What Are the Symptoms of Dysautonomia?

Dysautonomia is also called autonomic dysfunction or autonomic neuropathy. The symptoms of dysautonomia include fainting, dizziness, balance problems, brain fog, chest pain, palpitations, trouble swallowing, sleep problems and other issues.

Dysautonomia is also called autonomic dysfunction or autonomic neuropathy. This term is used to define medical conditions that cause the malfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is the part of the nervous system that controls the involuntary functions of the body, such as heartbeat, blood pressure, breathing, digestion, kidney function, hormonal function, temperature control, sexual function and many other functions. People with an autonomic disorder have heart and blood pressure issues, as well as present with symptoms, such as breathing trouble, loss of bladder control and many other problems.

Primary and secondary dysautonomia

Dysautonomia can occur as a stand alone disorder without the presence of other diseases and is known as primary dysautonomia. It can also occur as an accompanying condition to other diseases and is known as secondary dysautonomia.

Some conditions caused by primary dysautonomia include

Neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS)

NCS also called situational syncope or vasovagal syncope is the most common form of dysautonomia. It is characterized by fainting spells that occur once or twice in a lifetime or multiple times every day.

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)

POTS is a disorder that causes problems with circulation (blood flow), which can make the heartbeat too fast when a person stands up. It can lead to fainting, chest pain and giddiness.

Multiple system atrophy (MSA)

MSA is a rare fatal form of dysautonomia that usually occurs in people over the age of 40 years old. MSA causes heart rate issues, low blood pressure, erectile dysfunction and loss of bladder control. Patients usually become bedridden within two years of diagnosis and die within 5 to 10 years.

Pure autonomic failure

This is a rare degenerative disorder that causes posture-dependent hypotension, sexual dysfunction, a decreased ability to sweat, elevated blood pressure when lying down and changes in gastrointestinal and urinary habits. The condition affects men more often than women and is often found in middle-aged to older adults.

Afferent baroreflex failure

This is an autonomic disorder that causes fluctuations in blood pressure. The pressure keeps alternating between high and low due to a failure of the blood pressure-sensing nerves that relay information to the brain. It can be the result of a hereditary disorder or the result of a stroke, post-cancer surgery or radiation therapy.

Familial dysautonomia

Familial dysautonomia is a rare inherited condition that affects the development of the autonomic and sensory nervous systems. They may have reduced pain sensitivity, difficulty in regulating body temperature, absence of tears, excessive sweating, overproduction of saliva and mucus and blotchy reddening of the skin when excited or eating. During times of stress, people with familial dysautonomia may experience autonomic crises with extremely high blood pressure and heart rate accompanied by vomiting or retching.

Diseases in which secondary dysautonomia can occur include

Diabetes
Parkinson’s disease
Muscular sclerosis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Lupus
Amyloidosis
Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis
Celiac disease
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Chiari malformation
Vitamin B and E deficiencies
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Lyme disease
Guillain-Barre syndrome
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Lambert-Eaton syndrome
Sjogren syndrome
Sarcoidosis

Triggers of dysautonomia

The symptoms of dysautonomia can be triggered by specific situations or actions, such as alcohol consumption, hot environments, dehydration, stress and tight clothing.