Dysautonomia

Dysautonomia is a dysfunction in the body's automatic functioning or the Automatic Nervous System (ANS) and; it is an umbrella terms for many different disorders.

The ANS is responsible of the body's automatic functions - the ones who consciously don't think about doing for example our heart rate, blood pressure, temperature control, digestion, spacial disorientation, dilation and constriction of the pupils in the eye and kidney function. 

Individuals with dysautonomia have difficulty regulating some of these functions which can result in symptoms such as dizziness, light headedness, fainting, high/low blood pressure, abnormal heart rates, poor temperature control, difficulties with the digestive system, bladder control, stress response and more.
Worldwide dysautonomia affects approximately 70 million people.

There is no cure but there are management strategies, such as having a high salt diet, eating smaller meals, pumping your feet in increase blood flow before standing and standing up slowly, elevation, and laying down.

Dysautonomia is common in people like myself with conditions like M.E. and/or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.


Dysautonomia and Me

The three main dysautonomia conditions I have are Orthostatic Intolerance, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and Raynaud’s.

With my orthostatic intolerance I find it hard to be upright for too long so I have to spend a lot of time reclined; this also helps eases my POTS


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