Autonomic Nervous System: Facts and Resources About ANS Disorders

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What is the Autonomic Nervous System?

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the component of the central nervous system responsible for regulating most of the unconscious processes of the body, such as metabolism and digestion. Controlled by the hypothalamus, the ANS consists of the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems. The two branches of the ANS control opposing involuntary bodily actions: the parasympathetic component controls pupil contraction, bladder relaxation, lowering of the heart rate and blood sugar levels, and digestive enzyme secretion. It manages the response thus sometimes referred to as “rest and digest”. The sympathetic system causes the opposite reactions to take place for example pupil dilation and raising of the heart rate, and is responsible for what is known as “fight or flight” reactions.

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates physiologic processes in a human being. Regulation of these processes occurs in our unconscious mind, in an autonomous way. The major divisions of this type of control are sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

When there is a disorder in the ANS, autonomic insufficiency is caused and can affect any system of the body. This demonstrates how important the autonomic nervous system is and how basic it is to the overall well-being in a human. If the ANS is out of kilter, it can cause a lot of issues for an individual. It is important any imbalances are identified and rectified as soon as possible.

ANS disorder tests check for imbalances in the part of the body that controls many of these autonomic, or automatic, processes, including heart rate, blood pressure, gastrointestinal function and sweating.

Blood pressure is primarily controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, and heart rate is controlled by the parasympathetic system. These two systems keep the cardiovascular system in balance. If there is an unbalancing, a person may experience a variety of symptoms that can be vague but can affect many bodily functions.

Common Symptoms of ANS Disorders

Common symptoms of ANS disorders are dizziness, unsteady walking, nausea, skin color changes and abnormal sweating. It is important to test for ANS disorders if an individual feels these symptoms. Testing of the ANS provides comprehensive information that can lead to the successful diagnosis and treatment of such disorders. Before the testing date, the patient should inform the doctor of medications used. Since these medications may interfere with testing, it’s important for the physician to know about them. The testing will last approximately one to two hours, and no eating, smoking or drinking caffeine products should occur for three hours before testing. After the test is taken, the individual goes home, and results are discussed after the analysis.

How To Test For ANS Disorders

There are a few different types to test for ANS disorders.

Physical Exam
First, the doctor performs a physical examination. The doctor will take blood pressure and heart rate to see if levels are normal or suggest autonomic insufficiency. An eye exam will also be taken to identify any lesions. Finally, a test for reflexes will be performed as insufficiencies may suggest issues with the autonomic system.

Following the physical exam, if patients have symptoms and signs suggesting autonomic insufficiency,sudomotor, cardiovagal and adrenergic testing is usually done to help determine the severity and the distribution of the ins

Sudomotor Exam

Sudomotor testing includes a quantitative axon-reflex test. This test involves placing electrodes on the legs and wrist to stimulate the sweat glands where the volume of sweat is then measured. During sudomotor testing, a thermoregulatory sweat test is taken. This test involves applying a dye to the skin when patients enter a closed compartment that is heated to cause maximal sweating.

Cardiovagal Exam

Cardiovagal testing evaluates the heart rate response to deep breathing. If the ANS is intact, heart rate varies with the maneuvers of the test.

Adrenergic Exam

The adrenergic testing evaluates response of beat-to-beat blood pressure by a head-up tilt test. By tilting the head, the blood is shifted to dependent parts, causing reflex responses in blood pressure and heart rate. This test helps to differentiate autonomic neuropathies from postural tachycardia syndrome.

All these tests should provide a solid understanding about any insufficiencies so that an ANS disorder can be identified. If one is identified, then the doctor will be able to move forward with treatment for the patient’s improved quality of life.

How is the Autonomic Nervous System Balanced?

An imbalance in one direction or another can be ascertained through analyzing a person’s body chemistry. A fast oxidizing metabolism is associated with a dominance of the sympathetic branch, while a slow oxidizing metabolism is usually linked to a parasympathetic-dominant condition. From hair analyses, the balance of sodium and potassium, the two chemicals chiefly responsible for neurotransmission, as well as the amounts of calcium and magnesium, can be measured and likewise related to the dominance of either sympathetic or parasympathetic tendencies.

The dominance of one branch of the autonomic nervous system over the other manifests itself in characteristics of an individual’s usual personality and lifestyle as much as their body chemistry. An unusually sympathetic-dominant person tends toward fidgeting, compulsiveness, anger, phobias, obsessive thoughts, work addictions or anxiety. Such a person is prone towards excessive speed in their thoughts, speech and action.

An abnormally parasympathetic-dominant person, on the other hand, is usually someone experiencing an exhausted nervous system after a period of intense sympathetic system activity. The result is that the body automatically cycles into a parasympathetic state. Such a person is likely to demonstrate signs of fatigue, apathy and depression.

In addition to various psychological factors, toxic substances in food, air and water can disrupt the balance and the proper functioning of the autonomic nervous system.

The sympathetic system acts in response to stressors, and cutting down on daily sources of stress can be an effective way to slow down an overactive sympathetic system. Other ways of decreasing the activity of an individual’s sympathetic system, through combating stress, include sports, exercise such as swimming, cold water immersion, breathing exercises, sexual activity and various electronic biofeedback devices. Eliminating stress triggers can also be accomplished by such measures as reducing the intake of stimulants including caffeine, sugar and nicotine.

A healthy body more often than not tends toward the sympathetic range of the autonomic spectrum, so a person with an overexpressed parasympathetic function needs to make sure that they are eating a balanced diet and sleeping enough before taking more clinical measures.

Resources about the Autonomic Nervous System

The Autonomic Nervous System from Neuroscience for Kids

Teaching Lesson plans about the autonomic nervous system

American Heart Association Questions and Answers about the Autonomic Nervous System including: What is the autonomic nervous system?, What is autonomic failure?, How is autonomic failure diagnosed and treated? and other questions.

Information from MedilinePlus about Autonomic Nervous System Disorders Also called: Dysautonomia

Resource by Paige

Paige is a Licensed Esthetician at Thrive Skin Institute. She obtained a Bachelor of Science from Penn State. She earned her Esthetician degree from The California Academy

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