October 17, 2020

October is Dysautonomia Awareness Month, a global campaign launched in 2012 by Dysautonomia International, a 501(0(3) non-profit that organizes landmark lightings, 5K runs, proclamations, social media campaigns and other awareness activities. Missouri governor Mike Parson and Mayor William A. Baird of Lee’s Summit signed proclamations declaring the month of October as Dysautonomia Awareness Month.

Dysautonomia is an umbrella term used to describe several medical conditions that cause a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nerves control the “automatic” functions of the body that we do not consciously think about, such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, temperature control, and more. People living with various forms of dysautonomia have trouble regulating these systems, which can result in light-headedness, fainting, unstable blood pressure, abnormal heart rates, malnutrition, and in severe cases, death. Many patients take years to get diagnosed due to a lack of awareness by the public and within the medical profession.

Jenn Mumma, a Lee’s Summit resident, shared, “Raising awareness is so important to me because it took me six years to get a diagnosis. I was diagnosed with anxiety, then depression, then told I was a hypochondriac. I believed them. Until I finally found a doctor that figured out what I really had – dysautonornia. I don’t want anyone to ever go through what I went through. When my son began to show symptoms, we were able to confirm his diagnosis quickly because I had been through this already.”

According to Lauren Stiles, President of Dysautonomia International and Research Assistant Professor of Neurology at Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York, “[o]ver 70 million people worldwide live with a form of dysautonomia, including many in Missouri. It’s the most common medical condition you’ve never heard of. There is no cure for any form of dysautonomia at this time, but Dysautonomia International is funding research to develop better treatments, and hopefully someday a cure.”

To learn more or to get involved visit www.dysautonoiniainiernational.org.