Is Dysautonomia the Same with POTS?

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? According to research, POTS is not the same as dysautonomia but it’s often confused with it because there are lots of people diagnosed with dysautonomia that also have POTS. Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? There are quite a lot of symptoms that are also prevalent with people who have POTS. It usually includes palpitations, nausea, light-headedness, gut symptoms, fatigue and headaches can occur in both conditions as a result of one another. Even when we know that POTS symptoms are not harmful, symptoms can still feel very frightening. Adding scary thoughts to the mix can increase symptoms even more. In this article, you’ll learn if is dysautonomia the same with POTS?

How Worried Are You?

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? Worrying excessively about things that could happen in the future can lead to low moods. It can help to recognize that these problems have not yet happened and may never happen. Deal with problems as they come up, and use your time and energy on more positive thoughts. 

If you worry too much, it can definitely take a toll on your mental health. Usually it happens through having panic or dysautonomia episodes. It can be one of the scariest and even quite dangerous experiences that a person can go through.  Dysautonomia episodes can be in a form of a sudden surge of fear which can last for just a few minutes. Sometimes it can be through shortness of breath, and heart palpitations that mimic a heart attack.

Symptoms of Dysautonomia Episodes

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? The symptoms of dysautonomia episodes are not just the part that’s debilitating. It’s actually the feeling of not having any control. The challenge that people need to overcome is that we don’t know when the next panic attack might strike. If you’re constantly experiencing dysautonomia episodes, you most likely have a dysautonomia disorder. According to statistics, around 5% of adults in the U.S. experiences panic episodes every now and then.

The good news is that you can lessen the severity of your panic episodes by taking treatments. In the long – run you will be able to prevent them and also manage it when it happens.

What to Watch Out For

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? What makes dysautonomia episodes dangerous is that the symptoms and severity vary from one person to another, and also from attack to attack. What might trigger your past panic episodes doesn’t mean that it is also the same circumstances that will trigger your next one. This is why dysautonomia episodes can be quite tricky.

Most panic episodes lasts for a few minutes. However, some symptoms may last for a longer time. During these moments, a person usually has a need to flee until the attack is done. Even if the attack doesn’t seem like it’s a long time, it can still feel like eternity to the one experiencing it at the moment. You can identify if you have panic attack symptoms if you are sweating, having nausea, feeling weak, having chest pains, hyperventilating, heart palpitations, trembling, feeling detached from your environment, and numbness among others.

Panic and POTS

When a person is experiencing a full – blown panic attack, it can be quite hard to stop it. According to experts, the reason why it’s challenging is because the thought of having physical symptoms or panic attack can cause you to panic even more. This is because at this point, your minds are playing tricks on you. The physical symptoms may feel like you’re dying.

You need to learn how to make yourself calm down. The best way to do this is to focus on nothing else except your breathing. Make sure to work on slowing down your breaths. Experts say that taking slow deep breaths relaxes the mind and body. You can also count in your head for around 6 seconds to make your in – breath last longer and around 8 seconds when you breathe out. Make sure to also breathe through your nose.

Keep Calm and Breathe

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? Aside from breathing exercises, it’s also best that you learn relaxation techniques. Focusing all your energy on getting your body to relax is very important and handy during a panic attack.

Dysautonomia and stress cause our bodies to release a chemical in the blood stream called norepinephrine. People with the syndrome seem to be very sensitive to this chemical which can cause symptoms like dysautonomia.  In addition, the parasympathetic nervous system which calms us may also not be functioning normally in POTS.

If dysautonomia begins to affect your day-to-day life, it makes sense do something about it. The good news is, while we may not have all the answers yet for treating POTS.

POTS Techniques

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? What many experts suggest especially for people who are often experiencing panic episodes is that they practice meditation, breathing exercises and even yoga. This will help them focus better in the midst of a panic attack. When it comes to treating dysautonomia episodes, the usual solution is through medications, exposure therapy, and psychotherapy.

#1

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? Psychotherapy or commonly known as talk therapy can help you understand the dysautonomia disorder you may have, and how it can impact your life. You and your therapist will work together to create a strategy that can help decrease the severity of panic episodes. One popular psychotherapy technique has been proven in treating dysautonomia episodes and dysautonomia disorder in general is CBT. This kind of therapy emphasizes on how one thinks when it comes to our feeling and actions.

CBT teaches patients on better ways of thinking, acting and also reacting to situations that cause dysautonomia. It also teaches the patient on changing a perspective when it comes to having dysautonomia. Through doing this one can lessen the occurrence and perhaps the severity of the condition. You will get to learn how to think positive thoughts and change your behaviors for the better.  

#2

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? If therapy is not something you can access, experts recommend trying the following activities in order for you to get a better grasp of your dysautonomia triggers. Whenever you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, make sure to write them down. Writing is one of the best forms of therapy because you get to step out of your body for awhile and just be yourself. Journaling your thoughts and experiences or whatever you’re feeling at the moment is a form of acknowledgement. This will ultimately help you understand your inner thoughts and your mindset.

#3

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? As mentioned earlier, doing breathing exercises on a daily basis is a great technique that can help you once your dysautonomia attack strikes. When you’re more in sync with your breathing, you become more self – aware and you can get to focus more. Even if dysautonomia or panic episodes feel like you’re having a heart attack, it will not literally cause you to die. However, it is something serious and should be treated immediately. Make sure to contact your doctor or consult with a therapist to help you deal with the symptoms.

#4

When it comes to managing stress; Other stress related health problems include dealing with emotional and mental conditions such as depression and dysautonomia. Managing stress is needed when a person goes under emotional stress, it can go either way with the individual becoming hyper social or as in others, would completely withdraw and remove themselves from any social interaction. Either way, most people who experience either one of these social phenomena, reports that it becomes very lonely. In this article, you’ll learn how you can manage other health conditions through managing stress.

#5

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? A person who is under constant stress is pretty much always on the defensive, a person operating under this condition for a prolonged period of time without respite can begin showing signs of mood swings and behavioral changes. People under the constant strain of challenging situations could have unknowingly “modified” their systems to adapt to the hyper-drive they have gotten used to, putting further strain on an already frayed health system.

Apart from the aforementioned diseases, other medical conditions that can come about because of stress would be digestive illnesses. When a person is under stress, they often describe sensations in the pit of their stomachs that make it feel as if their guts are being ripped out or they describe a sinking sensation.

#6

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? When stress activates the fight or flight response the nervous system shuts down the blood flow to the body’s digestive system. Stress affects how your stomach muscles contract. It also decreases its ability to digest because of the lack of secretions needed to do so. Long term, chronic stress can cause some people’s gastrointestinal system to become inflamed making them more susceptible to infection.

Is dysautonomia the same with POTS? When a person is under stress, the esophagus goes into spasms and stress causes the increase of acid production in the stomach. The colon is affected by stress and can affect the person under stress to have diarrhea or bouts of constipation. When a person is under severe stress they could experience severe nausea. Although not the direct cause of conditions such as celiac disease, stomach ulcers or inflammatory bowel diseases, stress can in fact worsen these medical conditions like dysautonomia or POTS.