12/10/2025
October is Dysautonomia Awareness Month!
Dysautonomia is an umbrella term for conditions where the body’s automatic systems, like heart rate, blood pressure, temperature control, and digestion, don’t regulate as they should.
For people with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), this is especially common. Many experience dizziness, fainting, fast heart rate when standing, “brain fog,” and stomach or bowel issues.
People with EDS and HSD can experience several forms of orthostatic intolerance (symptoms that happen when upright and improve when lying down). The three most common are:
1️⃣ Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) – when standing causes the heart rate to jump by at least 30 beats per minute (or 40 in teens), bringing symptoms like dizziness, palpitations, or fatigue.
2️⃣ Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) – similar symptoms when upright, sometimes without dramatic heart rate or blood pressure changes.
3️⃣ Orthostatic Hypotension (OH) – a significant drop in blood pressure within a few minutes of standing, which can lead to light-headedness or even fainting.
This month we’ll be sharing posts on how it affects the gut, and what management and treatment options look like. Learn more here: https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/information/autonomic-dysfunction/
