Autonomic Neuropathy Overview
Learn About Autonomic Neuropathy
Autonomic neuropathy is a group of symptoms that occur when there is damage to the nerves that manage normally automatic body functions. These functions include blood pressure, heart rate, sweating, bowel and bladder emptying, and digestion.
Neuropathy - autonomic; Autonomic nerve disease
Autonomic neuropathy is a group of symptoms. It is not a specific disease. There are many causes.
Autonomic neuropathy involves damage to the nerves that carry information from the brain and spinal cord. The information is then carried to the heart, blood vessels, bladder, intestines, sweat glands, and pupils.
Autonomic neuropathy may be seen with:
- Alcohol abuse
- Diabetes (diabetic neuropathy)
- Disorders involving scarring of tissues around the nerves
- Guillain Barré syndrome or other diseases that inflame nerves
- HIV/AIDS
- Inherited nerve disorders
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson disease
- Spinal cord injury
- Surgery or injury involving the nerves
Symptoms vary, depending on the nerves affected. They usually develop slowly over years.
Stomach and intestine symptoms may include:
- Constipation (hard stools)
- Diarrhea (loose stools)
- Feeling full after only a few bites (early satiety)
- Nausea after eating
- Problems controlling bowel movements
- Swallowing problems
- Swollen abdomen
- Vomiting of undigested food
Heart and lungs symptoms may include:
- Abnormal heart rate or rhythm
- Blood pressure drop with position that causes dizziness when standing
- High blood pressure
- Shortness of breath with activity or exercise
Bladder symptoms may include:
- Difficulty beginning to urinate
- Feeling of incomplete bladder emptying
- Leaking urine
Other symptoms may include:
- Sweating too much or not enough
- Heat intolerance brought on with activity and exercise
- Sexual problems, including erection problems in men and vaginal dryness and orgasm difficulties in women
- Small pupil in one eye
- Weight loss without trying
Treatment to reverse nerve damage is most often not possible. As a result, treatment and self-care are focused on managing your symptoms and preventing further problems.
Your health care provider may recommend:
- Extra salt in the diet or taking salt tablets to increase fluid volume in blood vessels
- Fludrocortisone or similar medicines to help your body retain salt and fluid
- Medicines to treat irregular heart rhythms
- Pacemaker
- Sleeping with the head raised
- Wearing compression stockings
The following may help your intestines and stomach work better:
- Daily bowel care program
- Medicines that help the stomach move food through faster
- Sleeping with the head raised
- Small, frequent meals
Medicines and self-care programs can help you if you have:
- Urinary incontinence
- Neurogenic bladder
- Erection problems
David Brillman is an Internal Medicine provider in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Brillman and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Autonomic Neuropathy. His top areas of expertise are Subacute Cerebellar Degeneration, Dementia, Autonomic Neuropathy, and Painful Swallowing.
University Of Pittsburgh Physicians
Sandra Stinnett is an Otolaryngologist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Stinnett and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Autonomic Neuropathy. Her top areas of expertise are Laryngitis, Ocular Hypertension (OHT), Laryngeal Nerve Damage, Trabeculectomy, and Vitrectomy. Dr. Stinnett is currently accepting new patients.
Allegheny Clinic
Warren Swegal is an Otolaryngologist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Swegal and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Autonomic Neuropathy. His top areas of expertise are Palatopharyngeal Incompetence, Mikulicz Disease, Male Pattern Baldness, Septoplasty, and Laryngectomy.
How well you do will depend on the cause of the problem and if it can be treated.
Contact your provider if you have symptoms of autonomic neuropathy. Early symptoms might include:
- Becoming faint or lightheaded when standing
- Changes in bowel, bladder, or sexual function
- Unexplained nausea and vomiting when eating
Early diagnosis and treatment may control symptoms.
Autonomic neuropathy may hide the warning signs of a heart attack. Instead of feeling chest pain, if you have autonomic neuropathy, during a heart attack you may only have:
- Sudden fatigue
- Sweating
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea and vomiting
Prevent or control associated disorders to reduce the risk for neuropathy. For example, people with diabetes should closely control blood sugar levels.
Summary: We examine patients with different autonomic neuropathies and Ehlers Danlos syndromes compared to healthy controls at three different points over time (baseline, after 3 months and after 1.5 years) to gain knowledge about the course of this disease and understand its pathophysiology, with a focus on Small Fiber neuropathy. Moreover we will validate the german version of the Malmö POTS Score and es...
Summary: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a high incidence disease in Mexico and is associated with the development of chronic degenerative complications such as diabetic neuropathy. The latter manifests itself as a set of disorders that occur as a consequence of a chronic hyperglycemic state that can induce oxidative stress and inflammation, resulting in damage to the autonomic and peripheral nervous system. I...
Published Date: November 02, 2022
Published By: Evelyn O. Berman, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Katirji B. Disorders of peripheral nerves. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 106.
Smith G, Shy ME. Peripheral neuropathies. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 392.