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Piecing together the clues: Diagnosing and treating autonomic disorders

Your autonomic nervous system regulates a range of functions in the body, including controlling heart rate, digestion, pupil dilation, respiration and various other organ activities. If an infection or disease triggers a malfunction in the system suddenly, you may experience a host of commonplace, although disconcerting, symptoms that ultimately add up to not feeling well.

That was the case for Paso Robles, Calif. resident Marc Laderriere. Shortly before turning 50, Laderriere began to experience a decrease in energy level and started noticing that hot weather made him dizzy, yet he hardly perspired, and in cooler weather he didn't develop goose bumps despite being cold. As he explains in the above video, he eventually sought the help of Stanford neurologist Safwan Jaradeh, MD, to get some answers.

After a series of tests, Jaradeh diagnosed Laderriere with an autonomic system disorder. Laderriere's condition turned out to be triggered by a Lyme disease infection, which had been undiagnosed for years.

The video highlights the complexities of diagnosing autonomic system disorders, and a Stanford Hospital & Clinics article offers additional information on the condition.

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