regulates the activity of older motor systems, so the epicritical sensory system contributes to a certain extent to the self-organization of the flow of afferent impulses, inhibiting the sensory impulses conducted by the protopathic sensitivity system. Loss or decrease in the function of the epicritical sensitivity system disinhibits the functions of the protopathic sensitivity system and makes the perception of nociceptive stimuli unusually strong. In this case, sharp pain and temperature irritations are perceived as especially unpleasant; in addition, they become more diffuse, spilled and not amenable to precise localization. Such a change in the perception of nociceptive stimuli with a decrease in the functions of the epicritical system (subtle stimuli are perceived poorly or not perceived at all) is designated by the term "hyperpathy".

Anatomy

The system of general sensitivity (afferent, touch, system) begins with receptors (see). Receptors are divided into exteroceptors located in the skin and mucous membranes of the oral cavity, nose and paranasal sinuses, conjunctiva of the eyelids and the eyeball (see Exteroception); proprioceptors (see) located in muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, joints; interoceptors (see. Interoception) located in the internal organs, internal cavities of the body, blood vessels. By the nature of the perceived irritation, there are mechanoreceptors (see), thermoreceptors (see), photoreceptors (see), chemoreceptors (see), receptors that perceive pressure (baroreceptors), and by the nature of the resulting sensation - pain (nociceptors), tactile receptors (see. Tactile analyzer), etc. Normally, per 1 cm 2 of skin, on average, there are 100 - 200 pain receptors, about 25 tactile, 12-15 cold and 1 - 2 thermal receptors.

Centripetal conduction of excitation from receptors occurs along sensory nerve fibers, which are peripheral processes (dendrites) of cells of the spinal nodes or their homologues in the head region - Gasser (trigeminal) node, jugular node (upper node of the vagus nerve), etc. Sensitive nerve fibers are divided into three groups: group A fibers, covered with a thick layer of myelin, through which the afferent impulse is carried out at a speed of 12-120 m / s; group B fibers covered with a thin myelin sheath, conducting an impulse at a speed of 3-14 m / s; non-myelinated (non-myelinated) fibers C, along which the impulse is carried out at a speed of 1 - 2 m / s (for more details, see Nerve fibers). The maximum frequency of action potential oscillations is noted in group A fibers, the smaller one is in group B fibers and the minimum is in group C fibers. Group A fibers serve as conductors of tactile and deep sensitivity, but can also conduct impulses of pain irritation; group B fibers conduct pain and tactile stimuli; group C fibers, as a rule, are conductors of painful stimuli.

All stimuli perceived by the receptors are directed to the spinal nodes or nodes of the cranial nerves, in which the bodies of the first neurons of all types of sensitivity lie. Their axons as part of the roots of sensitive cranial nerves (see) enter the brain stem or as part of the posterior roots of the spinal nerves enter the spinal cord (see), forming in the latter case two groups of fibers.

A group of short fibers runs in the posterior roots and, having entered the spinal cord, approaches the cells of the posterior horn on the same side. From the cells of the posterior horn (the second neuron) come the axons that make up the spinothalamic pathway. Part of the fibers, having risen by 2-3 segments, passes through the anterior (white, T.) commissure into the lateral funiculus of the opposite side of the spinal cord and goes up as part of the lateral spinothalamic pathway (tractus spinothalamicus lat.), reaching specific ventrolateral nuclei of the thalamus (see .). Another part of the fibers of the spinothalamic pathway, which conduct the simplest types of tactile sensitivity (touch, hair sensitivity, etc.), is located in the anterior funiculus of the spinal cord and makes up the anterior spinothalamic pathway (tractus spinothalamicus ant.), also reaching the thalamus. From the thalamus to the sensitive zone of the cerebral cortex go (through the posterior third of the posterior thigh or legs of the internal capsule) axons of the third neurons of this path.

A group of long fibers that run in the posterior roots and are also axons of sensory neurons of the spinal nodes, having entered the spinal cord, passes into the posterior cord of the same side (funiculus post.), Forming a thin bundle (fasciculus gracilis) and a wedge-shaped bundle (fasciculus cuneatus). In these bundles, they rise up, without interrupting or crossing to the medulla oblongata, where they end in a thin nucleus (nucleus gracilis) and a sphenoid nucleus (nucleus cuneatus). The thin bundle of Gaulle contains fibers that conduct sensitivity from the lower half of the body, the wedge-shaped bundle of Burdach contains fibers that conduct sensitivity from the upper half of the body. The long posterior root fibers of these bundles, together with the cells of the spinal nodes from which they depart, and their dendrites, are the first peripheral neurons of a large sensory pathway that runs from the proprioreceptors of the body to the sensory region of the cerebral cortex. The fibers (axons) of the second neurons of this pathway, starting in the medulla oblongata from the cells of the thin and sphenoid nuclei, pass to the opposite side and reach the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus, where the bodies of the third neurons lie. The third neuron connects the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus with the sensory cortex. Muscular-articular, vibrational (partially carried out by lateral cords), complex types of tactile, two-dimensional-spatial, discriminatory Sensitivity, pressure sensation, stereognosis are carried out along this three-neuron path. This path does not cross in the spinal cord, so the Gaulle and Burdach bundles, located in the posterior cords, conduct afferent impulses from the receptors of the same half of the body. The cross is made by the axons of the second neurons, forming the so-called. medial loop (lemniscus med.). The medial loop is composed of fibers originating from the fine and sphenoid nuclei in the medulla oblongata. The processes of the cells of these nuclei intersect, forming the so-called seam (raphe). This decussation of the medial loops (decussatio lemniscorum) is called the upper, or sensitive, decussation, in contrast to the motor decussation of the pyramids, located in the lower sections of the medulla oblongata (see). After crossing in the suture, the fibers of the medial loop go up and, having passed in the back (tire) of the pons, in the tegmentum of the midbrain (see), together with the fibers of the spinothalamic bundle, they approach the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus. Fibers from the thin nucleus approach the cells located laterally, and from the sphenoid nucleus - to more medial groups of cells. Fibers from the sensitive nuclei of the trigeminal nerve also come here (see). From the cells of the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus, sensory pathways pass through the posterior third of the posterior femur (posterior leg, T.) of the internal capsule, the radiant crown and end in the cortex of the postcentral gyrus (fields 1, 2, 3) and the upper parietal lobule (fields 5 and 7) of the hemispheres brain (see the cerebral cortex).

Sensitivity testing methods

Sensitivity research methods are divided into subjective and objective. Subjective methods are based on the psychophysiological study of sensitivity according to the nature of the sensation that occurs. Sensitivity can be characterized by spatial and temporal thresholds of sensation (see), absolute thresholds of sensitivity, differential thresholds of sensitivity (see Estesiometry).

Clinical sensitivity studies (see Examination of the patient, neurological examination) should be carried out in a warm, noise-free room. The patient should lie with his eyes closed in order to better concentrate on the perception and analysis of the sensations received, and also to exclude the possibility of determining the type of irritation with the help of vision. More or less accurate detection of sensitivity disorders is possible only in an adult. In small children, it is possible to establish with confidence only the preservation of pain sensitivity by crying and protective movements in response to painful stimuli. Investigate sensitivity for a short time so as not to cause fatigue of the patient. During the examination, it is necessary to avoid inspiring expressions that can provoke the emergence of psychogenic sensitivity disorders in hysterical people.

Sensitivity studies involve the active participation of the patient. The results of the study depend on the patient's reaction, his attention, the preservation of consciousness, the ability to navigate his feelings and, finally, on the desire to be accurate and truthful in the answers to the questions posed. Only with a qualified sensitivity study according to a certain scheme, it is possible to obtain the necessary information for nosological and topical diagnosis. Repeated studies using techniques not yet known to the patient, and the subsequent comparison of the results obtained, make it possible to objectify the results of the studies to a large extent.

Tactile sensitivity (see Touch, Tactile analyzer) is usually examined by lightly touching the patient's skin with a brush, piece of cotton, soft paper, etc.; painful - by a pin prick or other sharp object; temperature - by touching the skin with test tubes filled with cool (not higher than 25 °) and hot (40-50 °) water. More precisely, temperature sensitivity can be investigated using a thermoesthesiometer (see Estesiometry). In the absence of the necessary conditions, temperature sensitivity is examined approximately by touching the patient's body with either a metal (cold) or a rubber (warmer) part of the neurological malleus. After applying the appropriate irritation, the patient should immediately characterize his sensation.

The threshold characteristic of pain and tactile sensitivity can be obtained by studying the Frey method using a graduated set of bristles and hairs. Other specific susceptibility testing methods are rarely used. The method proposed in 1885 by A. Goldscheider is practically not used in the study of sensitivity - the application of painful stimuli using a clamp that compresses a skin fold. This method makes it possible to identify areas of hyperalgesia and allows you to set the level of spinal lesions.

Discriminatory sensitivity - the ability to separately perceive two identical stimuli acting simultaneously at two points of the body (see Touch) - is examined using an esthesiometer - Weber's compass. Normally, two separate irritations on the palmar surface of the fingers are perceived when one is 2 mm apart from the other; on the palmar surface of the hand, this distance reaches 6-10 mm, on the forearm and dorsum of the foot - 40 mm, and on the back and hips - 65-67 mm.

In the study of pain, temperature, tactile sensitivity, not only the degree of preservation of one or another type of sensitivity is established, but also the ability of the subject to accurately localize irritation (topesthesia), which can be impaired in some lesions of the nervous system.

The study of muscle-articular sensitivity (kinesthesia) is performed in the position of the patient lying down with his eyes closed. The doctor produces unsharp passive flexion, extension, abduction and adduction of the fingers or the entire limb in various joints. The subject must determine the direction, volume, nature of these movements. The study begins by testing the patient's ability to recognize finger movements. Violation of muscular-articular sensitivity leads to a disorder of coordination of movements - sensitive ataxia (see). To objectify the data of the study of muscular-articular sensitivity, a kinesthesiometer device is used.

Preservation of the feeling of pressure (baresthesia) is determined by the patient's ability to distinguish between pressure and light touch, as well as to catch the difference in the degree of pressure produced. The study is performed using a baresthesiometer - a spring apparatus with a pressure intensity scale expressed in grams, which allows you to determine the threshold for feeling pressure and distinguishing its difference. Normally, the subject distinguishes between an increase or decrease in pressure (on the arm) by 1/20-1/10 of the original pressure. Studies of baresthesia are rarely carried out, since the violation of this type of sensitivity has no great semiological value.

Hair sensitivity - a kind of sensation that occurs when a soft brush, a piece of cotton wool is passed over the scalp in such a way that the irritating object touches only the hairs, without touching the surface of the skin. The study of hair sensitivity in the clinic is rarely performed.

Objective methods for the study of sensitivity are necessary in cases where no sensation occurs in response to irritation of the receptors. The methods of recording the electrical potentials of receptors, sensory fibers extending from receptors, or certain parts of the brain and spinal cord have received the greatest distribution in experimental studies. Registration of evoked potentials of various areas of the brain, reactions that occur in response to electrical stimulation of sensory nerves or adequate stimulation of receptors is widely used (see Bioelectric potentials). At present, a non-surgical method for recording impulse activity in human sensory nerves has been developed.

Pathology of sensitivity

Pathology of sensitivity can be manifested by both quantitative and qualitative changes. Quantitative changes include a decrease in the intensity of sensation, that is, a decrease in sensitivity - hypesthesia, or its complete loss - anesthesia (see). According to the type of sensitivity, there are: hypalgesia (hypalgia), analgesia (decrease or absence of pain sensitivity), thermohypesthesia, thermoanesthesia (decrease or absence of temperature sensitivity), topohypesthesia, topanesthesia (decrease or loss of the ability to localize irritation), astereognosia, or astereognosis (loss of stereognosis) . An increase in sensitivity associated with a decrease in the threshold for the perception of a particular stimulus is called true hyperesthesia. Qualitative sensitivity disorders include a violation (perversion) of the perception of external stimuli, for example, the occurrence of a sensation of pain during cold irritation or heat (thermalgia); a feeling of a larger size of the palpable object - macroesthesia (for example, the patient perceives a match placed in his hand like a stick); sensation of many objects instead of one (polyesthesia); sensation of pain, in addition to the injection site, in some other area (synalgia); sensation of irritation not in the place of its application (alloesthesia); sensation of irritation in a symmetrical area on the other side (allocheiria); inadequate perception of various stimuli (dysesthesia), for example, the perception of painful stimuli as thermal, tactile - as cold, etc. A special form of qualitative change in sensitivity is hyperpathy - a kind of painful perception of various sharp stimuli. Tiperpathy differs from true hyperesthesia (or hyperalgia) in that with the latter there is a decrease in the threshold for perceiving irritation. In hyperpathy, on the contrary, the threshold for perceiving irritation (excitability threshold) is increased (light irritations are perceived in the area of hyperpathy less clearly than normal, or not perceived at all, and intense irritations, especially nociceptive ones, are sharply painful, extremely unpleasant, painful). In this case, irritations are poorly localized by the patient; there is a long aftereffect.

Sensitivity disorders that are not associated with any external influence include paresthesia (see) - a variety of, often unusual, externally unmotivated sensations, such as a feeling of goosebumps, numbness, stiffness of certain areas of the skin, pain in the roots of the hair (trichalgia) , a feeling of moisture in the skin, the movement of liquid drops along it (hygroparesthesia) in the absence of conditions that stimulate the feeling of moisture inherent in a healthy person (hygresthesia). Especially often, a variety of paresthesias are observed with dorsal dryness (see) and other diseases of the nervous system, in which the posterior roots of the spinal cord are involved in the process.

Sensitivity disorders also include pain that accompanies certain lesions of the nervous system (see Pain), including phantom pain in an amputated limb (see Phantom of the amputated), causalgia (see), in which a symptom of hygromania (an attraction to wet) is often observed. , indicating the significance of hygresthesia in the amount of afferent impulses that make up human sensitivity.

With damage to the receptor apparatus, local hypoesthesia can be observed, due to a decrease in the number of receptor points, as well as a change in the threshold characteristics of different types of sensitivity. An increase in the threshold of pain and tactile sensitivity can be very significant (for example, the corresponding minimal sensations appear only when irritated by the largest bristles or Frey's hairs - No. 8, 9, 10). Hyperesthesia in the affected area is associated with a peripheral mechanism - a pathological decrease in the excitability threshold of the remaining receptors and a central mechanism - an increase in the excitability of neurons of the posterior horns of the spinal cord. As a result, the first adequate sensations appear when irritated by the most delicate bristles from a set of hairs (nos. 1, 2).

When a sensory nerve is damaged, two zones of disturbance are detected: anesthesia in the zone of autonomous innervation of only this nerve, hypesthesia with hyperpathy in the zone of mixed innervation (overlapping with zones of innervation of other nerves); all types of sensitivity are violated, but to varying degrees (see Neuritis). For multiple symmetrical lesions of the peripheral nerves of the extremities (see Polyneuritis), a violation of all types of sensitivity is characteristic of the distal type - in the form of long gloves on the hands and stockings on the legs (Fig. 1). Moreover, hypesthesia is more pronounced, the more distally the studied part of the limb is located. A decrease in sensitivity is combined with weakness of the arms and legs (peripheral paralysis or muscle paresis), pain of varying intensity, hyperpathy, and vegetative-trophic disorders.

Damage to the posterior roots of the spinal nerves causes sensory disturbances in the corresponding dermatomes - skin zones that have the shape of a belt in the chest and abdomen and the shape of longitudinal stripes on the limbs (Fig. 2). Radicular hypoesthesia (anesthesia) concerns all types of sensitivity, but not always to the same extent. If, together with sensitive roots, the spinal nodes are involved in the process, sensitive disorders are combined with herpetic eruptions in the corresponding zone of innervation (see Ganglionitis).

With a transverse lesion of the spinal cord, anesthesia (or hypoesthesia) of all types of sensitivity below the lesion site is most often observed, the anesthesia zone is limited at the top by a circular line. This spinal (circular, or conductor) type of sensory disorder is often combined with central lower paraplegia and pelvic disorders, making up the so-called spinal syndrome (see Paralysis, paresis; Spinal cord). The level of anesthesia, as well as the prevalence of paralysis, varies with different levels of spinal cord injury. When the pathological focus is localized above the cervical thickening of the spinal cord, anesthesia of the skin of the trunk, lower and upper extremities occurs, the upper limit of which passes at the level of C 3-4 dermatomes; a pathological focus in the Th2 segment causes anesthesia, the upper limit of which is located at the level of the 2nd rib, in the Th 5 segment at the level of the nipples, in the Th9-10 segment at the level of the navel. When the process is localized in the spinal cord below the indicated levels, anesthesia extends to the lower abdomen, lower limbs, the skin of the perineum and genital organs.

The defeat of the posterior cords of the spinal cord (the bundles of Gaulle and Burdakh) causes a disorder of tactile, muscular-articular, vibrational and other types of deep sensitivity in the arms and legs, accompanied by sensitive ataxia, for example, with spinal tabes (see).

The defeat of the lateral funiculus on one side is accompanied by hypesthesia (or anesthesia) of pain and temperature sensitivity according to the conduction type on the side of the body opposite to the focus, starting from a level 2-3 segments below the level of the lesion. With a transverse lesion of half of the spinal cord, Brown-Séquard syndrome occurs (see Brown-Séquard syndrome), in which the muscular-articular sensitivity on the side of the lesion is disturbed (due to the loss of the function of the homolateral posterior cord), pain and temperature sensitivity on the opposite side of the body disappears ( due to a break in the spinothalamic tract in the lateral cord); tactile sensitivity may not be impaired, since its conductors are located not only in the posterior funiculus on the side of the lesion, but also in the lateral cord of the opposite (not affected) half of the spinal cord. Above the level of violation of deep sensitivity, a small zone of radicular painful hyperesthesia is often found.

A pathological focus in the posterior horns of the spinal cord causes a segmental sensitivity disorder on the side of the pathological process in the skin areas innervated by the affected segments. At the same time, the sensitivity disorder has a dissociated character: only pain and temperature sensitivity drop out, while tactile, as well as muscular-articular and other types of deep sensitivity are preserved. The dissociation of sensitivity is due to the fact that tactile stimuli are conducted to the brain not only along the spinothalamic tract associated with the nerve cells of the posterior horns, but mainly through the system of the posterior cords. Dissociated anesthesia is characteristic of syringomyelia (see), in which the process usually begins with damage to the posterior horns of the spinal cord. Segmental sensitivity disorders spread in syringomyelia most often to the arms and upper body, while the area of violations has the form of a "jacket" or "half jacket". Segmental dissociated anesthesia can only extend to the upper torso (vest form), and the sensitivity remains intact in the arms. This type of sensory disturbance can also be observed in intramedullary tumors and in vascular lesions of the spinal cord.

When the anterior (white, T.) commissure of the spinal cord is affected, dissociated anesthesia develops in several dermatomes on both sides, the level of which approximately corresponds to the level of localization of the pathological process.

When examining sensitivity, it should be borne in mind that the skin of the neck and shoulder girdle is provided with sensitive fibers from C3-4 segments, the outer surface of the shoulder - from C5, the outer surface of the forearm - from C6, the radial side of the hand - from C7, the ulnar side of the hand - from C8, the inner surface of the forearm - from Th1, the upper arm - Th2, the level of the nipples - from Th5, the level of the navel - from Th9-10, the inguinal fold - from L1, the anterior surface of the thigh (from top to bottom) - from L1-4, the anterior inner surface of the lower leg - from L4, the anterior outer surface of the lower leg - from L4, the posterior surface of the thigh - from L1-5, S1-2, the posterior outer surface of the lower leg - from S1, the posterior inner surface of the lower leg - from S2, the genitals and the surrounding area - from S3-5 (Fig. 2).

With selective damage to the nucleus of the spinal tract of the trigeminal nerve (see) in the region of the pons and medulla oblongata (mainly with syringobulbia), there are violations of pain and temperature sensitivity on the same half of the face. In this case, anesthesia (or hypoesthesia) is distributed in concentric stripes around the mouth and nose; medial and lateral zones of skin innervation suffer differently (see Fig. 2 to Art. Trigeminal nerve).

With a pathological focus in the rostral parts of the pons varolii (see Brain Bridge), Raymond-Sestan syndrome occurs (see Alternating syndromes) cerebellar ataxia on the side of the focus and hemianesthesia of superficial sensitivity on the opposite side of the body. This syndrome is usually associated with blockage of the superior cerebellar artery.

The defeat of one half of the medulla oblongata most often causes the occurrence of the Wallenberg-Zakharchenko syndrome (see Alternating syndromes): hemihypesthesia on the side of the body opposite to the pathological focus, and sensitivity disorder on the face on the side of the focus, that is, alternating hemihypesthesia (see Fig. 7 to Art. Alternating syndromes), which is combined with paralysis of the soft palate, muscles of the larynx and pharynx, Bernard-Horner syndrome (see Bernard-Horner syndrome) and vestibular-cerebellar disorders on the side of the focus. The syndrome is associated with blockage of the posterior inferior cerebellar or vertebral artery, which feeds the lateral part of the medulla oblongata.

The pathology of the thalamus can cause Dejerine-Roussy syndrome (see Thalamus), with Krom there is a loss or decrease in all types of sensitivity, sensitive ataxia on the opposite half of the body (due to deep damage to the muscular-articular sensitivity), contralateral hemianopsia (see), pronounced hyperpathy, central pain in the entire half of the body opposite to the pathological focus - very intense, diffuse, burning, resistant to the use of analgesics, various dysesthesias with an unpleasant affective component. Astereognosis (secondary) is also often noted. Sensitivity disturbances can be combined with gemigharez, usually without pathological reflexes.

In the region of the posterior thigh (rear leg, T.) of the internal capsule, conductors of all types of sensitivity for the opposite half of the body are compactly located, therefore, its defeat causes the so-called capsular hemianesthesia (or hemihypoethesia), which is characterized by a greater severity of the lesion in the distal extremities, especially on hand. Sensitivity disorders are usually combined with capsular hemiplegia (see) on the side opposite to the focus, since the pyramidal path for the opposite half of the body also passes through the knee and posterior thigh of the internal capsule.

A focus in the radiant crown of the cerebral hemisphere also causes a violation of all types of sensitivity on the side opposite to the focus, but in this case, hemihypesthesia is never as complete as with damage to the internal capsule, since the sensitivity of one limb always suffers much more than the other. This is due to the fact that the sensory fibers in the radiant crown are located less compactly and occupy a much larger volume of the cerebral hemisphere. The destruction of the bulk of the sensory fibers innervating the upper limb may be accompanied by damage to only a small part of the fibers innervating the lower limb, and vice versa.

In the cerebral cortex, sensory fibers end mainly in the postcentral gyrus, in fields 1, 2, 3, that is, in the main cortical sensory zone. At the same time, the uppermost part of the gyrus is occupied by the sensitivity centers for the leg, the middle third - by the sensitivity centers for half of the body and arm, and the lower third - by the sensitive area of the face. The postcentral gyrus is the highest synthesis analyzer of general sensitivity for the entire opposite half of the body. The postcentral gyrus is considered somatic sensory zone I. Additional cortical sensory zones are also described: cortical sensory zone II in the region of the posterior part of the upper lip of the Sylvian (lateral, lateral) sulcus and zone III on the medial surface of the cerebral hemisphere, posterior to the postcentral gyrus. The main synthesis analyzer of the general Ch. is the postcentral gyrus, other zones play a less important role. In the I and II cortical sensitive zones there are small areas associated not with the opposite, but with the same half of the body.

The focus of damage in the postcentral gyrus causes monoanesthesia (or monohypesthesia) as a result of the loss of function of a certain center of sensitivity. As a symptom of irritation, these patients often have Jacksonian sensory seizures; partial paresthesias in the face, arm or leg are usually short, occurring without changes in consciousness. Hypesthesia in cortical pathological foci is usually unstable, it is more pronounced in the distal limbs, and the muscular-articular feeling and vibration sensitivity are more disturbed than superficial sensitivity. With paracentral (parasagittal) localization of the pathological process with the destruction of the upper part of the post-central gyri of both hemispheres, sensitivity can be impaired on both moans. When the cerebral cortex is damaged, some special, more complex types of sensitivity also suffer, such as recognition of the difference in the intensity of various, including skin, irritations, the precise definition of spatial relationships (topognost), perhaps a weakening of the ability to discriminate, two-dimensional-spatial sensitivity and stereognosis. Primary, cortical astereognosis occurs with lesions mainly of the parietal region.

Localization of the lesion of the nervous system determines the nature and area of distribution of sensitivity disorders; in addition, the features of the pathology of sensitivity depend on the etiology of the process and the nature of the underlying disease.

Sensitivity disorders are often observed in various nosological forms, and in each form they may have their own characteristics, despite the same localization of the lesion. Features of sensitivity disorders characteristic of certain clinical forms are given in the description of individual nervous diseases and syndromes of damage to the nervous system.

Bibliography: Astvatsaturov M. I. Selected works, p. 284, JI., 1939; Bogolepov N. K. Clinical lectures on neuropathology, M., 1971; Granite R. Electrophysiological study of reception, trans. from English, M., 1957; Darkshevich L. O. Course of nervous diseases, t. 1, M. - Pg., 1922; Krol M. B. and Fedorova E. A. Main neuropathological syndromes, M., 1966; Multi-volume guide to neurology, ed. S. N. Da-videnkova, vol. 2, p. 9, Moscow, 1962; Sechenov I.M. Selected works, vol. 1, p. 289, M., 1952; Tamar G. Fundamentals of sensory physiology, trans. from English, M., 1976; Triumfov A. V. Topical diagnosis of diseases of the nervous system, JI., 1974; Physiology of sensory systems, ed. G. V. Gershuni, part 2, JI., 1972; Bicker staff E. R. Neurology, L., 1978; Bing R. Lehrbuch der Nervenkrankheiten, Basel, 1952; D e j e-r i n e J. J. Semiologie des affections du systeme nerveux, P., 1926; Handbook of sensory physiology, ed. by H. Antrum a. o., v. 1, B. a. o., 1971; Haschke W. Grundztige der Neurophysiologie, (Unter dem Aspekt der intergrativen Tatigkeit des ZNS), Jena, 1976; Joschko H. Funktionelle neurologische Diagnostik, Bd 1-4, Jena, 1961 - 1970; Magoun H. W. Ascending reticular activating system in the brain stem, Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. (Chic.), v. 67, p. 145, 1952; M i n c 1 e r J. Pathology of the nervous system, v. 1-3, N.Y., 1968-1972; Penfield W. a. Boldrey E. Somatic motor and sensory representation in the cerebral cortex of man as studies by electrical stimulation, Brain, v. 60, p. 389, 1937; W a r t e n-b e rg R. Neurologische Untersuchungs-methoden in der Sprechstunde, Stuttgart, 1955.

X. G. Hodos; A. P.I. Esakov (physiol.).

After all, everyone strives to deliver maximum pleasure to his partner, since this was at all times considered the main sign of male strength.

One of the most common causes of too rapid ejaculation is the strong tactile sensitivity of the nerve endings located in the delicate skin of the penis.

How to reduce the sensitivity of the head? How can this be done using simple and safe methods?

The boundary between physiological and too high nerve conduction is very arbitrary. It may vary depending on age, strength of sexual arousal, time of previous intercourse. According to doctors, in adolescents, the sensitivity of the head of the penis is very high, which is due to sharp fluctuations in hormonal levels and other physiological changes that accompany pubertal puberty.

As we grow older, the susceptibility is somewhat dulled. In response to touching the penis, sexual arousal and an erection occur, and it must be maintained for a sufficient time for a full-fledged sexual intercourse. However, in some cases, ejaculation comes too quickly, without giving a man, as well as a woman, almost no pleasure.

The reason for this phenomenon is the hypersensitivity of the skin under the foreskin of the penis. With such a violation, ejaculation can occur immediately or a few minutes after the onset of intercourse, in severe cases, premature ejaculation occurs already in the process of foreplay or putting on a condom.

The most common causes of increased sensitivity of the skin of the glans penis are:

congenital features of the structure of nerve fibers;
pathological narrowing of the external opening of the foreskin (the disease is called phimosis), as a result of which the head is constantly covered by the skin, which increases its sensitivity;
inflammation and benign prostatic hyperplasia, with such a pathology, early ejaculation is due not so much to increased sensitivity as to discomfort during sexual intercourse;
acute or chronic inflammatory lesion of the epidermal covering of the head of the penis and foreskin (balanoposthitis), usually this pathology is of a bacterial nature and is provoked by streptococcus or staphylococcus aureus;
excessive concentration of androgens.

The main physiological cause of the problem, how to reduce the sensitivity of the head of the penis, is too long sexual abstinence or excessive sexual arousal. In this state, even a simple touch on the erogenous zones on the genitals can cause ejaculation.

However, this is temporary. As a rule, after too fast ejaculation, the ability for prolonged sexual intercourse is restored.

It is necessary to solve the problem of how to reduce the sensitivity of the head in order to restore self-confidence to a man. Too short sexual intercourse is not able to deliver practically no pleasure to the partner, especially since with such a violation, a long “prelude” is also impossible. Such failure of a man becomes the cause of a mass of complexes, which in the end can result in psychological erectile dysfunction.

You can solve the question of how to reduce the sensitivity of the head with the help of certain medications, folk remedies that are easy to prepare at home, since there are plenty of recipes in the vastness of various forums (starting from completely harmless herbal decoctions to very unpleasant external rubbing with iodine). It is possible to quickly and effectively reduce the sensitivity of the glans penis with the help of an operation to circumcise the foreskin.

Despite the unpleasant rehabilitation period, such a surgical intervention will help prolong sexual intercourse. The aesthetic side of the issue also plays an important role. According to anonymous surveys, many women prefer sexual intimacy with a man with a "circumcised" penis.

How to reduce the sensitivity of the head: medical methods, Chinese techniques for the development of self-control

Almost the only officially registered drug intended to prolong sexual intercourse and prevent early ejaculation is Dapoxetine (Priligy, Primaxetine). The mechanism of its action is quite complicated, it is based on the inhibition of the transmission of nerve impulses and inhibition of ejaculation processes. To take this remedy, how to reduce the sensitivity of the head, 1 tablet should be taken one hour before sexual contact.

The drug is not intended for long-term use. Therefore, after taking the medicine six times, the doctor evaluates the patient's condition to determine the further feasibility of therapy.

Some doctors recommend how to reduce the sensitivity of the head, other medicines with a stronger effect, such as Levitra, Maxigra and similar drugs. However, such drugs are intended for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, so it is not advisable to drink them with increased tactile susceptibility of the skin of the penis.

There are safer ways to reduce the sensitivity of the head. The simplest is the use of lubricants and condoms with the addition of novocaine, lidocaine and other local anesthetics. Also in the sex shop you can buy special penis rings that will make the sensations during sex more vivid and prolong the sexual intercourse.

Sedative drugs and tranquilizers inhibit the degree of conduction of nerve fibers, but at the same time they can adversely affect the strength of an erection.

You can permanently get rid of the problem of early ejaculation with the help of special exercises aimed at improving self-control and restraining ejaculation. This will take several weeks and a little patience, not only from the man, but also from his partner.

One of the exercises for prolonging sexual intercourse is the retention of urine in the process of urination. However, methods aimed at controlling one's own feelings during intercourse are considered more effective. In a nutshell, a man needs to learn to “catch” the moment when ejaculation is about to happen.

At this time, it is necessary to suspend movements for a few minutes and try to distract yourself by moving, for example, to other caresses.

The Chinese teaching, the founder of which is Wu Son, is also based on the same technique. His treatise is replete with quite complex and unusual phrases for our ear. But the essence of his teaching is as follows. First of all, you need to learn to control the rhythm of movements. Start with a pace of three short and one deep, then move on to five and nine gentle pushes for one intense movement.

When a man feels the proximity of ejaculation, you need to pull out the penis (or as Wu Son calls it jade peak) from the vagina and freeze in this position for several seconds. At the same time, you should control your breathing (it should be even, with the participation of the diaphragm) and be distracted as much as possible.

The teachings of Wu Son pursue not only the goal of prolonging sexual intercourse. In accordance with the words of this sage, the seed serves as a source of energy for a man, therefore, it must be “spent” carefully, since the necessary strength is lost along with it. According to the followers of such traditions, the technique described by Wu Son allows you to separate the emotional orgasm from the physiological one. In other words, a man acquires the ability to reach the peak of pleasure without ejaculation.

According to doctors, excessive enthusiasm for methods of artificial prolongation of intercourse negatively affects the functioning of the prostate gland.

In addition to circumcision, there is another surgical method to reduce the sensitivity of the head. To do this, the doctor cuts out the nerve endings, as a result of which they are inhibited by the rate of transmission of excitatory impulses to the brain. But men rarely resort to such intervention, preferring folk remedies, for example, lotions with a decoction of oak bark, which is associated with a risk of complications and a long painful period of postoperative recovery.

How to reduce penis sensitivity: folk remedies and other ways to prolong sexual intercourse

Of the folk methods of prolonging intercourse, regular local baths from a decoction of oak bark can be recommended. It contains a large amount of tannins, which reduce the sensitivity of nerve endings on the skin of the glans penis.

A cornflower blue water infusion has a similar effect. Some healers recommend rubbing the penis with freshly picked mint leaves shortly before sexual intercourse.

Inside, you can take weak herbal sedative decoctions (for example, from a mixture of hops and motherwort in a ratio of 1: 3, a tablespoon of plants is poured with a glass of boiling water, left overnight and drunk throughout the next day). Periwinkle tea will help increase sexual activity (2 tablespoons per 200 ml of hot water, add to regular tea or mix with water).

Of the other ways to reduce the sensitivity of the penis, you can advise:

the obligatory use of a condom made of thick rubber or with an anesthetic applied (usually the package with contraceptives is labeled Long Love);
prefer certain positions when having sex, for example, according to many men, sexual intercourse lasts longer in a standing position;
control the speed of frictions during intercourse, slow movements delay the onset of ejaculation;
regular sex life;
to avoid a long foreplay, of course, you should not pounce on a partner from the threshold, but you need to give up preliminary oral caresses, touching the penis and similar games.

Experts emphasize that you should not focus too much on the problem of early ejaculation. Currently, everyone can choose a method of how to reduce the sensitivity of the penis with the help of sex toys, contraceptives, drugs. However, focusing too much on this problem can lead to potency disorders, which are much more difficult to correct.