Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) causes dizziness, fainting, and an excessive heart rate when standing up. It occurs more frequently in women and can be triggered by events such as surgery, illness, or dehydration. Treatment includes increasing salt intake and maintaining hydration.
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a condition characterized by symptoms that occur when the patient gets up from a lying position. Upon standing up, the person feels dizzy or faint and has an excessive heart rate. Scientists do not fully understand the causes of POTS, and treatments vary in effectiveness.
When a person stands up from a horizontal to a vertical position, gravity causes blood to move rapidly downwards to the lower body, and the heart must compensate for this sudden shift to maintain blood pressure and deliver oxygen to the brain . One of the main symptoms of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is orthostatic intolerance, where the body is unable to adequately adjust to this change and blood returns to the upper body at a significantly slower rate than it should. As a result, blood flow to the brain is reduced and a person with POTS may feel lightheaded, have blurred vision or vision stitches, or pass out when they stand up.
Also, a person with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome experiences an increase in heart rate of 30 or more additional beats per minute than normal or a persistent heart rate of more than 120 beats per minute for 10 minutes or more after standing up. This tachycardia results from the heart trying to compensate for the low blood supply to the brain. The sensation of a racing heart may be accompanied by sweating and feelings of anxiety.
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome occurs more frequently in women, although men can also suffer from POTS. In some cases, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is triggered by an event, such as surgery, pregnancy, physical trauma, illness, or menstrual period. It can also occur independently of other conditions.
Some factors that many increase the frequency of POTS episodes include dehydration, alcohol consumption, sitting or standing for long periods of time, extreme heat, and medications. Increasing your salt intake and maintaining adequate hydration can raise blood pressure and reduce symptoms associated with orthostatic intolerance. Compression garments such as the support tube can reduce the amount of blood flowing to the lower limbs and reduce the demands on the heart that come with standing.
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome can negatively impact a person’s ability to function. It can affect everything in a person’s life, from work to play to family life. However, most people with POTS see a gradual improvement in their symptoms over time if they make dietary and behavioral changes.
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