Shy drager syndrome or shy drager disease is a very rare brain disorder that affects control of the body’s autonomic nervous system. This system controls your blood pressure, heart rate, vision, bowel and bladder functions.
The disorder has many features similar to Parkinson’s disease like slowness, muscle rigidity and poor balance. Other features of this disorder include a very low blood pressure, dizziness and feeling lightheaded. Some individuals also develop very high blood pressure when lying down. As the disease progresses, other symptoms include bladder incontinence, constipation, slurred speech, blurred vision, difficulty swallowing and inability to control emotions.
The disorder usually occurs in the 50s and is progressive; the condition is more common in men than women.
No one knows why this disorder develops but brain scans show generalized shrinkage of the brain which controls the autonomic nervous system. So far no cause has been found.
The disorder is often confused with Parkinson’s disease but the low blood pressure is the key to diagnosis. Shy drager is treated with medications to increase blood pressure and other anti Parkinsonian drugs.
However, the majority of individual do not respond to drugs and the disease continues. Other aspects of treatment include pacemaker to control slow heart rate, incontinence care and feeding tubes.
Most people rapidly become disabled and have a poor prognosis.