POTS - I have it, I don't smoke it

POTS. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It is not in any way gardening, drug, or cooking related. It is a type of autonomic nervous system dysfunction; a Dysautonomia. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls all the automatic bodily functions that you don't think about, such as breathing, heart rate, digestion, and even the way your pupils react to light. Obviously, when those vital functions are disrupted, lots of problems can arise. There are several types of Dysautonomias - each one has its own distinguishing features. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome is a particular type of Dysautonomia in which, simply put, the body cannot adjust to the forces of gravity.

When a "healthy" person stands, the body uses a variety of biological mechanisms (via the ANS) to counteract gravity and prevent too much blood from leaving the heart. The heart rate may also increase slightly. However, when someone with POTS stands, the body does not respond correctly and those  biological mechanisms don't work. Too much blood leaves the upper body and pools in the abdomen and extremities. The message the brain sends to the heart to speed up is exaggerated, which results in an extremely inappropriate fast heart rate in an attempt to circulate the blood back to the heart. In reality, this is actually a very dangerous physiological response. The fast heart rate (called tachycardia) can trigger dangerously low blood pressure in some patients (I am fortunate enough to be one of them), as well as a number of other ANS symptoms. Here is a list of problems that can occur as a result of an ANS that has gone amiss:

- Palpitations/ skipped heart beats 

- Nausea 

- Joint discomfort 

- Chest pain 

- Muscle pain 

- Various other pain 

- EXTREME fatigue 

- Shakiness 

- Cognitive/ memory difficulties 

- Insomnia

- Orthostatic hypotension (low upright blood pressure) 

- Orthostatic intolerance (inability to remain upright)

- Exercise intolerance 

- Syncope/ pre-syncope (fainting)

- Cerebral hypoperfusion (lack of blood flow to the brain)

- Thermoregulatory problems (temperature issues)

- Dehydration 

- Headaches 

- Digestive problems 

- Shortness of breath 

- Severe dizziness 

- Tachycardia (fast heart rate)

- Bradycardia (slow heart rate)

- Visual disturbances

This is not an exhaustive list, and not every patient will experience the same symptoms. As with symptoms, individuals experience varying degrees of illness. Some are only mildly affected and lead normal, productive lives. Others are bed/ home-bound. Most fall somewhere  in between the two. Oftentimes, Dysautonomia conditions can  present after a physical illness or trauma, but they can also occur without a distinguishable cause (known as idiopathic). They may  occur as the result of another illness or completely on their own. Due to the variability of these conditions, Dysautonomias are notoriously difficult to diagnose. They are, unfortunately, a group of highly misunderstood disorders. Many physicians are unfamiliar with autonomic nervous system problems, and too often mistake them for psychiatric disorders (more on that later).

There are no cures, only trial - and - error therapies to treat the symptoms and underlying causes (if present). So congratulations! You made it through this post and *hopefully* understand what POTS/ Dysautonomia is! 

As you can see, the Tachy Life isn't a glamorous one. But understanding it makes you look really freakin' intelligent, so go out into the world and spread your new-found knowledge (and maybe earn some points in biology class)!

Sydney       

** Disclaimer  ** This post is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Only a licensed physician is qualified to do either. If you are concerned about particular symptoms, please consult a medical doctor immediately.

For more information, please visit http://www.dinet.org/pots_an_overview.htm