How do you test for dysautonomia?

Feeling light-headed? Blurry vision? Palpitations? Before jumping to the worst-case scenario, you should rule out dysautonomia. But what is dysautonomia anyway and how do you test for it?

Let’s Define Dysautonomia First

In a nutshell, dysautonomia is a condition where your autonomic nervous system (ANS) malfunctions. The ANS controls various functions in your body such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and body temperature. When something goes wrong with your ANS, any of these systems can be affected.

Dysautonomia has several forms that manifest differently depending on the patient’s underlying problem or cause. Some factors that could contribute to developing dysautonomias include:

  • Genetics
  • Autoimmune diseases
  • Diabetes
  • Exposure to harmful toxins (like those from organic chemistry experiments gone wrong)
  • Certain medications

It’s complicated and bizarre! So buckle up as we discuss its testing process!

Top Signs And Symptoms Of Dysautonomia

So, how does one determine if they have this mysterious illness? While everyone may experience symptoms differently some common warning signs associated with different types of autonomic dysfunction are:

POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)

POTS affects over 1 million Americans mainly young women upwards of childbearing age and often takes years before getting accurately diagnosed by a team of specialists – also known as the ’tilt table test.’ Here are some symptoms.

• Dizziness or fainting when standing too quickly
• Rapid heartbeat
• Fatigue
• Headaches

Why ‘orthostatic’ though – Apparently because people commonly feel lightheaded after being upright or vertical for any length time…you know, like an office drone staring at a computer screen for hours on end.

Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension (NOH)

NOH commonly occurs with Parkinson’s disease or Multiple System Atrophy but may also occur as an isolated disorder. Some symptoms include:

• Dizziness or fainting when standing up
• Blurry vision
• Weakness
• Nausea

It makes trembling sense why this symptom can be mistaken for other ailments since dizziness and weakness are a common flu-like experience, so getting diagnosed by experts who understand autonomic disorders is just the best plan.

Vasovagal Syncope

Dragged to parties against your will? Heart racing like Usain Bolt in the 100m sprint? You could have Vasovagal syncope where you faint due to triggers in emotional situations, pain or even during a medical procedure like blood withdrawal!

Some other signs of vasovagal syncope include:

• Pale skin
• Dilated pupils
• Rapid heartbeat
• Sweating profusely

At least if it happens at one of those boring dinner parties hosted by your boss, it might get exciting because they’ll have something else apart from Excel spread-sheets to talk about!

How Is Dysautonomia Diagnosed?

So how do doctors determine that you’re not just being dramatic – aside from running away from the scene while doing your impression of Beyoncé’s zigzag dance when she’s slaying stages?

There are many ways doctors can test whether someone has dysautonomia after ensuring no underlying issue causing the problem exists including:

Surveys And Questionnaires

Your doctor asks about cognitive impairment, cardiac history (Skip those details about binge-watching Grey’s Anatomy) fatigue levels and medication use.

The surveys help highlight areas affected by Autonomic Dysfunction – were they afraid you fill out those forms! It requires more critical thinking than trigonometry; however, filling them out accurately assists in assessing how dysautonomia affects different aspects of your life.

Tilt Table Test

This test measures blood pressure and heart rate while changing positions to simulate tilting when standing or lying. It helps identify if one has POTS by observing the changes, stability or instability in heart rate from sitting to standing position high.

It’s taxing too with some people struggling with severe symptoms for a few days after – make sure you schedule a specific day off work (Although we know working from home means you’re always clocked in (J))

Blood Pressure Tests

Or arm clenching tests; using an arm cuff that inflates quickly then slowly deflates several times over ten minutes. The results provide information on how efficiently the ANS is controlling blood pressure and calm any worries about hoping that cute paramedic will one day ask someone out just like they do on TV shows!

While there are other ways doctors can diagnose autonomic dysfunction further assessments, including tilt table tests help physicians determine:

What Type Of Dysautonomia Someone Has

There’s no “one shoe fits all” form of testing since Dysautonomias present differently depending on underlying factors and probably because medical personnel have this idea they should inhabit their garden-fairy avatar every time a patient walks-in (don’t blame me – don’t kill the messenger).

Some conditions associated with dysautonomias include:

  • Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
  • Mitochondrial Diseases
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Autoimmunity

Now pray-tell why does it matter what type of autonomic disorder I have? Well, accurate diagnosis ensures treatment targeting your unique combination of symptoms! You’ll not only get well but reduce overall healthcare costs (they won’t tell you), so hitting two birds with one stone is worth it!

Conclusion

So whether you’re feeling lightheaded or inexplicable weak, it’s essential to consider dysautonomia when diagnosing. As we’ve learned through the hilarious experiences of Beyoncé dancing down aisles and office drone lives affected by POTS, Dysautonomias can be challenging to detect but going for testing never hurt anyone.

Doctors may use tilt table tests, blood pressure tests and other surveys while doing quite a lot of garden fairy-related stuff. Remember – getting tested is just one step towards accurate diagnosis – so don’t rush back home with your Netflix account!

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