What is Dysautonomia?
Dysautonomia is an umbrella term for health conditions related to the autonomic nervous system. The term "autonomic" means ”self-governing,” which means it controls things you don't have to think about. This covers a wide range of bodily functions, such as breathing, digestion, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, sweating, and much more. Some of the most common forms include POTS, orthostatic hypotension, vasovagal syncope and autonomic dysreflexia.
How many people have a form of dysautonomia?
Dysautonomia is not rare. Over 70 million people worldwide live with various forms of the condition. People of any age, gender or race can be impacted. There is no cure for any form of dysautonomia at this time, but there are plenty of lifestyle changes and treatments that can help control the symptoms. Despite the high prevalence of dysautonomia, most patients take years to get diagnosed due to a lack of awareness amongst the public and within the medical profession.
Most common forms of Dysautonomia
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) - estimated to impact 1 out of 100 teenagers and, including adult patients, impacted an estimated 3 million Americans before COVID-19. Recent research shows that the number of POTS patients is now estimated to impact at least 6 million Americans since the pandemic began. POTS can cause lightheadedness, fainting, tachycardia, chest pains, shortness of breath, GI upset, exercise intolerance, temperature sensitivity and more.
Neurocardiogenic Syncope (NCS)- NCS is the most common form of dysautonomia, NCS impacts tens of millions of individuals worldwide. Many individuals with NCS have a mild case, with fainting spells once or twice in their lifetime. However, some individuals have severe NCS which results in fainting several times per day, which can lead to falls and injury. Individuals with moderate to severe NCS have difficulty engaging in work, school and social activities due to the frequent fainting attacks.
Orthostatic hypotension means decreased blood pressure when changing positions from sitting or lying to standing. It occurs in about 6% of the population, according to the Dysautonomia Support Network. However, that number increases with age. It happens in about 20% of people over age 65, the organization says.
Resources and information for people with Dysautonomia:
For some tips on traveling with POTS/Dysautonomia, visit "Travelling with POTS or Dysautonomia-Tips and Tricks."
The Complete Guide to Traveling with POTS/Dysautonomia
Click the image above to learn some useful tips and trick on traveling with POTS/Dysautonomia.
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