Sherer helps to put spotlight on disorder related to COVID-19

CANTON − Local resident Jennifer Ardelea turned to Canton Mayor William V. Sherer II in her effort to highlight a little-known, hard-to-diagnose disease that is gaining attention due to its connection to the COVID-19 virus.

Sherer declared October as "Dysautonomia Awareness Month" in Canton.

According to The Cleveland Clinic , dysautonomia is a disorder of the nervous system.

"Dysautonomia ... disrupts autonomic body processes," Cleveland Clinic's website says. "These are automatic functions like your blood pressure and heart rate. Having dysautonomia means these functions don’t work properly, causing disruptive symptoms. These symptoms are often manageable, but diagnosing and treating dysautonomia is sometimes difficult."

Symptoms of Dysautonomia include:

• Balance problems.
• Fainting or passing out (especially when standing up).
• Nausea and vomiting .
• “ Brain fog ,” forgetfulness or trouble focusing.
• Fast heart rate ( tachycardia ) or slow heart rate ( bradycardia ).
• Pinpoint eye pupils or unusually wide eye pupils .
• Changes in bowel movements.
• Fatigue
• Sexual dysfunction .
• Chest pain or discomfort.
• Frequent urge to urinate or urinary incontinence .
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea) .
• Clammy or pale skin.
• Heart palpitations
• Sleeping problems.
• Trouble swallowing (dysphagia) .
• Irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) .
• Sound or light sensitivity.
• Dizziness or lightheadedness (especially when standing up).
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) .
• Sweating more or less than usual, or sweating more in certain body parts.
• Unusually dry or watery eyes.
• Migraines or frequent headaches .
• Swings in body or skin temperature.
• Excessive drooling .
• Mood swings or anxiety .
• Vision issues ( blurred vision or trouble with your eyes adjusting to light changes).
• Exercise intolerance (your heart rate doesn’t change with physical activity).
• Runny nose .
• Vertigo .

"Dysautonomia (especially the form POTS, a blood circulation disorder) has been in the national media a lot lately, as a number of celebrities have come forward in announcing that they have a form of the disorder, or due to the large number of COVID 'long-haulers' who now have a form of the disorder," Ardelea said.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Sherer helps to put spotlight on disorder related to COVID-19