POTS, MCAS, and GI symptoms show up alongside hEDS often enough that they’re worth understanding on their own. Part 2 of this two-part series covers practical ways to manage them, what to tell your providers, and the red flags that point to something beyond hEDS.

An hEDS or HSD diagnosis answers one question but leaves the next one wide open: now what? Part 1 of this two-part series covers where to start, from physical therapy and a medication review to everyday habits, pain, fatigue, and mental health.

Flexible joints that cause pain, dislocations, or fatigue often lead to one of two labels: hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD). The two overlap so much that the line between them confuses patients and clinicians alike.

At least half a million people in the U.S. have hEDS or HSD. Most are undiagnosed. Here is what that looks like in practice.

The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of inherited conditions that affect connective tissue.