POTS: what it is, what are the symptoms and treatments

POST is the term used to refer to postural orthostatic tachycardia. Let's find out what the symptoms and treatments are.

A pathology that is still poorly understood is postural orthostatic syndrome, also known as POTS.
A problem that includes a whole series of disorders among which the main one is orthostatic intolerance. This is represented by a difficulty in assuming an upright position . Which requires a whole series of compensations from the organism and, in the absence of which, various types of problems are encountered. Learning to recognize this pathology is therefore extremely important, as it can help clarify the symptoms and discover the solutions to be implemented.

What are the causes of this syndrome

Postural orthostatic tachycardia occurs when a change in position triggers an increase in heart rate without a drop in blood pressure.
In fact, every time we stand up, the body has to compensate for circulatory and neurological activities with movements of significant quantities of blood that go downwards due to the force of gravity. This, in those suffering from this pathology leads to a decompensation which results in accelerated heartbeats.

This pathology, which can develop at any time in life, is more frequent in women between 15 and 50 years of age. Furthermore, in many cases, it seems that it occurs as a contributing cause to some important events ranging from post-pregnancy, to surgical interventions up to traumas and various types of diseases. Among other causes there are also health-related and already existing problems, such as:

– Autoimmune diseases
– Alcohol intoxication
– Genetic alterations
– Heavy metal poisoning
– The presence of disabling diseases

Although in some cases it may occur in a mild and sporadic way, in others the symptoms can be frequent and with an intensity such as to be disabling.

Symptoms of postural orthostatic syndrome

In general, this pathology is accompanied by certain symptoms that can occur all together and both sporadic and constant. The common denominator is that their appearance usually occurs after getting up or a few minutes after a move of this type.
The most common and frequent are:

– Tachycardia
– Tremors
– Increased sweating
– Fainting
– Dizziness
– Cognitive fog
– Poor concentration
– Migraine
– Tiredness
– Chest pain
– Shortness of breath
– Sense of general malaise

Sufferers of this syndrome may also have sleep disturbances. While, more rarely, nausea, bladder disorders, edema and alterations of peripheral sensitivity may occur.

POTS: diagnosis and treatment

Due to the many symptoms, this syndrome can often be confused with other pathologies that cause more or less similar situations. An example is that of fibromyalgia .
Having said that, in case of doubts (especially if in the presence of symptoms related to increased heartbeats) it is always important to consult your doctor.

The diagnosis usually occurs after a careful medical history, a heart rate check during the change of position and the tilt-test, an examination that is carried out with a device aimed at analyzing the change in heart rate on patients lying on a special bed command can be positioned vertically. In some cases , control tests such as blood tests, the electrocardiogram, the holter monitor and the echocardiogram can also be added. Pathologies with similar symptoms will obviously be excluded.

Once the diagnosis has been obtained, the doctor may opt for the administration of certain drugs such as vasoconstrictors or beta blockers. Most of the time, however, the cure consists in putting together a whole series of behaviors aimed at preventing the phenomenon from occurring. Among the behavioral rules there are those of drinking a lot, exercising, always getting up slowly, avoiding caffeine and alcohol and not walking for too long.

Also, when the problem occurs, many patients find relief in lying down with their legs elevated or sitting cross-legged and rocking slightly. Knowing the presence of this disorder is therefore the first step to reduce it as much as possible and return to living a life without pain and continuous decompensation.

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