Tonight I want to talk about P.O.T.S - That is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. A chronic and often debilitating condition that affects thousands of people in England alone.
Wikipedia (as on 5/12/16) explains P.O.T.S:
"Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS, also known as postural tachycardia syndrome) is a condition in which a change from the supine position to an upright position causes an abnormally large increase in heart rate, called tachycardia. Other symptoms of an orthostatic nature—occurring in response to upright posture—may accompany the tachycardia.[1]
The causes of POTS are poorly understood, and it is likely that several distinct underlying problems can lead to the symptoms of POTS.[2] A variety of treatments, including exercise and medications, can improve symptoms for the majority of people with POTS. Many experience "a reasonable recovery with recovery defined as the relative absence of orthostatic symptoms alone with the ability to perform the activities of daily living with minimal restriction", while in others the condition persists indefinitely.[3] It has been estimated that there are between 500,000 and 3,000,000 people with POTS in the United States alone."
It's a condition that is still widely Unknown, but everyday is undergoing emense research, into finding relief and ultimately a cure for sufferers. Doctors are constantly becoming aware of the condition and diagnosis is becoming a little easier for patients, although there's still a long way to go. This is due to the ignorance around the condition, and that, many doctors to not know to look for signs in patients.
Tonight, after seeing a consultant around a persistent sinus infection - another symptom of pots is being prone to infection and struggling to recover- He explained that he actually read a report on P.O.T.S for the first time only last week and he is interested in how it affects patients. After explaining that I blog and speak frequently about the condition, he encouraged me to continue doing so and raise awareness. This is the main reason I do write, as well as finding it therapeutic whilst feeling ill with symptoms, it makes me feel better knowing that just one person might know a little bit more than they did before.
Take care,
Thank you for reading,
Molly xxx
Sources
Wikipedia - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postural_orthostatic_tachycardia_syndrome
Pots uk - http://www.potsuk.org
Nhs choices definition of Pots- http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/postural-tachycardia-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx
Disautonomia website explaining pots (autonomic disfunction) - http://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/page.php?ID=30
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