Dysautonomias impact about half of Sjogren's patients. 

What is dysautonomia?

Dysautonomia is the medical term used to describe a malfunctioning autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls "automatic" functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, sweating and others. For an introduction, see this page on the Dysautonomia International website.  Dysautonomias have many causes, including autoimmune. They are not fully understood. Sjogren’s patients are especially prone to dysautonomia, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. 

Cardiovascular dysautonomias 

These impact heart rate and blood pressure. They often cause fatigue, along with many other symptoms. They are sometimes debilitating. There are many types; postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is probably the most common.

LINKS

 

Patients Resources

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  • Introducing POTS Article: What is POTS and why haven't more people heard of it on USNews

  • Wider POTS Overview Article: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome DyautonomiaInternational

  • Video Managing life with Autonomic symptoms: ​Dr Peter Rowe lecture

    • Clear explanations of POTS and neurally mediated hypotension(NMH). Great practical tips. Not Sjogren’s-specific, but good general info.

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Clinicians / Sharing with your Clinician

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Clear, brief journal article. You can print it out and share with your clinician.   

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3361090/pdf/bjgp62-286.pdf

 

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