Dysautonomia Awareness Month

While most people associate October with Breast Cancer Awareness month, it also happens to be the official month of awareness for Dysautonomia. However, when you share an awareness month with breast cancer you hardly receive any awareness at all. While I support all types of cancer research, including breast cancer, it is very frustrating that other debilitating and life changing disorders are overlooked. For once I want silent sufferers to be heard.

Dysautonomia is a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for controlling the functions in the body that we do not consciously think about--blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, digestion, etc.

There are numerous Dysautonomia syndromes and are often associated with EDS. I have Neurocardiogenic Syncope which involves a drop in heart rate and blood pressure. This drop can lead to syncope (fainting).

Other Dysautonomia Syndromes include:
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Orthostatic Hypotension/Hypertension (Postural Hypotension/Hypertension)
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Chronic Fatigue
IBS
...and more!

Most people associate Dysautonomia with POTS and think that they are the same syndrome. However, there are many other Dysautonomia syndromes. Dysautonomia is simply a term used to describe any malfunction/disease/disorder of the autonomic nervous system.