EDS, MCAS & Dysautonomia: Autoimmunity Triggers & Brain Retraining with Dr. Ina Stephens | Ep 217

Are hypermobile EDS, MCAS, POTS, and dysautonomia actually becoming more common—or are we finally getting better at recognizing what has been there all along?

In this episode, host Dr. Linda Bluestein, the Hypermobility MD, is joined again by Dr. Ina Stephens to answer listener questions and take a deeper look at autoimmunity, inflammation, and acquired causes of autonomic nervous system dysfunction.

Why are so many people suddenly being diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and POTS? Dr. Stephens explains why greater awareness and recognition may account for at least part of the apparent increase—including patients being diagnosed for the first time in their 70s and 80s and family histories suggesting these conditions went unrecognized for generations.

But genetics may be only part of the story. What causes someone with an underlying predisposition to suddenly become symptomatic? Drs. Bluestein and Stephens explore how viral infections and other triggers may contribute to inflammatory and autoimmune cascades, including the potential role of molecular mimicry and environmental exposures.

They also tackle a topic that can be easily misunderstood: brain retraining and nervous system regulation. What do neuroplasticity, the amygdala, and the brain’s threat response have to do with very real physical symptoms? Programs such as Primal Trust, DNRS, and the Gupta Program are discussed as possible tools for reducing an overactive threat response—not because symptoms are imaginary or “all in your head,” but because the brain and body are deeply interconnected.

Finally, they broaden the differential diagnosis beyond autoimmunity. Nutritional deficiencies, B-vitamin imbalances, toxic exposures, medications, and other acquired factors may also contribute to autonomic dysfunction, highlighting why evaluation should be guided by each person’s history and individual risk factors.

Takeaways:

Are hEDS, HSD, MCAS, POTS, and dysautonomia really becoming more common—or are we finally recognizing them? Diagnoses in older adults and patterns across generations raise fascinating questions about how much of the apparent increase reflects awareness rather than changing incidence.

Could autoimmunity be hiding behind some cases of POTS and autonomic dysfunction? Secondary autoimmune disease may be an important consideration in some people with hEDS or HSD, particularl