Home  P.O.T.S. What Is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome?
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What Is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome? |
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Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (P.O.T.S.) is a condition defined by excessive heart rate increments upon upright posture. A normal heart rate is between 60 and 80 beats per minute. The heart rate of a P.O.T.S. patient increases by at least 30 beats per minute when the patient stands up and/or increases to at least 120 beats per minute when the patient stands up. These large increases in heart rate usually occur within 10 minutes of standing up. It is estimated that a P.O.T.S. patient uses about three times as much energy as a healthy person does just to stand. Exercise and strenuous activities such as housework can severely exacerbate symptoms. In many cases simple tasks such as bathing and meals are exhausting. Patients may also experience dizziness, chest pains, shortness of breath, blurry vision, sweating and tingling sensations in the legs when standing. Veins in the legs become dilated, which causes blood “pooling” (extra blood collects there) and the legs may become a reddish colour as a result. Other symptoms include difficulty swallowing, fevers, chills, hypoglycaemia and numbness. Sleep problems are also common with P.O.T.S. and as a result patients also experience fatigue and problems with memory and concentration. Research shows that P.O.T.S. patients’ quality of life is similar to those with congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Most patients have to make some radical adjustments to their lifestyle in order to cope with this disorder. There are two main forms of P.O.T.S:
1. Partial Dysautonomic (the most common form of P.O.T.S.)
2. Hyperadrenergic P.O.T.S. |
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