Dysautonomia
The term dysautonomia has been on the rise in recent years due to increasing prevalence, diagnosis, and awareness. The month of October is Dysautonomia Awareness Month, so we wanted to shed light on this condition. Dysautonomia is a complex umbrella of conditions that affects many people each day.
Definition of Dysautonomia
Dysautonomia refers to a disorder or imbalance that affects the autonomic nervous system. Our autonomic nervous system is what is responsible for controlling the automatic functions within our bodies. Examples include breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate. There are multiple types of dysautonomia including:
- Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
- Orthostatic Hypotension (OH)
- and Vasovagal Syncope (VVS)
to name a few, with POTS being the most common.
POTS
POTS is one of the most common forms of dysautonomia. It commonly occurs when the body isn’t able to properly maintain heart rate and blood pressure while transitioning from lying/sitting to standing up. Upon standing up, the blood vessels in the legs should constrict, which helps force blood back through circulation and to the rest of the body. With POTS, the autonomic nervous system doesn’t take the hint, and it doesn’t properly contract the vessels in the legs. Because of this, excess blood pools in the lower limbs, resulting in lower blood pressure. As a response, the heart rate increases in an attempt to move blood more efficiently through the body. If the body is not able to compensate, fainting may occur due to inadequate blood flow to the brain.
There are a few different variations that can occur under the umbrella of POTS. Hypovolemic POTS may occur when the blood volume/blood pressure is too low, and the body is not able to oxygenate tissues and vital organs adequately. Hyperadrenergic POTS may occur when the sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive and is producing too much adrenaline. This is when someone with POTS may notice high blood pressure.
Additional Symptoms
While it may seem like POTS only affects the cardiovascular system, it is common for patients with POTS to experience a myriad of systemic symptoms. This is because the autonomic nervous system is responsible for so many of our daily functions. Some additional symptoms that you may experience with POTS include: fainting, brain fog or memory concerns, fatigue, headaches, temperature intolerance, gastrointestinal issues, difficulty breathing, and palpitations.
Causes of Dysautonomia
There are many different theories as to what can cause POTS; many individuals can experience different events that ultimately lead to the development of their symptoms. In many cases, there is often a known trigger that sets off a cascade of symptoms. Those triggers commonly include illnesses (bacterial or viral infections), surgeries, pregnancies, physical traumas, or stressors.
Naturopathic Approach
The approach to dysautonomia should be done carefully and thoughtfully, looking at each individual person in a holistic manner to ensure they receive the right support. Mainstays of support in dysautonomia, especially POTS, include increased hydration and electrolytes to help increase blood volume. Eating smaller meals may be helpful as it reduces the strain on your digestive tract. Whereas eating larger meals can result in more blood being diverted to the gastrointestinal tract. This can result in lower blood volume and pressure within the rest of the body. Compression socks may be helpful for some patients as they can help support blood vessels and reduce the risk of blood pooling in the lower extremities.
Because dysautonomia occurs as a disruption to the autonomic nervous system, we must consider adding additional support for the nervous system to help bring the body into balance. This may look like daily grounding outside, ending showers with cold water, drinking holy basil tea, or adding in a custom adaptogenic tincture to help support the adrenal glands. Because there are other comorbid conditions that commonly occur with dysautonomia, it is crucial to sit down with a naturopathic doctor and discuss your complete health history to see what other ways you can be supported.
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with dysautonomia and is looking for additional support, call our office today to schedule an appointment with one of our naturopathic doctors to see how we can support you!
804-977-2634
References:
https://thedysautonomiaproject.org/pots-postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome/
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