what us pots

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a condition that causes your heart to beat faster than normal when you transition from a lying down to a standing position. It is a form of dysautonomia, which is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system that regulates functions we don’t consciously control, such as heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, and body temperature. POTS can cause a variety of symptoms, including lightheadedness, dizziness, heart palpitations, instability, fainting, chest pain, trouble breathing, cold or painful extremities, and nausea. Researchers aren’t sure yet what exactly causes POTS, but they think there are multiple causes, which they’ve grouped into different subtypes of POTS. POTS often begins after a pregnancy, major surgery, trauma, or a viral illness. It may make individuals unable to exercise because the activity brings on fainting spells or dizziness. POTS can be diagnosed by a Tilt Table Test, but if such testing is not available, POTS can be diagnosed with bedside measurements of heart rate and blood pressure taken in the supine (laying down) and standing up position at 2, 5, and 10-minute intervals. The foundation of treating POTS is to drink fluids frequently throughout the day and increase intake of salty foods and salt tablets. Medications such as fludrocortisone, pyridostigmine, midodrine, and beta-blockers may also be prescribed to help certain POTS symptoms.