Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, also known as POTS, is an condition that affects the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system are the parts of the body that regulates functions that a person dont consciously control, such as breathing, digestion, and heart rate regulation. In a healthy person, the autonomic nervous system make small and immediate adjustments when a person moves from a lying position to a standing position so that blood reach the brain.
However, in a person with POTS, these autonomic nervous system adjustments does not function correctly. Because the autonomic nervous system does not adjust proper, blood tends to pool in the lower extremities of the body, and this pooling of blood force the heart to beat faster to compensate for the lack of circulation to the brain. A doctor must observe specific physiological marker that the diagnosis of POTS is based off.
POTS: What It Is and How to Manage It
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A doctor looks for a significant increase in heart rate that occurs shortly after a person stands up. The specific amount of heart rate increase required for a POTS diagnosis change based on the age of the person, because younger bodies have different natural heart rate fluctuations then older bodies. Additionally, a doctor must ensure that a large drop in blood pressure does not accompany the increased heart rate.
If a person have a large drop in blood pressure alongside a high heart rate, the doctor may diagnose a different condition instead of POTS. Thus, the distinction between a drop in blood pressure and an increase in heart rate is necessary for an accurate diagnosis of POTS. Symptoms of POTS can vary significant because the autonomic nervous system affects many different system in the body.
Some people experience cardiovascular symptom, such as heart palpitations or chest tightness, but other people experience neurological symptom, such as brain fog or migraines. Because the autonomic nervous system affects digestion, a person with POTS may also experience digestive issue. Furthermore, a person with POTS may experience skin flushing or cold hand.
Because POTS affects multiple system in the body, the symptoms of POTS can be very diverse for every person. Managing POTS require a person to make specific change to their daily lifestyle. One way to manage POTS is to wear compression garment, and compression garments help by pushing blood from the lower extremities back toward the heart.
A person can also manage POTS by being careful when rising from a chair. A person must also manage trigger that affect POTS, and these triggers include heat, large meal, and dehydration. To manage these trigger, a person may eat small and frequent meals, and a person should maintain consistent hydration to keep the bodys in balance.
Exercise is an important part of managing POTS, but a person must do exercise in a specific way to avoid a flare of symptom. A person should avoid standing exercise at first because standing exercises can trigger a surge in heart rate. Instead, a person should use recumbent exercise, such as swimming or cycling while lying down, to build a cardiovascular base.
A person must monitor their heart rate during exercise, and a person must respect their physical limit to ensure that exercise help the body rather than causing more symptom. By using recumbent exercise and monitoring heart rate, a person can gradualy teach the body to handle the stress of gravity.
