This is a symptom-navigation tool for people living with EDS/HSD. It helps organize what you are feeling right now and points toward safer next steps. It does not diagnose the cause of a symptom.
New, sudden, severe, rapidly worsening, or dramatically different symptoms should not be assumed to be “just EDS.” Vascular EDS has a different emergency risk profile: known or suspected vEDS should trigger a lower threshold for sudden unexplained chest, abdominal, flank, back, or neck pain.
Open a body-system section and tap anything that matches. The cloud includes both symptoms and related ailments people in the EDS realm sometimes deal with. Historical features such as Beighton scores, childhood flexibility, or family history are intentionally not part of this flowchart.
Musculoskeletal / Joint Joint feels out of place / suspected subluxation Complete dislocation Joint pain Joint locking / catching Joint instability subluxation/dislocation ligament/tendon injury labral/cartilage injury muscle guarding. recurrent dislocation fracture nerve or vascular injury. Instability/overuse sprain/strain tendon injury cartilage/labral injury osteoarthritis myofascial compensation inflammatory/infectious causes not explained by EDS. Meniscal/labral/cartilage injury patellar instability tendon snapping joint subluxation degenerative change.
Musculoskeletal / Muscle Severe muscle spasm / cramping Muscle guarding from instability myofascial spasm dysautonomia/dehydration medication/electrolyte issues nerve irritation.
Neurologic / Spine New weakness New numbness / tingling Stroke/vascular event (not assumed EDS) spinal cord/nerve compression tethered-cord-type symptoms craniocervical pathology neuropathy. Nerve entrapment radiculopathy peripheral/small-fiber neuropathy spinal instability/compression tethered cord disc disease.
Neurologic / Head Headache Dizziness / vertigo Migraine cervicogenic/TMJ headache craniocervical instability Chiari I CSF leak/intracranial hypotension intracranial hypertension vascular causes require exclusion when acute. Dysautonomia/POTS vestibular disorder cervicogenic symptoms craniocervical pathology medication/dehydration.
Neurologic / Vision New visual disturbance Migraine aura ocular disease dysautonomia intracranial pressure disorders carotid-cavernous fistula particularly in vEDS.
Cardiovascular / Dysautonomia Fainting / loss of consciousness Near-fainting / severe lightheadedness POTS/orthostatic intolerance neurally mediated hypotension dehydration arrhythmia/cardiac causes bleeding/anemia medication effects. POTS orthostatic hypotension dehydration/hypovolemia
Cardiovascular Chest pain Palpitations / racing heart Cardiac/vascular emergencies must be excluded dysautonomia can cause atypical chest pain costochondral/musculoskeletal pain reflux aortic pathology is especially important in vEDS. POTS/postural tachycardia autonomic dysfunction arrhythmia dehydration medication effects.
Respiratory / Allergy Shortness of breath Anaphylaxis/MCAD asthma autonomic dysfunction thoracic cage/diaphragmatic mechanics infection pulmonary/cardiac causes.
Allergy / Mast Cell Throat tightness / swelling during reaction Hives / flushing / itching Anaphylaxis mast-cell activation disorder angioedema asthma/laryngeal inflammation. Urticaria mast-cell activation contact/allergic reaction medication/food trigger.
GI Abdominal pain Nausea Vomiting Bloating / abdominal distension Constipation / cannot pass stool Diarrhea Early fullness / cannot eat much IBS/disorder of gut-brain interaction constipation gastroparesis GERD/gastritis abdominal wall/nerve entrapment hernia pelvic floor dysfunction vascular compression syndromes (e.g., MALS/SMAS) obstruction/pseudo-obstruction vEDS arterial/intestinal rupture. Gastroparesis/delayed gastric emptying dysautonomia reflux/gastritis IBS MCAD medication effects vascular compression syndromes. gastroenteritis migraine dysmotility intestinal pseudo-obstruction mechanical obstruction pelvic floor dysfunction. Slow transit IBS-C pelvic floor dyssynergia rectocele/prolapse obstruction/pseudo-obstruction. IBS-D/mixed IBS MCAD/food-triggered symptoms infection autonomic dysfunction. functional dyspepsia autonomic dysfunction MALS/SMAS or other vascular compression medication effects.
GI / Swallowing Difficulty swallowing / food stuck Esophageal dysmotility reflux/inflammation structural narrowing swallowing/phonation disorders associated with hEDS MCAD-related inflammation.
Pelvic / Urologic Unable to urinate / urinary retention New urinary incontinence Pelvic pain / pressure Neurogenic bladder tethered-cord-type symptoms spinal/cauda-equina compression pelvic floor dysfunction medication effects. prolapse autonomic/urologic dysfunction tethered cord/spinal compression UTI (not EDS-specific). Pelvic floor spasm/dysfunction pelvic organ/rectal prolapse hernia constipation/rectocele gynecologic/urologic causes.
Spine / Lower Neurologic Severe low-back pain with leg symptoms Disc/nerve compression instability tethered-cord-type symptoms Tarlov cysts musculoskeletal pain.
Head / Neck Neck pain / neck feels unstable Muscle guarding cervical instability craniocervical instability disc/nerve pathology cervicogenic headache.
Jaw / TMJ Jaw locked / shifted TMJ laxity/dysfunction jaw subluxation/dislocation muscle spasm dental pathology.
Skin / Bleeding Unusual bleeding / large bruise Capillary/soft-tissue fragility platelet/von Willebrand or other bleeding disorder medication effects vascular fragility (especially vEDS).
Skin / Wound Wound opened / poor healing Skin/soft-tissue fragility atrophic scarring impaired wound integrity infection dehiscence.
Vascular Red Flag Sudden severe chest, abdominal, flank, back, or neck pain in known/suspected vascular EDS Painful red eye + pulsating/whooshing sound in head in vascular EDS Arterial dissection/rupture aortic pathology intestinal/organ rupture—primarily a vEDS concern, not a typical hEDS mechanism. Carotid-cavernous fistula arterial complication of vEDS.
Fatigue / Exercise Sudden severe exercise intolerance / collapse Dysautonomia/POTS deconditioning pain/instability energy cost ME/CFS may coexist anemia/nutritional issues cardiac/pulmonary causes need exclusion if acute.
Functional / Falls Fall / injury Proprioceptive impairment joint instability dysautonomia/syncope sprain/dislocation/fracture soft-tissue injury.
Respiratory / Chest Wall Rib / chest-wall pain Costochondral/chest-wall pain rib/costovertebral instability muscle strain thoracic mechanics non-EDS cardiac/pulmonary causes must be excluded when concerning.
GI / Rectal Rectal prolapse / tissue protruding Rectal prolapse pelvic floor dysfunction constipation/straining connective-tissue laxity.
Pelvic Pelvic organ prolapse sensation / bulge Pelvic organ prolapse connective-tissue laxity pelvic floor dysfunction constipation/straining.
General Emergency Screen Something feels dramatically different from my usual EDS symptoms EDS can coexist with ordinary emergencies anchoring on EDS can delay diagnosis. Consider EDS-related mechanisms only after immediate threats are screened.
What to do about it After you choose what you are feeling, Next asks a few follow-up questions and then offers triage-style guidance. Emergency or red-flag answers stop the educational flow and point you toward urgent care instead of narrowing a diagnosis.
Next →
Select at least one symptom or ailment to continue.