A Mystery Illness Sweeping the Country

What are the Key Things You Need to Know About POTS?

Do you Suspect That You or a Loved One are Affected by POTS?

Recently I’ve noticed POTS and dysautonomia popping up all over the media – both social and mainstream. I’ve noticed many Instagram videos of young ladies talking about dizziness, lightheadedness, skin rashes, itchy skin, horrible fatigue, anxiety, poor sleep, and a whole host of other seemingly unrelated symptoms.

Discussing a Not-So-New Condition

I have been seeing patients like this for about 15 years now, starting when this was a rare condition. Now it’s something I see on a weekly basis in my clinic. It’s estimated that up to 3 million people worldwide are affected by POTS, though most don’t even know they have it yet

So what I’d like to do in the next several blogs is talk about this phenomenon that’s become widespread and is affecting millions of Americans, especially young females. I’ll talk about what causes it, what to look for, and how you might actually start a treatment plan to help improve the symptoms.

What is POTS?

POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It’s a type of dysautonomia, or abnormal function of the nervous system, in which the body doesn’t properly maintain blood flow to the brain and other body systems. Blood pressure drops, which results in rapid heart rate.

Sometimes patients experience POTS symptoms at such a mild level that they don’t realize their blood pressure is falling. A person experiencing mild POTS might just notice heart palpitations, anxiety, or GI symptoms.

Other Related Conditions

Sometimes these patients are affected by mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). While MCAS is another lesser-knows entity, over 20% of Americans have it, so it’s actually not so rare.

Another link to POTS and dysautonomia is hypermobility. Hypermobility can affect the nervous system, which affects hormones like cortisol, and can contribute to POTS.

Increasing Awareness of POTS

My purpose in this series is to bring awareness and hope to people experiencing this “mystery illness”, because it’s not such a mystery after all. If you’re affected with these symptoms, know that you’re not alone on this journey and it’s not all in your head. POTS is diagnosable and treatable; patients can get relief from the symptoms related to POTS.

We’ll dive in a little deeper in the next blog post. In the meantime, head over to Facebook or Instagram to follow us and stay up to date on our latest news, articles, and offerings.