{"id":164,"date":"2021-12-16T14:11:36","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T19:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/nursingpharmacology\/chapter\/4-3-conditions-and-disease-of-the-ans\/"},"modified":"2023-03-03T11:19:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T16:19:16","slug":"4-3-conditions-and-disease-of-the-ans","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/nursingpharmacology\/chapter\/4-3-conditions-and-disease-of-the-ans\/","title":{"raw":"4.3 Conditions and Disease of the ANS","rendered":"4.3 Conditions and Disease of the ANS"},"content":{"raw":"As you have just learned, the autonomic nervous system regulates vital functions of our internal organs, such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, water balance, urinary excretion, and body temperature. Individuals with an autonomic disorder have trouble regulating one or more of these systems, which can result in fainting, lightheadedness, fluctuating blood pressure, and other symptoms.[footnote]Karch, Amy Morrison, 2017. Focus On Nursing Pharmacology. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nAutonomic nervous system disorders can occur alone or as the result of another disease, such as Parkinson's disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, alcohol abuse, or diabetes.\r\n\r\nA common autonomic nervous system condition you may see in practice is orthostatic hypotension.\r\n

Orthostatic Hypotension<\/h1>\r\nOrthostatic hypotension refers to a drop in blood pressure upon standing (after a prolonged period of sitting or lying).\u00a0 This can occur when autonomic reflexes are impaired or intravascular volume is markedly depleted. Failure of autonomic reflexes leading to hypotension is specifically knowns as baroreflex dysfunction.\u00a0 In baroreflex dysfunction, an individual's neurons do not release appropriate levels of the hormone norepinephrine, causing poor vasoconstriction.\u00a0 In these clients, blood pressure drops after standing because the pooling of blood in the legs cannot be compensated by vasoconstriction. [footnote]UpToDate. (2021). Mechanisms, causes, and evaluation of orthostatic hypotension. https:\/\/www.uptodate.com\/contents\/search<\/a>[\/footnote]\r\n\r\nOrthostatic hypotension can be asymptomatic or symptomatic.\r\n\r\nSymptoms can include: dizziness, lightheadedness, syncope, muscle ache in the neck and shoulders, and even angina.[footnote]UpToDate. (2021). Mechanisms, causes, and evaluation of orthostatic hypotension. https:\/\/www.uptodate.com\/contents\/search<\/a>[\/footnote]\r\n

Other ANS Conditions and Disorders<\/h1>\r\nDue to the limited scope of this textbook, we will not be discussing other ANS disorders as they are extremely rare.\u00a0 If you are interested in ANS dysfunction, consider reviewing resources on the following disorders:\r\n