Sunday, January 4, 2015

WHAT IS POTS ??

Pots are something you cook with. They come in handy for cooking pastas and are commonly sold in sets with pans. See below:                                            


 
 
 
No, but seriously; POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and it is a not-so-rare, commonly misdiagnosed invisible illness.
POTS is commonly misdiagnosed because many of its symptoms are very similar to other illnesses such as anxiety, etc. The symptoms commonly include, but are not limited to:
  • Dizziness
  • Fainting
  • Migraine/headaches
  • Heat/cold sensitivity
  • Chest pain
  • Palpitations
  • numbness/tingling in arms/legs
  • Vision changes
  • abdominal pain
  • nausea
  • brain fog
These symptoms are caused by the dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (the system that regulates all the things you DON'T control such as heart rate).
When A person with POTS stands, their blood circulation does not correct itself and their blood pressure drops. Their heart rate then increases to make up for this. This causes extreme dizziness and sometimes fainting. POTS patients frequently increase their fluid intake to increase blood volume and also increase their salt intake to help retain water. 
 
Every POTS case and its severity is different. Some sufferers live normal, active lives, while on the other end of the spectrum, some patients may be bedridden or unable to walk for varying lengths of times. Unfortunately there is currently no cure for POTS and many patients try a variety of medications in order to control their symptoms. 





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