What is Dysautonomia?

Dysautonomia is a general term used to describe a breakdown, or failure of the autonomic nervous system.  The autonomic nervous system controls much of your involuntary functions. Symptoms are wide ranging and can include problems with the regulation of heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and perspiration. Other symptoms include fatigue, lightheadedness, feeling faint or passing out (syncope), weakness and cognitive impairment.

Autonomic dysfunction can occur as a secondary condition of another disease process, like diabetes, or as a primary disorder where the autonomic nervous system is the only system impacted. These conditions are often misdiagnosed.

Over one million Americans are impacted with a primary autonomic system disorder. The more common forms of these conditions include Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) / Orthostatic Intolerance (OI), Neurocardiogenic Syncope (NCS), Pure Autonomic Failure (PAF) and Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA).

Your autonomic nervous system is really an "automatic" system that works to help regulate most of our involuntary bodily functions. It also controls the "fight or flight" response. To learn more about how this system works, follow the links below:

The Autonomic Nervous System
Autonomic Disorders

Because the autonomic nervous system plays a role in most of the body, there are specialists in more than one area of medicine. Follow this link to a list of physicians that are interested in treating patients with Dysautonomia.

NDRF Medical Network

Do you have dysautonomia and want to reach out to find others like you? Follow this link to the NDRF Discussion Forum where you will find others who are willing to share their stories and offer support.

NDRF Discussion Forum