Click Here to Download this Blog Post – The “Tell-Tale” Profile: How to Spot hEDS in Young Women (Part 20)
By Dr. Nicholas L. DePace, M..D., F.A.C.C – Cardiologist specializing in autonomic dysfunction, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and POTS.
If you are a young woman (or parent of one) who seems to be “falling apart” without a clear reason, you fit the most common profile for Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS).
While hEDS can affect anyone, clinical experts have noticed a very specific pattern, especially in young females. Recognizing this pattern is often the key to getting a diagnosis after years of confusion.
The Hallmark Sign: It’s Not Just the Joints
You might think the main sign of a joint disorder would be joint pain. While pain is definitely part of it, the #1 hallmark that doctors look for is actually Orthostatic Dysfunction.
What does that mean? Simply put: Your body doesn’t know how to handle gravity.
When a typical person stands up, their body automatically adjusts to keep blood flowing to the brain. In hEDS patients, this system fails. This is often a form of Dysautonomia (a glitch in the autonomic nervous system).
The Symptom Checklist
If you have hEDS or HSD, you likely have a mix of these three major categories:
- The “Standing Up” Problems (The Hallmark)
- POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome): Your heart races wildly just because you stood up.
- Dizziness: You feel lightheaded or see “stars” when moving upright.
- Temperature Issues: Your internal thermostat is broken. You are sweating when others are cold, or freezing when others are hot.
- The Physical Structure
- Hypermobility: You are “double-jointed” or just very flexible.
- Easy Bruising: You find bruises on your legs and arms and have no idea where they came from.
- The “Crash”
- Chronic Fatigue : This isn’t just being sleepy. It is a bone-deep exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix.
- Chronic Pain: A nagging ache in your muscles and joints that never really goes away.
The Odds Are in Your Favor (Sort of)
The world of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome can be scary because there are 13 different types, including some that are dangerous to your blood vessels (Vascular EDS) or skin (Classical EDS).
However, here is the reassuring news: 98% of the patients seen in these specialized clinics have the Hypermobile Type (hEDS) or HSD.
While hEDS can make life difficult and painful, it does not carry the same life-threatening risks as the rarer types. It is by far the most common connective tissue disorder, even though many general doctors rarely diagnose it.
Where to Seek Expert Care?
It is important to seek out a clinician with expertise in EDS to make an accurate diagnosis and create a treatment plan. One of the nation’s leading centers is Franklin Cardiovascular Associates, under the direction of Nicholas DePace, MD, FACC. They are located in Sicklerville, New Jersey. franklincardiovascular.com, (856) 589-6034
About the Author
Nicholas L. DePace, MD, FACC is a board-certified cardiologist and Medical Director of Franklin Cardiovascular Associates. A graduate of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Dr. DePace has decades of clinical, academic, and research experience and has held faculty appointments as a Clinical Professor of Medicine, becoming one of the youngest full professors in Philadelphia at the time of his appointment.
Dr. DePace specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of autonomic nervous system dysfunction (dysautonomia), including POTS, autonomic dysfunction associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), chronic fatigue, and anxiety-like conditions that are frequently misdiagnosed. He is nationally recognized for his work on parasympathetic and sympathetic (P&S) nervous system imbalance, a core mechanism underlying many complex chronic disorders.
In addition to treating patients from across the United States, Dr. DePace is a prolific clinical researcher and author of multiple nationally distributed medical textbooks published by Springer and W.W. Norton, focusing on autonomic dysfunction, mitochondrial disorders, cardiovascular disease, and mind–body medicine.
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👉 View medical books by Dr. DePace