What is POTS?

POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, is caused by an autonomic dysfunction. The hallmark symptom is a heart rate that raises over 30 or more beats per minutes and/or exceeds 120 bpm upon standing. Other symptoms are of presyncope (near fainting), blood pooling to the legs when someone with POTS stands for too long (causing them to be mottled, purple, and sometimes swollen), excessive fatigue, and chest pains. Because POTS is caused by a disorder of the autonomic system, other bodily systems controlled by the autonomic system (such as digestion, respiration rate, perspiration, urination, thirst, pupil diameter, and sleep cycles) can be affected. Delayed gastric emptying, nausea, vomiting, diarhea and constipation (some people are affected cyclically with both), lack of or excess sweating, excessive urination and thirst, and vision problems, at time with uneven pupils. Also, excessive sleeping or insomnia are common to those who are suffering with POTS

Sometimes POTS is a primary disorder (meaning that there is no underlying disease that is causing the symptoms), but it can be secondary to Lyme disease, Ehler-danlos syndrome, can be activated by a trauma (such as surgery or a car accident), pregnancy, or severe illness (such as mono, influenza, or a bad cold). Teenagers, especially during growth spurts, may develop POTS, though most will outgrow their symptoms by the time they reach their early 20's.

There is so much more that I could write about POTS, but being affected with POTS myself, I have no more energy to write more at this time. Be looking for future posts.