Top Doctors editorial
Created by: Top Doctors editorial
What is PoTS syndrome?
PoTS syndrome is a condition where you heart beats significantly faster when you become upright from a seated or lying position. Many of us will experience an elevated heart rate when standing up, but in patients with PoTS syndrome the heart carries on beating faster for a sustained period of time. Unlike many heart conditions, however, PoTS syndrome does not involve any change in blood pressure.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptom people report is feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or faint. Other symptoms can include:
How is PoTS syndrome diagnosed?
Diagnosis of PoTS syndrome is complex and requires the involvement of a cardiologist. You will be asked to give a detailed history of your symptoms. You may also be asked to undergo some tests, including an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and a tilt table test, which looks at what happens when you become upright from a lying position and tracks your heart rate.
What causes PoTS syndrome?
The causes of PoTS syndrome are not yet fully understood. Some researchers have identified a greater chance of being affected by PoTS syndrome if you have anaemia, diabetes or an autoimmune disease such as lupus.
PoTS syndrome mostly affects women of a childbearing age and pre-menopausal women. Young women are more than four times likely to be affected as men of the same age.
How is PoTS syndrome treated?
Treatment for PoTS syndrome depends on the symptoms you are most concerned by: