Insights into POTS and Dysautonomia with Dr. Brian
Dysautonomia, or POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), is often misdiagnosed or goes undiagnosed in people who suffer from a wide range of symptoms. In the past few years, the prevalence of dysautonomia conditions have increased significantly – leading many who suffer from the symptoms of dysautonomia looking for answers to improve and recover from this debilitating syndrome.
The symptoms of dysautonomia can vary greatly from person to person – but there are patterns in the symptoms that people experience that can indicate instability of the autonomic nervous system in contrast with other conditions/symptoms (like a cardiac or metabolic issues). First off, many people with dysautonomia have symptoms that are constant in nature – symptoms like brain fog, dizziness, headaches, and fatigue that are present throughout the whole day (symptoms may range up and down but never fully go away). Secondly, people with dysautonomia usually have positional symptoms – either changing positions (lying or seated to standing) or prolonged standing can trigger or increase symptoms in the absence of other triggers or activities. Many people also feel like they are in a constant “fight or flight” mode, where they feel as if they are under chronic stress even when there is no external or internal trigger of stress. Lastly, many people experience significant fatigue doing minimal or trivial activities throughout the day, and have an intolerance (limited or near zero ability to perform without symptoms) to any type of physical exertion or things that increase their sympathetic (stress) system (like being in the heat/taking hot showers can lead to increased symptoms).
Traditionally, the standard treatment for dysautonomia involved increasing water intake, increasing salt intake, and starting some type of medication protocol. Although this may help some people manage their symptoms better, many people are still dealing with significant symptoms and looking for more answers to help reduce their symptoms. There are neurologically based therapies that can help reduce and eliminate the symptoms of dysautonomia. The treatment that I utilize most often is a re-training-style program including both neurological treatment and hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy. The neurological treatment involves a progressive overload style of training (similar to what personal training at the gym or a physical therapy program for muscular injuries, except the therapies I utilize are specific to the brain and nervous system). This offers patient a different opportunity and approach to try to reduce their symptoms, especially when other treatment options have not significantly helped in the past.
My mission at Great Lakes Functional Neurology is to help you understand your symptoms and offer a unique treatment approach to help you lower your symptoms and return back to a healthier, more functional lifestyle. I strive to equip you with the tools needed both in the clinic and at home for neurological recovery and optimal health. If you would like to know more, I would be happy to discuss my services in more detail with you! You can reach me at (616)-581-1558 or visit my website at www.greatlakesneurology.com and schedule a free phone consultation with Dr. Brian to learn more about my therapies and treatment options. Ask for Dr. Brian!
MEDICAL DISCLAIMERThe content above is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. Great Lakes Functional Neurology does not take responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. We recommend readers that are taking prescription or over-the-counter medications consult their physicians before starting any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.
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