Dysautomia and Math

[joanne173]

Hi!

I'm new here! I'm a college student and I was just wondering if there is a link between dysautonomia and Math. I'm managing ok in college, but having a terrible time trying to understanding Math-related subjects. I have been told that dysautonomia does cause this problem... Does anyone face this as well? Is there any literature on this or something?

Thanks!

[MomtoGiuliana]

Hi

This condition can cause cognitive problems. I don't know about math in particular. When I was most sick with POTS I had trouble with cognitive skills that involved thinking through any kind of complex problem. I do remember having some problems with simple math--I seemed to have trouble doing simple things like putting together grant applications and submitting reimbursement requests if there were too many numbers involved it was easy for me to make a mistake, and I didn't usually have that problem. I am a lot better now. Hopefully you will improve soon. I have read that low salt intake in POTS/NMH patients increases cognitive problems. Are you keeping up with your salt and fluid intake? Perhaps that would help.

Katherine

[Guest tearose]

joanne, hi and welcome!

I don't know of any specific literature that speaks to math and pots. There is plenty of literature on cognitive issues, brain fog, memory and thinking skills. I would say I have an aversion to math when I am symptomatic...but all thinking skills are hard when I am not doing well.

Try to take the math task and break it down into smaller steps. Try to find a time of day when you are more able to focus and do math then. A good deal of life with dysautonomia is finding ways to manage through behavioral modifications. For example: although you consider yourself a morning person socially maybe you would benefit from a night course in the math you need? Or vice versa...just a thought to consider.

Good luck in figuring it out! Be patient with yourself!

best regards, tearose

[steph37822]

oops

[seaboardbc]

I'm back in school very part time and I haven't had any problems with my math classes (and I've taken some advanced classes). But I do think that my math classes caused some problems with my POTS. One of my major syptoms is angina and when I was taking math classes I often experienced angina during the class. This didn't happen so often when I took other classes. I told my cardiologist about it (I thought maybe it had something to do with the room temperature). He told me that their was a study done and working math problems caused angina in people with heart conditions!!! Go figure, I love math and it's easy for me, yet I missed more math classes than any other subject.

Bren

[joyrose]

After I had a few bad spells in a row, I absolutely lost my ability to do math in my head. When I told my neurologist, he wasn't surprised and added "acalculalia" to the list to that day's diagnoses. It was back to the flash cards and counting on fingers. Ha-I lost a bit of credibility when I would tell people that I had homeschooled my sons k-12!

When you consider the low oxygen levels that our brains succumb to during blood pressure drops, it's a wonder that we can even count, much less calculate. Good for you to keep trying. Our brains were created to recover well, with work. God bless. -Deb