balance, nausea, significant swings in heart rate, and trouble breathing.
How The Disease Is Diagnosed
Since dysautonomia affects the ANS, the tests that diagnose the disease are typically focused on checking your involuntary functions. There may be sweating tests, breathing tests, and an electrocardiography.
Since the illness can be caused by other conditions, your doctor may also recommend blood tests to determine if you have any other health problems. One of the popular tests to confirm dysautonomia is known as a tilt table test.
In this test, you would lie on a table while medical devices record how your body regulates heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure when the table moves.
Bear in mind that the results of one test may just be the beginning as there are different specific conditions. This list may include neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
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The Treatment Options For Dysautonomia
Dysautonomia can’t be cured so doctors typically focus on managing the disease. This management entails reducing the symptoms as well as minimizing the likelihood of any complications. Since the symptoms and illnesses can vary widely, your treatment program will have to be personalized. In addition to a medical regimen, doctors usually suggest certain lifestyle changes to help you cope with the illness.
You may need to drink more water, add salt to your diet, sleep with your head raised, and take medications to modulate your blood pressure. If you have other chronic illnesses, you’ll need to take care to have them under control as well.
Even if you’ve never heard of dysautonomia, it’s been shown to affect over 70 million people globally. It’s also likely to affect all ethnicities and genders equally. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms that are listed here, it’s best to see your doctor as soon as possible. The disease can’t be cured but it’s possible to manage it well.