Dysautonomia Awareness Month

Carmen Gonzales was a guest at the St. Mary Parish Council meeting Wednesday for a proclamation declaring October as Dysautonomia Awareness Month. Gonzales, a victim of the disease, described her years-long efforts to find a diagnosis and struggle with the condition. She is seeking similar proclamations in every Louisiana parish, with those who have done so shown in blue on the map she made while struggling with recovery from the incurable condition. Dysautonomia refers to a wide range of conditions that affect the autonomic nervous system. Symptoms include fainting, cardiovascular issues, and breathing problems. It is linked to conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and diabetes. Dysautonomias come in many forms, but they all involve the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for maintaining a constant internal temperature, regulating breathing patterns, keeping blood pressure steady, and moderating the heart rate, among other symptoms.