Autonomic Disorders
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The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary actions like your heart rate, body temperature, digestion, perspiration and the widening or narrowing of your blood vessels.
It is common for people with autonomic disorders to have many autonomic symptoms. At St George’s we conduct comprehensive clinical investigations to identify every issue needing treatment, and work with our patients to help them manage their conditions.
Autonomic disorders can occur alone or they can be caused by another underlying condition, like Parkinson’s disease, alcoholism or diabetes. As a regional specialist centre, the autonomic disorders team work closely with clinical teams from across St George’s and other hospitals in south west London and Surrey. We also work with GPs and community nursing teams to help patients manage their condition and symptoms outside of hospital.
Conditions treated include:
- Pure autonomic failure
- Fainting (syncope, posturally induced dizziness) episodes
- Temperature regulation disorders, including hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)
- Low blood pressure
- Orthostatic (postural) hypotension
- Acute/subacute dysautonomia
- Amyloidosis (familial and primary)
- Anihidrosis
- Congenital autonomic failure
- Holmes-Adie syndrome
- Hyperhidrosis (essential and gustatory)
- Neurally mediated syncope (vasovagal, micturition, cough, swallow and other situational forms, carotid sinus supersenstivity)
- Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS)
Referrals
Please visit our Neurosciences Booking and Referral Centre for instructions on how to refer.
