People seeking a medical explanation for periodic bouts of dizziness, tinnitus, heart palpitations, shoulder pain, frequent urination, stomach upset or even breathing difficulty might be looking in the wrong direction, because the cause could be emotional rather than physical, a psychiatrist says.
Yu Hsiang-yuan (俞翔元), who works at National Cheng Kung University Hospital’s Dou Liou Branch, said such people may suffer from dysautonomia, which often strikes perfectionists, people who have trouble saying no and those who have been under excessive pressure or suffered from depression for a long time.
Dysautonomia refers to a group of complex conditions caused by a failure of the autonomic nervous system, which controls many of the body’s involuntary functions. Stress could be a trigger for such a failure, Yu said.
Citing a 40-year-old man surnamed Chang (張) as an example, Yu said Chang is self-disciplined person who began experiencing wide-ranging pain after a recent promotion doubled his workload and both his parents underwent surgery.
“Chang first tried to seek answers at a hospital near him, but the doctors did not detect anything unusual physically,” Yu said.
Chang was subsequently transferred to the Dou Liou branch, where he was diagnosed with dysautonomia, Yu said.
“Chang is a perfectionist who has been chronically overloaded with pressure and lives an irregular lifestyle. Not only does he require medication to relieve his symptoms, he needs to learn to relieve pressure and adopt a balanced diet to help boost his immune system,” Yu said.
The psychiatrist said people with dysautonomia should adopt a healthy lifestyle, such as not staying up late, working excessively, smoking, drinking, getting overstressed or striving for perfection in everything they do.
“They are also advised to exercise regularly and find an outlet for their emotions and pressure,” Yu said.
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