What are you aware about POTS? Likelihood is you hadn’t heard of this situation earlier than, however it caught your consideration in late June when Christina Applegate shared her 13-year-old daughter Sadie’s prognosis. Or you’ll have even seen a video about it on TikTok, the place quite a few folks residing with POTS have been creating content material to assist educate and lift consciousness. It isn’t as unusual as you may count on!
Nonetheless, listening to about Sadie’s prognosis could have you ever rattled as a guardian. POTS was one thing you had been solely mildly conscious of (if in any respect) — you did not understand it was one thing you wanted to fret about afflicting somebody as younger as your tween or teen. So, you have acquired questions. What’s POTS? What are POTS signs? How do they check for it? Does this situation ever go away?
We requested Joan Quinonez, PT, DPT, a district director at ATI Bodily Remedy, to share some perception on what you must find out about a POTS prognosis.
What’s POTS?
POTS stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, explains Quinonez, which is “a situation characterised by an irregular enhance in coronary heart fee upon transitioning from a mendacity right down to an upright place. This dysregulation may result from decreased blood quantity or an impaired potential to pump blood again to the guts.”
Principally, your physique’s autonomic nervous system, or ANS, is meant to steadiness your coronary heart fee and blood stress to make sure your blood flows at a wholesome tempo. Nonetheless, the autonomic nervous system of somebody with POTS cannot steadiness these issues, resulting in blood stress irregularities.
Lately, researchers have begun to explain POTS as an autoimmune dysfunction, however there is not at the moment a lot analysis to substantiate its precise origin. In line with the NIH, although, it appears POTS usually develops after being pregnant, main surgical procedure, trauma, or viral sickness.
What are the signs of POTS?
Quinonez says folks with POTS usually expertise:
- Coronary heart palpitations
- Dizziness upon standing
- Fainting or near-fainting episodes
- Vital fatigue
- Restricted cardio endurance
- Mind fog
The Cleveland Clinic says it could possibly additionally manifest as:
- Feeling nervous or anxious
- Shortness of breath
- Chest ache
- Complications
- Bloating
- Feeling sick
- Disrupted sleep
- Purple discoloration of the arms and ft in the event that they’re decrease than the guts
The most typical, or not less than probably the most recognizable, symptom of POTS is fainting after standing up because of the drop in coronary heart fee.
How is POTS recognized?
Though POTS may be tough to diagnose, physicians make the most of a number of strategies, from asking questions on signs and medical historical past to performing a bodily examination.
Physicians diagnose POTS primarily by testing how an individual’s coronary heart fee and blood stress reply to place adjustments. A method they do that is via a easy standing check. Right here, the affected person lies down and relaxes within the doctor’s examination room, throughout which their coronary heart fee is monitored. After a quick time frame, the affected person is requested to face, and the doctor will recheck their coronary heart fee. If it jumps up greater than 30-40 beats per minute, it could possibly strongly point out POTS.
At that time, the doctor could order extra assessments or labs, in addition to doubtlessly refer you to a specialist.
Is POTS widespread in younger adults?
Surprisingly so! It impacts 1 to three million folks in the USA. “POTS is comparatively widespread, sometimes manifesting in early teenagers (12-15 years), and predominantly affecting females — roughly 75% of these recognized,” says Quinonez.
She additionally notes that POTS diagnoses appear to be popping up extra steadily in recent times: “With the rise of POTS circumstances post-COVID an infection, understanding this situation has by no means been extra pertinent.”
What must you do in case your tween or younger teen will get recognized?
If recognized with POTS, Quinonez emphasizes the significance of a coordinated care method. This consists of:
- Carrying compression clothes to stop blood pooling within the decrease extremities
- Guaranteeing correct hydration with electrolytes
- Sustaining balanced vitamin
- Progressively rising cardio and muscular conditioning underneath the steerage of a educated bodily therapist
Throughout acute flare-ups, she recommends:
- Mendacity on the again with legs elevated
- Using compression on the legs and slowly altering positions
- Hydrating and including salt to alleviate signs
Typically, an individual’s doctor could prescribe drugs to assist your autonomic nervous system higher alter to actions and hold your system secure. These medicines may embody fludrocortisone, midodrine, or beta-receptor-blocking brokers. Nonetheless, many physicians (together with Quinonez) advocate way of life changes.
In fact, you must all the time seek the advice of along with your major care physician anytime you start a care plan.
Does POTS ever go away?
In line with Johns Hopkins, after getting POTS, you all the time have POTS. However signs can come and go, and a superb therapy plan can mitigate them once they do flare.
Should you, your kiddo, or every other liked one has simply been recognized with POTS, relaxation assured that there’s a ton of knowledge and useful assets accessible to you. And by no means underestimate the ability of a follow-up physician’s appointment or just sending your doctor an e mail or MyChart message. Their job is that can assist you be wholesome, and meaning working with you to sort out any well being points that come up.
