Autonomic Nervous System Disorders: MedlinePlus

Autonomic Nervous System Disorders: MedlinePlus

 

A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Autonomic Nervous System Disorders

Also called: Dysautonomia 

Email this page to a friendShare on facebookShare on twitterBookmark & SharePrinter-friendly versionSubscribe to RSS

 

 

Your autonomic nervous system is the part of your nervous system that controls involuntary actions, such as the beating of your heart and the widening or narrowing of your blood vessels. When something goes wrong in this system, it can cause serious problems, including

• Blood pressure problems
• Heart problems
• Trouble with breathing and swallowing
• Erectile dysfunction in men

Autonomic nervous system disorders can occur alone or as the result of another disease, such as Parkinson's disease, alcoholism and diabetes. Problems can affect either part of the system, as in complex regional pain syndromes, or all of the system. Some types are temporary, but many worsen over time. When they affect your breathing or heart function, these disorders can be life-threatening.
Some autonomic nervous system disorders get better when an underlying disease is treated. Often, however, there is no cure. In that case, the goal of treatment is to improve symptoms.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• Autonomic hyperreflexia
• Autonomic neuropathy
• Horner syndrome
• Multiple system atrophy
• Riley-Day syndrome

Related Topics

• Fainting
• Low Blood Pressure
• Neurologic Diseases
• Peripheral Nerve Disorders
• Brain and Nerves

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Autonomic Nervous System Disorders is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Start Here

• Dysautonomia (Autonomic Dysfunction)(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary 

• Overviews

  • Autonomic Neuropathy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Overview of the Autonomic Nervous System(Merck & Co., Inc.)

• Specific Conditions

  • Autoimmune Autonomic Ganglionopathy(Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network)
  • Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS)(American Thoracic Society) - PDF
  • Familial Dysautonomia(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)
  • Holmes-Adie Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
  • Horner Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Multiple System Atrophy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
  • Multiple System Atrophy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
  • Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Multiple System Atrophy with Orthostatic Hypotension (Shy-Drager Syndrome)(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
  • Neurally Mediated Syncope(Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network)
  • Orthostatic Hypotension(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
  • Orthostatic Hypotension (Postural Hypotension)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Postural Tachycardia Syndrome(American Heart Association)
  • Postural Tachycardia Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
  • Striatonigral Degeneration(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
  • Vasovagal Syncope (Fainting)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

• Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Autonomic Nervous System Diseases(National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypotension, Orthostatic(National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Orthostatic Intolerance(National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Shy-Drager Syndrome(National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Syncope, Vasovagal(National Institutes of Health)

• Genetics

  • Genetics Home Reference: Cold-induced sweating syndrome(National Library of Medicine)
  • Genetics Home Reference: Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome(National Library of Medicine)
  • Genetics Home Reference: Dopamine beta-hydroxylase deficiency(National Library of Medicine)
  • Genetics Home Reference: Familial dysautonomia(National Library of Medicine)
  • Genetics Home Reference: Horner syndrome(National Library of Medicine)
  • Genetics Home Reference: Multiple system atrophy(National Library of Medicine)
  • Genetics Home Reference: Transthyretin amyloidosis(National Library of Medicine)
  • Genetics Home Reference: Triple A syndrome(National Library of Medicine)
  • Genetics Home Reference: Tyrosine hydroxylase deficiency(National Library of Medicine)
  • Return to top

• Journal Articles

  References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
  • Article: Mechanisms of hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure in diabetes.
  • Article: Autonomic nervous system modulation during accidental syncope induced by heat...
  • Article: Surgical management of airway dysfunction in Parkinson's disease compared with...
  • Autonomic Nervous System Disorders -- see more articles
  • Familial dysautonomia -- see more articles
  • Return to top

• Organizations

  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

• Children

  • Anisocoria and Horner's Syndrome(American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
  • Return to top

• Patient Handouts

  • Autonomic neuropathy
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Multiple system atrophy
  • Also available in Spanish