What Is POTS and How Can I Know If I Have It?

Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or suddenly tired when you stand up can definitely be alarming. While it’s tempting to brush off your symptoms as stress or simply being tired out, for some people, these issues can be a sign of an underlying problem called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Once widely viewed with skepticism, POTS is gaining recognition today as a chronic medical issue. Because symptoms can be diverse and hard to pinpoint, it can take some time to realize that what you’re experiencing is something that needs to be medically evaluated. 

In this post, the experienced providers at Advanced Medical Care offer a brief overview of POTS — what it is and why it happens — along with a review of its symptoms, so you can decide when you need to schedule an evaluation.

Understanding POTS

POTS is a type of orthostatic intolerance, a group of conditions that cause a number of unpleasant symptoms when you stand up from a sitting or reclining position. These symptoms are associated with a marked drop in blood pressure that happens when gravity pulls your blood downward to the lower parts of your body and away from your brain.

Typically, the body rapidly responds to the drop in blood pressure when you stand by constricting blood vessels to normalize blood flow. But if you have POTS, your body has difficulty adjusting to this change, resulting in dizziness, rapid heart rate, and other related symptoms — even fainting.

POTS can affect people of any age, but the diagnosis is most common in adolescents and younger adults. While the condition can present challenges, it’s manageable with medical treatment and lifestyle changes.

Signs and symptoms of POTS

Simply feeling dizzy when you stand doesn’t necessarily mean you have POTS. Other medical issues can cause similar symptoms — for instance, heart-related problems or nervous system disorders. 

Regardless, it’s always important to undergo a medical evaluation. Not only can an evaluation help determine the underlying cause and rule out potentially serious problems, but it can help you receive appropriate treatment to help you feel better.

In addition to immediate symptoms, like dizziness and lightheadedness when standing up, POTS often causes fatigue that persists long after the event, even despite getting plenty of rest. Activities that require a lot of standing may trigger symptoms too, including common tasks like showering.

Other potential symptoms include headaches, nausea, sweating, shakiness, heart palpitations, and brain fog. When POTS causes fainting or significant dizziness, your risk of falls and fall-related injuries increases, as well.

Early evaluation is key

As many as 1 million Americans have POTS, and if you suspect that you may be one of them, scheduling a medical evaluation is the first step toward managing your symptoms and preventing falls or other complications. Medical evaluation is also essential for determining if a more serious problem is causing your symptoms.

To have your symptoms evaluated and get individualized care, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Advanced Medical Care in Forest Hills, Queens, and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York.