Processes occurring in the body
Autonomic Nervous System
Related terms · Autonomic nerve
The autonomic nervous system is the system that regulates bodily functions that are not consciously controlled, such as heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, and digestion.
Reviewed by Korean Medicine Doctor Choi Yeon-seung · Last updated 2026-08-25
Meaning and Distinctions
What is the autonomic nervous system?
Dizziness and pulsatingIt may be involved, but it is not a diagnostic name that groups all symptoms together. The autonomic nervous system is the system that regulates bodily functions that are not consciously controlled, such as heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, and digestion.
- Easily confused terms
- The term 'autonomic dysfunction' does not replace cardiac, neurological, or vestibular causes.
- Why this is checked during medical evaluation
- We examine the relationship between symptoms and posture, heart rate, meals, and sleep.
- What to note down for your visit
- Please seek evaluation first for fainting, chest pain, or new neurological symptoms.
Dizziness, Ear, Head, and Face Glossary
Compare similar terms here
You can check simple definitions before proceeding to detailed explanations.PresyncopeA pre-syncope feeling is a state where your vision darkens, you feel a loss of strength, or you break into a cold sweat, as if you are just about to lose consciousness.Pattern Identification for Dizziness, Tinnitus, and HeadachePattern identification is a Korean medicine diagnostic process where, even for the same diagnosis of dizziness, tinnitus, or headache, the direction of the herbal medicine prescription is determined by examining the sequence of symptoms along with sleep, digestion, heart rate, body heat, and fatigue.
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Check guides where this term is used
- Condition GuideAutonomic dysfunction symptoms'Autonomic dysfunction' is used as a broad term to describe automatic regulation symptoms such as blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, sweating, and body heat, rather than being a single definitive diagnosis. First, we categorize potential causes to check, such as cardiac, neurological, endocrine, or drug influences. If symptoms persist after testing, record the first symptom that appeared, the symptoms that followed, and the time it takes to return to a normal state. Chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, and new neurological symptoms must be evaluated immediately, and treatment for the confirmed cause should continue. For herbal medicine treatment, recovery goals are set based on patterns where sleep, digestion, body heat, and energy levels are unstable together.→
- Condition GuideChest palpitationsHeart palpitations are symptoms where the heart feels like it is pounding, racing, fluttering, or skipping a beat. This may be due to caffeine, lack of sleep, or tension, but arrhythmia, anemia, thyroid issues, and the effects of medication must also be checked. If accompanied by chest pain, severe shortness of breath, or a feeling of fainting, seek emergency evaluation immediately. If no urgent issues are found during tests but it recurs chronically, consult with Baekrokdam regarding herbal medicine treatment by observing the patterns in which sleep, digestion, tension, and palpitations move together.→
- Medical Evaluation GuideIf dizziness or tinnitus remains after tests and acute treatmentEven after confirming emergency causes and receiving a canalith repositioning procedure, medication, or rehabilitation, you may still experience instability, dizziness in supermarkets or when looking at screens, tinnitus, and fatigue. Do not view previous treatments as meaningless; instead, note whether the sensation of spinning has decreased, in which movements instability remains, and if there are new changes in hearing, headaches, or heart rate. If the pattern changes, a re-evaluation is the priority.→
- Head, Ear, and Face ColumnWhat the term 'autonomic dysregulation' explains and what it does not→
Evidence and Update Information
The following materials were referenced to verify the basis and scope of the definitions and treatment descriptions.