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Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is both mystifying and misunderstood past nearly everyone, including most doctors. A relatively new disease, POTS still lacks a set up of universally followed, predefined treatment guidelines. (This often results in confusion and frustration among patients and their physicians.)  Instead of regurgitating the little information about POTS that can be found in medical textbooks, we decided to survey POTS patients (over 900 of them). By combining the largest survey of POTS patients ever conducted, our experience treating the disease, and the most recent medical literature on the topic, we hope to aid demystify the medical mystery that is POTS.

This guide – which we're calling the POTS Center – is intended to be the most comprehensive online resources on POTS. The POTS Middle will exist constantly updated to reflect the most current literature related to POTS. This page includes an overview of the disease, along with the almost notable findings in our survey. Delight don't forget that each section has a page dedicated to information technology, where you can find more in-depth data. All content is written by one of MyHeart's volunteer cardiologists and then reviewed by at least two others.

So without further ado, we welcome y'all to the POTS Heart – a small place on the internet where we combine existent patient feedback with published data and our ain experience treating the disease – with the promise nosotros can brand the lives of those suffering from POTS a footling easier.

To observe experts in POTS effectually the Us check out XpertDox.

What Is POTS? A Cursory Definition

POTS is a course of dysautonomia that affects the flow of blood through the body, thereby causing dizziness when standing. Technically, someone has POTS if their heart rate increases by 30 beats per infinitesimal or their heart rate is greater than 120 beats per minute within 10 minutes of continuing up.

The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary actions that allow the trunk to function. When we stand up, for example, the body needs to accommodate an entire set up of processes to let this. Upon standing, a significant corporeality of blood automatically falls to the lower trunk. Autonomic reflexes ensure that blood gets appropriately distributed to the upper body past changes such every bit muscle tone, vessel tone, heart charge per unit, and pumping responses in the heart.

There is a range of diseases that affect the autonomic nervous organisation known as dysautonomia. POTS is one of them. In POTS, there is increase in heart charge per unit and light-headedness on standing, as well as exercise intolerance, fatigue, and a multitude of other symptoms. POTS may be so severe that even normal everyday activities commonly taken for granted such every bit bathing or walking may be severely limited.

Although anyone can be affected past postural tachycardia syndrome, it is by far most prevalent amidst woman in their teens, twenties, and thirties. At that place is a wide spectrum of POTS-like disorders that falls under the umbrella of dysautonomia, several of which practise not have the increase in centre rate.

Symptoms

POTS is about commonly known for causing dizziness upon standing. In some cases, patients actually faint when trying to stand, earning POTS the nickname of "the fainting affliction". However, dizziness and fainting are just a few of the many oft debilitating symptoms POTS patients battle on a daily basis. Additional symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Intestinal pain
• Chronic Hurting (General)
• Chest Pains
• Heart Palpitations
• Fatigue
• Shortness of Breath
• Indisposition
• Encephalon Fog
• Sweating Abnormalities
• Weakness
• Bladder Dysfunction
• Tremors

According to our survey, fatigue (95.2%) is the near common symptom – which isn't surprising considering the commonality of POTS and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Dizziness when standing is the second almost common symptom (95.two%), followed by brain fog ( 93.1%), and heart palpitations (92.0%).

When reviewing these symptoms, it's no wonder POTS is called "the invisible illness" – nearly every symptom is subjective.It's important to remember that although dizziness is the trademark symptom, POTS does a lot more than than only make someone dizzy.

Of the symptoms, patients report fatigue to be the virtually problematic or troubling symptom associated with POTS. Fatigue is also to blame for many of the complications that come with POTS. For example, information technology'due south common for teenagers with POTS to accept a hard time getting to schoolhouse on time in the morning. Patients also observe information technology incredibly hard to go out of bed at all. People suffering from POTS can find themselves in a frustrating bike – they won't feel better unless they're active, nonetheless they don't' have the energy to exist active. Frustratingly, with POTS the symptom seemingly preclude its handling, i.eastward. information technology's very hard not have a sedentary lifestyle without enough energy to get out of bed, much less run several miles every twenty-four hour period.

Dizziness (48.5%), brain fog (43.8%), headaches (37.1%), and chronic hurting (34.9%) were rated the most challenging symptoms after fatigue (71.8%). You can read more than well-nigh POTS symptomology hither. Brain fog is a unique symptom associated with POTS. We accept a section dedicated to encephalon fog and POTS hither.

Diagnosis of POTS

POTS is typically diagnosed through a variety of tests, the well-nigh common of which is chosen a tilt table test. With this test, patients are strapped to a table which is tilted to simulate the process of standing upward by forcing blood from the upper trunk to the legs. Tilt tables aren't available at all hospitals, so some doctors diagnose POTS by monitoring changes in heart charge per unit and blood pressure while the patient moves from laying downwardly to standing upwardly.

Various types of doctors can diagnose POTS, but our survey found that cardiologists most ordinarily diagnose the illness. We should annotation that a large percentage of respondents who selected "Other" indicated a neurologist diagnosed their condition. Click here to read our detailed department of diagnosing POTS.

Challenges Faced by People Being Diagnosed with POTS

Unfortunately, individuals often face a number of barriers before and while being diagnosed with POTS. The reasons for this require further research. Still, it is currently far as well difficult for patients with POTS to receive proper diagnosis and treatment.

For instance, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome is often misdiagnosed by doctors' as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, or another psychological disorder. Of those surveyed, over 78% said information technology was suggested they suffered from a psychological not physical, disorder when being diagnosed.

There is no medical prove that people with POTS are predisposed to anxiety or panic attacks. On the contrary, existing literature suggests individuals suffering from POTS are as likely or less likely to have a mental disorder than the boilerplate population.

Another notable finding in our survey is the amount of time patients can suffer from often debilitating symptoms before receiving proper handling. Nearly half stated it took more than than 2 years to receive a diagnosis.

While we don't know the reason information technology's then hard for patients to receive proper treatment for POTS, we can conclusively say that it's not because these patients aren't trying to understand the crusade of their symptoms.

Making this worse – and every bit is the case with nearly whatsoever medical issue – receiving a proper diagnosis is key to improving POTS patients' quality of life.

Handling of POTS

In that location are three primary treatments for primary POTS; diet, exercise, and medication. Diets that are high in sodium and low in gluten have proven to be effective in some patients. (Yous can notice more on the best POTS nutrition here.) Information technology's besides important that those suffering from POTS exclude sure items from their diet, which you can read more well-nigh hither. Exercise has likewise been proven to assistance patients address some of the symptoms they feel. Y'all can read more about how exercise helps in this department. Finally, several medications –  and combinations of medications – can help to salve POTS. Click hither to read our in-depth section nigh treatments and specific medications used for POTS.

The About Effective Treatment?

In our survey, we asked patients whatthey foundto be the most effective treatment for POTSin their experience. Over 53% indicated medication(s) were most helpful, followed past nutrition (11.i%) and exercise (x.5%). ("Other" was the 2nd about common response, with over 25%. We hope to larn more than virtually these treatments by working with the POTS community in the time to come.) Equally physicians, we don't feel comfortable endorsing medication as the unmarried best handling, because there's so much variation from patient to patient. The all-time grade of activeness is to work with your doctor to find a handling plan that works for you. You can find scientifically-supported treatments and the corresponding literature in our department detailing POTS treatments.

Types of POTS

We cover the types of POTS in more detail hither. In summary, POTS is divided into a few types – neuropathic and hyperadrenergic. Neuropathic POTS relates to a disorder in the nerves that foreclose claret from being pushed back up to the heart from the legs. Hyperandrenergic POTS is related to high levels of norepinephrine as the source of the symptoms. Furthermore, the illness can be classified as Secondary POTS. In this nomenclature, the dysautonomia is a result of some other status or disease in the body. Click here to notice a more detailed caption of the types of POTS.

What Causes POTS?

POTS is a very complex disease that can have many causes. Generally speaking, causes of POTS are broken down into two sections: primary causes and secondary causes. Principal causes of POTS are often the source of the affliction for younger patients. Some of the primary cause agents of POTS include nitric oxide, neuropathy, physical deconditioning, and various viruses. Secondary causes of POTS are when another affliction or condition cause the disease. Some examples of secondary causes include:

• Anemia
• Adrenal Disorders
• Ehlers-Danlos
• Lyme Disease
• Tumors
• and many others

Read this department on "Causes of POTS" for a much more than comprehensive list of causes along with supporting medical literature of each.

A Phone call For Awareness & Understanding

Some estimate that roughly 500,000 people in America suffer from POTS; even so, with the difficulty associated with receiving a diagnosis there's no telling how many patients take POTS and don't even know it. While we don't accept any short-term or easy solutions for these issues or homeopathic cures to provide, there are a few points worth making.

It's fair to conclude that increasing awareness about this mysterious disease – not merely among those who have POTS simply amongst their friends, family members, and loved ones – helps the patients manage their condition and, perhaps more chiefly, believe they tin overcome a challenging condition.

Information technology's this statistic that motivated us to create the POTS Center. We'd encourage you lot to share this resources – or if non this resources, any medically accurate and helpful resources on POTS – with anyone you see fit. You never know who may have POTS but, due to challenges mentioned above, never got the diagnosis that could assist them regain control over their life.

Almost the Survey

The survey was conducted via Facebook Groups defended to POTS Syndrome. We asked that only people with an official diagnosis accept part; nonetheless, no additional efforts were made to "proof an official diagnosis". Give thanks you and then much to all of those that participated!

References & Resources

Review Manufactures

Boyish fatigue, POTS, and recovery: a guide for clinicians. Kizilbash et al. A comprehensive review of POTS, mainly written for clinicians, excellently written.

Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Raj. An splendid review commodity on POTS in a highly reputable journal.

Postural tachycardia syndrome: a heterogeneous and multifactorial disorder. Benarroch et al. A review commodity on POTS.

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Source: https://myheart.net/pots-syndrome/

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