Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a medical condition characterized by lightheadedness and palpitations in response to standing. With POTS, the heart rate increases dramatically with body position. Most people with POTS are women between the ages of 13 and 50.
in the United States have POTS. Some people have symptoms that completely disappear within 2 to 5 years, and others have symptoms that come and go over their lifetime. People with POTS also experience different degrees of symptom severity. Older 2008 research estimates that 25 percent
The most common symptoms of POTS include: 1
What Is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)?
A normal heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute. A fast heart rate over 100 beats per minute can be a condition called tachycardia. A slow heart rate under 60 beats per minute is called bradycardia. High or low rates can cause symptoms of POTS.
Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) is an abnormal increase in heart rate that occurs after sitting up or standing. Some typical symptoms include dizziness and fainting. It's sometimes known as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.
ANS in the CNS Although POTS is considered a disorder of peripheral nervous system [17], evidence that it affects the CNS has been mounting over the past 2 decades.
POTs is defined by a fast pulse on standing, and is not the same as orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure on standing), or syncope (passing out in any position).
There are two main forms of POTS:Partial dysautonomic - Patients appear to have mild damage to nerves that affect involuntary bodily function (peripheral autonomic neuropathy), such as the heartbeat. ... Hyperadrenergic - a less common type of POTS that appears more gradually and to have a genetic component.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is one of the more common forms of dysautonomia. The key features of POTS are a sustained increased heart rate upon standing and orthostatic intolerance symptoms. However, people with POTS also experience symptoms regardless of position.
To make an accurate diagnosis, he typically performs a physical exam and blood work to rule out other causes, as well as a tilt table test, the gold standard for diagnosing POTS. As patients transition from a prone to upright position on the table, those with POTS experience dramatic increases in heart rate.
In patients with POTS, during upright tilt, sympathetic tone increases, there is an early and sustained tachycardia, and patients complain of presyncope without frank syncope. In contrast, patients with VVS experience delayed symptoms and abrupt drops in BP and HR and are more likely to lose consciousness.
Since POTS symptoms are episodic and exacerbated with upright posture and activity, they can be difficult to diagnose [9].
NEW & NOTEWORTHY Significant initial orthostatic hypotension (IOH) occurs in ~50% of postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) patients and 13% of controls. Heart rate and blood pressure recovery are prolonged in IOH sustaining lightheadedness; IOH is more prevalent and severe in POTS.
POTS was first described 1940. Low et al from the Mayo clinic did the pioneering work on this condition. Robertson of the Vanderbilt autonomic laboratories stated it was one of the most common conditions in young females.
Dysautonomia is the medical term for when the autonomic nervous system (ANS) does not work as it should. The symptoms vary widely, but they can include fainting, low blood pressure, and breathing problems.
POTS is a serious condition that can significantly affect the quality of life, but it's not usually life-threatening. There is no permanent cure or standardized treatment protocol available for POTS, but various treatment options are available to manage the disease conservatively.
While POTS can be life-changing, it is not life-threatening. One of the biggest risks for people with POTS is falls due to fainting. Not everyone who has POTS faints. And, for those who do, it may be a rare event.
People with POTS respond well to treatment. Studies show it does not reduce life expectancy. However, it can reduce quality of life and cause disability. When dysautonomia worsens with time or is due to a condition that worsens with time, the outlook is less favorable.
A cure for POTS doesn't exist at this time. Fortunately, teenagers — a group commonly affected by POTS — usually grow out of the disorder by the time they reach their early 20s. In the meantime, POTS symptoms can often be effectively managed with a combination of lifestyle and dietary changes, along with medication.
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a form of autonomic dysfunction with orthostatic intolerance that affects up to 1% of adolescents with chronic fatigue, dizziness, and, often, gastrointestinal discomfort or other forms of chronic pain. With treatment, most patients can fully recover and return to normal life activities.
Nausea and gastro-intestinal symptoms are common in POTS. Medication management of delayed gastric emptying and the dysmotility associated with irritable bowel syndrome (functional gastrointestinal disorder) are commonly experienced with POTS.
Autonomic disorder (vague, but includes POTS)#N#Autonomic dysfunction (over-arching group of conditions of which POTS is a subset)#N#Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (has diagnostic criteria for research use; over half of individuals with CFS likely have POTS or features thereof)#N#Dysautonomia (same as autonomic dysfunction)#N#Functional disorder (Lacking a specific diagnostic test, POTS is a functional disorder, as is migraine headache. Affected patients may have other functional disorders such as chronic pain or functional GI or neurologic disorder.)#N#Myalgic encephalopathy (ME) (British synonym for the American “CFS”)#N#Orthostatic intolerance (broad group of problems characterized by bothersome symptoms when upright that improve when lying down; POTS is the form that is chronic and associated with excessive postural tachycardia)#N#Postural tachycardia syndrome (preferred in Great Britain and abbreviated “PoTS.”)
Non-pharmacologic treatment (fluids, salt, exercise, therapy) may be sufficient and should be used for all patients; pharmacologic treatment (fludrocortisone, beta-blockers, antidepressants) may be very helpful for select patients.
There are no official practice guidelines, mostly because of a lack of comparative studies of treatment options. However, these review articles focus on the management of POTS in adolescents:
Disordered or inadequate sleep can exacerbate fatigue and further complicate recovery from POTS. Rigorous sleep hygiene is key with at least 8-9 hours of sleep at night; avoid naps.
The clinical evaluation of tired, dizzy, uncomfortable adolescents needs to 1) consider the diagnosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and/or orthostatic intolerance and 2) identify any relevant comorbidities. POTS is a real condition, even if it is a functional disorder with normal results on laboratory testing and imaging. Treatment is effective and recovery is likely.
Regardless of variety, POTS patients generally fit into one of four categories upon becoming ill: constitutional, post-viral, postpartum and those whose symptoms became noticeable after their body was exposed to a severe stressor (Grubb, 2000). Constitutional patients have been sick all their lives.
Most of the remaining patients developed POTS after being exposed to bodily stressors, such as surgery, trauma or chemotherapy. Regardless of category, POTS is a chronic illness that can be debilitating at times. POTS patients use about three times more energy to stand than a healthy person (Grubb, 2002).
When Katie Goff was a freshman in college, she began to suffer a myriad of seemingly unrelated symptoms – respiratory infections, heartburn, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, and relentless nausea. Visits to the doctor didn’t seem to help.
And some people report having a preceding health event or disruption, such as a viral infection, concussion, surgery, pregnancy, or the start of puberty, before experiencing POTS symptoms. Many others cannot pinpoint any specific event that could have triggered the onset of POTS.
Indeed, POTS primarily affects women of child-bearing age, with most studies reporting around 80-90 percent female predominance.
Julian Stewart, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric cardiologist at New York Medical College, believes POTS can be categorized as primary or secondary. “Primary POTS,” he said, results from a disruption in the autonomic and circulatory systems that can’t be explained by other conditions.
Many people with POTS also have a personal or family history of autoimmune disease, in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues. Now, the NHLBI is stepping up efforts that could lead to a better understanding of this often-debilitating condition.