Dysautonomia is not an autoimmune disease although it can be caused by or associated with some autoimmune diseases and conditions.
Some forms of dysautonomia are primary, which means they occur on their own without a clear cause and other causes of dysautonomia are secondary, which means they develop as a result of another condition, including autoimmune diseases.
Dysautonomia is a condition that is caused by the malfunction of your autonomic nervous system, which is what regulates your involuntary bodily functions such as blood pressure, digestion and heart rate.
Dysautonomia is an umbrella term that describes a group of disorders and symptoms can range from mild to severe enough to be debilitating.
The autonomic nervous system is what controls breathing and regulates the rhythm and depth of our breathing.
The autonomic nervous system also controls heart rate and adjusts the speed at which the heart beats and also maintains appropriate blood pressure levels.
The autonomic nervous system also controls the process of digestion by controlling the process of breaking down of food and absorbing nutrients.
The autonomic nervous system also maintains a stable body temperature and regulates the body's temperature.
Other functions that the autonomic nervous system controls are the bladder as well as pupil response and sweating.
Dysautonomia can manifest itself in a wide range of different symptoms that can vary greatly between people.
Common symptoms of dysautonomia include orthostatic intolerance such as dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting when standing up, heart rate and blood pressure issues like abnormal heart rate, palpitations and fluctuating blood pressure, gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, constipation and abdominal pain.
Other symptoms of dysautonomia are sweating abnormalities like excessive sweating or an inability to sweat and vision problems like difficulty adjusting to light changes or even blurred vision, fatigue and exercise intolerance such as feeling unusually tired and struggling with physical activity and other symptoms like anxiety, sleep disturbances, headaches and difficulty swallowing.
The causes of dysautonomia are genetics, autoimmune diseases, infections such as viral or bacterial infections, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, certain neurological conditions etc can lead to dysautonomia.