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2 <br /> September 12, 2018 <br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> CC: Donna Baker, County Clerk <br /> Orange County <br /> 200 South Cameron Street <br /> Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br /> Re: Dysautonomia Awareness Month <br /> Proclamation Request <br /> Dear Commissioners Dorosin, Rich, Burroughs, Jacobs, Marcoplos, McKee and Price, <br /> My name is Miranda Harris, I am 15 years old and I attend Orange High School. In 2016 <br /> I was diagnosed with a form of dysautonomia called POTS (Postural Orthostatic <br /> Tachycardia Syndrome), which has altered my life. I am seeking your assistance in <br /> raising awareness of POTS/dysautonomia as an important public health matter. October <br /> is "Dysautonomia Awareness Month" around the world. In conjunction with <br /> Dysautonomia International, I'm asking Orange County to help us raise awareness by <br /> issuing a Proclamation declaring October to be Dysautonomia Awareness Month in <br /> Orange County. <br /> Dysautonomia (pronounced "dis—oughta—know'—me—uh") is an umbrella term used <br /> to describe several different neurological conditions caused by a malfunction of the <br /> autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls all of the <br /> involuntary bodily functions that we normally take for granted—regulation of our blood <br /> pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, digestion, kidney function, temperature control, <br /> pupil constriction and dilation, etc. When the autonomic nerves are damaged, it can <br /> cause very serious problems in one or more of these systems. <br /> While many people have never heard of it, POTS is not rare. Mayo Clinic researchers <br /> estimate that POTS impacts 1 out of 100 teens, and a total of 1-3 million Americans <br /> including adult onset patients, and millions more around the globe, making POTS more <br /> common than well-known conditions like multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. The <br /> majority of people living with POTS are young women between ages 12 and 40, although <br /> older adults and males can be impacted too. POTS symptoms include tachycardia upon <br /> standing, blood pooling in the extremities, blood pressure dysregulation, fainting, dilated <br /> pupils which cause a sensitivity to light and frequent migraines, chest pains, shortness of <br /> breath, gastrointestinal motility problems, peripheral neuropathy, and many other <br /> symptoms. Autonomic disorders cause so many symptoms, because the autonomic <br /> nervous system controls so many different bodily functions. Experts compare the <br /> disability seen in POTS to what is seen in COPD and congestive heart failure. 25% of <br /> people living with POTS cannot work or attend school, resulting in a substantial <br />