Disautonomia - What is it?
Hi,
Again, as always, thank you for taking the time to read this blog. It means a lot.
Today I want to talk about something I've discussed many times on here over the past three years. I don't want to talk about how the condition affects me emotionally in human terms, but how it affects the body.
This is because as a twenty one year old in 2019 I see many changes in society that I think are brilliant. Open Mindedness to mental health conditions, more awareness of the spectrum that is sexuality and awareness in general about topics that even ten years ago may have been considered a "taboo".
However, the condition I'm about to talk about is a physical condition with physical and very debilitating symptoms and I feel its a condition with very little awareness.
"Disautonomia" or "Autonomic Disfunction" is a condition in which the autonomic nervous system does not work properly. This Autonomic nervous system is a component of the "peripheral nervous system" that has two branches, the "sympathetic nervous system" and the "parasympathetic nervous system".
Now, this is all very technical, but essentially these nervous systems control everything that the body does automatically - and so, when this system stops working properly it can make a person feel very ill.
This system controls nearly every process in the body and so can cause many symptoms upon the body.
These include (amongst other symptoms) -
Sweating
Palpitations (which then can cause an anxiety response due to physical stimuli)
Bowel incontinence
Loss of short term memory or "brain fog"
dizziness
chronic fatigue
insomnia
weakness
low blood pressure
As many of you will be aware already, I have a condition called "Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome" or POTS and this is presented in major Disautonomia. Whilst the condition's causes are poorly understood, it is known to be passed on through genetics or triggered by a virus. As my Mother has a autoimmune disease, I believe I was always genetically susceptible through the link of this condition and disautonomia.
I wanted to write this today after waking up achy and cold but drenched in sweat in which when I sleep my body does not wake me up to cool me down. I can't think very clearly at all and I can get anxiety like symptoms that I'm currently treating. I'm learning not to push my body if I feel mentally or physically unwell and to give myself rest days willingly when needed, but to also exercise and move regularly to avoid blood pooling in my legs and my muscles being weakened.
I wanted to write this to just raise awareness for all those people who walk into a room and in the first ten minutes feel physically sick because their body can't automatically cool them down or feel often drenched in sweat. I think the more people understand how exhausting it is for the body trying to regulate something it can't, the more gentleness will occur for sufferers to manage symptoms.
I ask that if you have a friend or family member with this condition that you read a little to make yourself aware of how it affects them. Understanding, kindness, acceptance and patience go a long way. :)
For any more information on POTS or Disautonomia you can find more information on the below websites:
http://www.potsuk.org/
http://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/page.php?ID=34
My story on Pots UK
http://www.potsuk.org/stories/62
Thank you for taking the time to read,
Molly x
Again, as always, thank you for taking the time to read this blog. It means a lot.
Today I want to talk about something I've discussed many times on here over the past three years. I don't want to talk about how the condition affects me emotionally in human terms, but how it affects the body.
This is because as a twenty one year old in 2019 I see many changes in society that I think are brilliant. Open Mindedness to mental health conditions, more awareness of the spectrum that is sexuality and awareness in general about topics that even ten years ago may have been considered a "taboo".
However, the condition I'm about to talk about is a physical condition with physical and very debilitating symptoms and I feel its a condition with very little awareness.
"Disautonomia" or "Autonomic Disfunction" is a condition in which the autonomic nervous system does not work properly. This Autonomic nervous system is a component of the "peripheral nervous system" that has two branches, the "sympathetic nervous system" and the "parasympathetic nervous system".
Now, this is all very technical, but essentially these nervous systems control everything that the body does automatically - and so, when this system stops working properly it can make a person feel very ill.
This system controls nearly every process in the body and so can cause many symptoms upon the body.
These include (amongst other symptoms) -
Sweating
Palpitations (which then can cause an anxiety response due to physical stimuli)
Bowel incontinence
Loss of short term memory or "brain fog"
dizziness
chronic fatigue
insomnia
weakness
low blood pressure
As many of you will be aware already, I have a condition called "Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome" or POTS and this is presented in major Disautonomia. Whilst the condition's causes are poorly understood, it is known to be passed on through genetics or triggered by a virus. As my Mother has a autoimmune disease, I believe I was always genetically susceptible through the link of this condition and disautonomia.
I wanted to write this today after waking up achy and cold but drenched in sweat in which when I sleep my body does not wake me up to cool me down. I can't think very clearly at all and I can get anxiety like symptoms that I'm currently treating. I'm learning not to push my body if I feel mentally or physically unwell and to give myself rest days willingly when needed, but to also exercise and move regularly to avoid blood pooling in my legs and my muscles being weakened.
I wanted to write this to just raise awareness for all those people who walk into a room and in the first ten minutes feel physically sick because their body can't automatically cool them down or feel often drenched in sweat. I think the more people understand how exhausting it is for the body trying to regulate something it can't, the more gentleness will occur for sufferers to manage symptoms.
I ask that if you have a friend or family member with this condition that you read a little to make yourself aware of how it affects them. Understanding, kindness, acceptance and patience go a long way. :)
For any more information on POTS or Disautonomia you can find more information on the below websites:
http://www.potsuk.org/
http://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/page.php?ID=34
My story on Pots UK
http://www.potsuk.org/stories/62
Thank you for taking the time to read,
Molly x
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