What is POTS?
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a blood circulation disorder
which results in an increased heart rate upon standing from a horizontal position of at least 30
beats per minute in adults and at least 40 beats per minute in adolescents and is sustained for
at least a 10-minute period.
Symptoms of POTS include light-headedness, dizziness, fainting episodes, difficulty
thinking and concentrating, fatigue, an exaggerated increase in heart rate when standing, chest pain, abdominal pain, sleep disturbances, headaches, vision problems, tremors, and nausea. This is not a complete list of symptoms, and each individual person may experience difference issues.
POTS is a form of Dysautonomia which is an autonomic nervous system disorder
(ANS). The ANS is a branch of the nervous system which regulates functions we do not
control consciously such as the heart rate, blood pressure, sweating and body temperature.
The ANS is also responsible for activating/deactivating our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system; our flight/fight response.
In most people with POTS the heart itself is healthy. They usually have a lower
amount of blood circulating within the body. When they stand upright, they sometimes
experience blood pooling below the level of the heart. When we stand, gravity pulls more
blood into the lower half of the body. In a person without POTS, the body activates several
nervous system responses. The heart rate increases initially, and the blood vessels tighten
leading to a better blood flow to the heart and brain. The heart rate then decreases.
In a person who has POTS, the blood vessels don’t respond the same way and blood
pools in the lower half of the body. The nervous system continues to release adrenaline and
the heart rate increases. Some people with POTS may experience hypotension and or
hypertension with prolonged standing.