This past weekend, we attended the Fourth Dysautonomia International Annual Conference in Washington D.C., where we met patients, families, friends and medical professionals who work to alleviate symptoms and conduct research toward discovering causes of dysautonomia.
We were inspired by the patients and their families, who tirelessly told us about their experiences with the condition and how SaltStick has been able to help some of them through day-to-day life. We learned a lot from the physicians and other expert researchers in the field, who shared the latest developments in treatment to address Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and other major symptoms of dysautonomia. We also previewed a new product called SaltStick Vitassium, which is specifically designed to help supply buffered sodium and potassium in a small stomach-friendly capsule. POTS patients often intake significant amounts of extra electrolytes to help manage their symptoms of low blood pressure, gastrointestinal sensitivity and exercise intolerance under the recommendation and supervision of their physicians.
We are grateful to all who participated at the conference, and to those who stopped by our booth to learn how SaltStick products have been used successfully by many of the conference attendees.
About dysautonomia:
Dysautonomia is an umbrella term used to describe several different medical conditions that cause a malfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System, which controls the “automatic” functions of the body that we do not consciously think about, such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, dilation and constriction of the pupils of the eye, kidney function, and temperature control. People living with various forms of dysautonomia have trouble regulating these systems, which can result in lightheadedness, fainting, unstable blood pressure, abnormal heart rates, malnutrition, and in severe cases, death.
About Dysautonomia International:
Dysautonomia International exists to identify the causes and cures for all forms of dysautonomia and to enhance the quality-of-life of people currently living with these illnesses.
Dysautonomia is not rare. Over 70 million people worldwide live with various forms of dysautonomia, and people of any age, gender or race can be impacted. Despite the high prevalence of dysautonomia, most patients take years to get diagnosed due to a lack of awareness amongst the public and within the medical profession. There is no cure for any form of dysautonomia at this time, but Dysautonomia International is funding research to develop better treatments, and hopefully someday a cure for each form of dysautonomia.
Make sure you follow Dysautonomia International on Twitter and Facebook for updates. Review the hashtag #dysconf to see what happened at the 2016 Annual Conference.
Did you know? At this year’s annual conference, SaltStick announced a new partnership with Dysautonomia International. We pledged to donate to Dysautonomia International 10 percent of all sales of our new and soon-to-be-released product SaltStick Vitassium. Donations exclusively fund research, patient awareness, and patient and family support.
SaltStick and Dysautonomia: How we can help:
One form of dysautonomia is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which is estimated to impact 1 out of 100 teenagers. POTS can cause lightheadness, fainting, tachycardia, chest pains, shortness of breath, GI upset, shaking, exercise intolerance, temperature sensitivity and more. Patients with this condition are often advised to dramatically increase their water and salt intake, to help boost blood volume, often in addition to a multitude of prescription drugs.
Often, POTS patients experience extreme discomfort when taking doctor-recommended 1g salt tablets, which can often irritate the stomach lining to the point of nausea or vomiting. Additionally, many patients tire of the flavor that results from excessively salting their food every meal.
SaltStick was originally engineered for the demanding nutritional needs of endurance athletes. Part of that design is the vegetable-based capsule, which provides the electrolytes sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium in a form the body can easily absorb. Time and time again this weekend, we heard people in the POTS community tell us that SaltStick Caps are the only way they can consume the high levels of sodium they need without upsetting their stomach.
What’s next for SaltStick and Dysautonomia International:
As the POTS community has found SaltStick Caps to be such a good fit for individuals looking to consume extra sodium without stomach discomfort and without the taste of salt, we created SaltStick Vitassium. It’s a similar formulation to the original SaltStick Caps product, but without the magnesium, calcium and vitamin D, so that it’s more appropriate for this purpose. As a concentrated source of sodium and potassium in a vegetable-based capsule, this product satisfies the discerning needs of this population.
We will be providing additional details about Vitassium upon its release. Be sure to sign up for our mailing list, which is how we will announce the arrival of Vitassium and the information you’ll need to purchase the product.
Note: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For any suspected or known illness or health concern, always consult with your physician or health care provider prior to the purchase or use of any nutritional product.