What have you learnt about POTS? Chances are high you hadn’t heard of this situation earlier than, nevertheless it caught your consideration in late June when Christina Applegate shared her 13-year-old daughter Sadie’s prognosis. Or you could have even seen a video about it on TikTok, the place quite a few individuals residing with POTS have been creating content material to assist educate and lift consciousness. It is not as unusual as you may count on!
Nonetheless, listening to about Sadie’s prognosis might have you ever rattled as a mum or dad. POTS was one thing you had been solely mildly conscious of (if in any respect) — you did not notice it was one thing you wanted to fret about afflicting somebody as younger as your tween or teen. So, you have obtained questions. What’s POTS? What are POTS signs? How do they take a look at 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 improve in coronary heart price upon transitioning from a mendacity right down to an upright place. This dysregulation may result from decreased blood quantity or an impaired skill to pump blood again to the center.”
Principally, your physique’s autonomic nervous system, or ANS, is meant to stability your coronary heart price and blood stress to make sure your blood flows at a wholesome tempo. Nonetheless, the autonomic nervous system of somebody with POTS cannot stability these issues, resulting in blood stress irregularities.
Not too long ago, researchers have begun to explain POTS as an autoimmune dysfunction, however there is not at the moment a lot analysis to verify its actual origin. In line with the NIH, although, it appears POTS typically develops after being pregnant, main surgical procedure, trauma, or viral sickness.
What are the signs of POTS?
Quinonez says individuals with POTS typically expertise:
- Coronary heart palpitations
- Dizziness upon standing
- Fainting or near-fainting episodes
- Vital fatigue
- Restricted cardio endurance
- Mind fog
The Cleveland Clinic says it may well additionally manifest as:
- Feeling nervous or anxious
- Shortness of breath
- Chest ache
- Complications
- Bloating
- Feeling sick
- Disrupted sleep
- Purple discoloration of the palms and ft in the event that they’re decrease than the center
The most typical, or not less than probably the most recognizable, symptom of POTS is fainting after standing up as a result of drop in coronary heart price.
How is POTS recognized?
Though POTS will be troublesome 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 price and blood stress reply to place adjustments. A technique they do that is by way of a easy standing take a look at. Right here, the affected person lies down and relaxes within the doctor’s examination room, throughout which their coronary heart price is monitored. After a short time period, the affected person is requested to face, and the doctor will recheck their coronary heart price. If it jumps up greater than 30-40 beats per minute, it may well strongly point out POTS.
At that time, the doctor might order extra exams or labs, in addition to probably refer you to a specialist.
Is POTS widespread in younger adults?
Surprisingly so! It impacts 1 to three million individuals 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 often in recent times: “With the rise of POTS instances 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 strategy. This consists of:
- Sporting compression clothes to forestall blood pooling within the decrease extremities
- Making certain correct hydration with electrolytes
- Sustaining balanced vitamin
- Regularly growing cardio and muscular conditioning beneath 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 might prescribe medication to assist your autonomic nervous system higher alter to actions and preserve your system steady. These medicines may embrace fludrocortisone, midodrine, or beta-receptor-blocking brokers. Nonetheless, many physicians (together with Quinonez) suggest way of life changes.
In fact, you must all the time seek the advice of together with your main care physician anytime you start a care plan.
Does POTS ever go away?
In line with Johns Hopkins, after you have POTS, you all the time have POTS. However signs can come and go, and a very good remedy plan can mitigate them after they do flare.
When you, your kiddo, or another liked one has simply been recognized with POTS, relaxation assured that there’s a ton of data and useful assets obtainable to you. And by no means underestimate the ability of a follow-up physician’s appointment or just sending your doctor an electronic mail or MyChart message. Their job is that will help you be wholesome, and meaning working with you to sort out any well being points that come up.