Common Signs and Symptoms of POTS

According to the  National Library of Medicine , postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic and disabling disorder. It is characterized by orthostatic intolerance with increased heart rate without hypotension when an individual is in an upright posture.

When you suffer from POTS, its onset might be precipitated by immunological stressors, for example, a viral infection.

Evaluation of the signs and symptoms can help you establish whether you are suffering from POTS or not.

The signs and symptoms of POTS vary from one person to another.

Below are the common signs and symptoms of POTS.

• Long-lasting fatigue
• Trouble focusing and paying attention
• Headaches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Excessive sweating
• Pale face and discoloration of the hands
• Intolerance of exercise
• Fainting after prolonged sitting or standing

If you realize that you are suffering from POTS, some occurrences or activities can worsen your condition—for example, warm environments, situations involving standing for extended periods, and inadequate fluid and salt intake.

Moreover, the symptoms might get worse when you get an infection.

In severe cases, the symptoms can prevent you from being upright for some time. This adversely affects your professional and social life.

As much as the origin of the disorder's symptoms is physical, at times, the symptoms can be wrongly attributed to psychological disorders.

Even though some individuals with POTS experience psychological disorders the same as those experienced by the general population, the disorder is not caused by anxiety.

The signs and symptoms of the disorder can be life-changing; however, they are not life-threatening.

The major risk that an individual suffering from POTS is exposed to is falling due to fainting.

Given that the symptoms vary, not everyone suffering from the disorder faints, and if it happens, it is a rare occurrence.

Therefore, if you are not aware that you have POTS, it may be difficult to take precautions against emotional and physical injury from falls.

If you are experiencing some or all of the symptoms, it would be best if you undergo thermography to establish if you are suffering from the disorder.  Contact us  for thermography services to detect any abnormalities in your body heat variances and give the right diagnosis.