Dysautonomia Treatment

Dysautonomia is the umbrella term for autonomic disorders that affect how the nervous system regulates things like heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature. Orthostatic intolerance describes difficulty tolerating upright posture, while POTS is a specific diagnosis defined by an excessive heart rate increase when standing.

In practice, many people experience features of all three. My role isn’t to force you into a neat label, but to help you understand how your symptoms behave and how to manage them in daily life.

POTS is not caused by anxiety; however, many people who have POTS may be mistakenly diagnosed with anxiety. It involves real changes in autonomic function, heart rate regulation, and blood flow.

That said, living with unpredictable symptoms can understandably affect mental health. Part of my work is helping you separate nervous-system-driven symptoms from emotional responses, so fear and uncertainty don’t amplify physical symptoms unnecessarily.

Diagnosis usually involves a combination of symptom history, posture-based testing (such as an active standing test or tilt table test), and ruling out other causes through blood tests.

Some people are told they 'don’t have POTS' because they didn’t meet strict criteria on one test, even though their lived experience clearly points to autonomic dysfunction. I work with your symptoms and patterns, not just test results.

Autonomic symptoms can fluctuate from day to day and may not always show up during testing. Many people experience orthostatic intolerance or dysautonomia without meeting formal POTS criteria. My approach focuses on helping you manage the symptoms you actually experience, regardless of whether a specific diagnosis is confirmed.

Standing, heat, and hot showers all increase the demand on your autonomic nervous system. Blood pools in the lower body, heart rate rises, and blood pressure regulation becomes harder.

Understanding these patterns allows us to plan pacing strategies, posture changes, and recovery supports that reduce symptom flares rather than pushing through them.

Exercise can help some people, but only when carefully adapted. For others, especially early on, exercise intolerance is a real and limiting symptom.

I don’t prescribe exercise programs or push graded exercise. Instead, I help you explore movement only when appropriate, using symptom feedback, pacing, and flexibility so you don’t worsen symptoms.

Yes. Dysautonomia commonly overlaps with ME/CFS and Long COVID, particularly when fatigue, post-exertional symptoms, and autonomic instability are present.

Recognising this overlap helps explain why standard rehabilitation approaches don’t always work and why pacing and nervous system support are so important.

Absolutely. Fluctuation is one of the defining features of autonomic conditions. Good days and bad days don’t mean you’re improving or regressing; they’re part of how the condition behaves. My role is to help you respond to these fluctuations without fear or overcorrection.

Some people experience long-term symptoms, while others improve significantly over time. While dysautonomia may not have a simple cure, symptoms can often be managed more effectively with the right support.

At Heal & Thrive, my focus is on improving daily functioning, predictability, and quality of life, even when symptoms are still present.