POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It is a medical condition that is defined by excessive heart rate increments upon upright posture. So, a person with POTS will experience heart rates that increase 30 beats or more/minute when they stand. A person with POTS also exhibits countless symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysregulation (dysautonomia). Many symptoms of POTS are caused by an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system's control over blood flow. This means that a person with POTS has blood vessels that do not open and close as they should upon standing.
The symptoms that I experience that are also common to other POTS patients include: lightheadedness, generalized weakness, heart palpitations, tremulousness, shortness of breath, chest discomfort or pain, blurred vision, tunnel vision, pressure behind the eye, chronic fatigue, headaches, dizziness, exercise intolerance, blood pooling in limbs, intolerance to extremes in temperature, brain fogging, numbness or tingling sensations, light and noise sensitivity, muscle aches and joint pains, restless leg syndrome, irregular menstrual cycles, food sensitivities, bloating after meals, and easily over-stimulated.
Heat, exercise, eating, and menstruation may all exacerbate symptoms. POTS symptoms can vary from day to day. Or for some, like me, symptoms can vary from hour to hour.
The causes of POTS are still not known. However, there are many clues to what may be a possible cause. Some doctors have said that POTS is caused by anemia, autoimmune disorders, cardiac atrophy, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Nutcracker phenomenon (NC), Lyme disease, Porphyrias, thyroid disease, chemical exposure, and viruses. Viruses are thought to be the provoking factor in about half of POTS patients.
POTS is a disorder that is difficult to diagnose because many of the symptoms mimic other illnesses and/or conditions. POTS is easy to overlook because physicians usually take heart and blood pressure readings while the patient is sitting down. So, the POTS patient may have relatively normal vital signs while sitting down. Fluctuations in symptoms throughout the day may also lead to difficulties in detecting POTS.
To detect whether a patient suffers from POTS, a doctor calls for a Tilt-Table Test. This is the test that finally diagnosed me. Just think about the ending of Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith when Darth Vader is born and he is strapped onto a table while the table lifts up so he is practically standing. This is what the Tilt-Table Test is like. Measurements of heart rate and blood pressure are taken while the patient is lying down and then when tilted upright.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), sweat tests, 24-hour urinary sodium tests, ECG (electrocardiograms) tests, stress tests, and blood tests are also important when detecting whether a patient has POTS.
