Are you dizzy? Do you feel like your heart starts having palpitations out of a sudden and for no reason? Do you feel lightheaded? Do you feel like doctors don’t help you or understand what is happening? Or, worse, make you feel like you are crazy?
POTS is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.
It is characterized by dizziness and an increased heart rate when going from sitting to standing.
Sometimes people suffer from this disorder for years without accessing help and having it not recognized by their physicians.
In fact, it is common that medical specialists don’t know about it and think the patient is suffering from a mental illness instead.
Anxiety, panic disorders, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome all get mistaken for POTS.
One patient of mine was so disabled by the condition that she could not go to the grocery store without a friend because she was so afraid of fainting.
The most commonly recognized types include:
- Neuropathic POTS. Neuropathic POTS is associated with impaired nerve function, particularly in the small fibers that control blood vessel constriction.
- Hyperadrenergic POTS. The person may be over-adrenalized due to chronic or acute stress. The sympathetic fight or flight system is highly active. High blood pressure and increased migraine headaches are common with hyperadrenergic POTS. This is also common with mast cell activation syndrome.
- Hypovolemic POTS. Blood volume is decreased in hypovolemic pots. This is why electrolytes and salt can be helpful to bring up blood volume.
- Secondary POTS. Is aassociated with another condition such as Lyme disease, diabetes, systemic lupus or Sjogren’s disease
- Deconditioning POTS can occur because of too much chronic inactivity and prolonged bed rest.
Like with all conditions in naturopathic medicine, identifying the cause(s) is imperative for the right treatment to occur.
If you know you are struggling with POTS or are wondering about your symptoms, please feel free to set up an appointment with me at 503-241-5094.