What is POTS?
General information only. This article explains the basics and is not medical advice. For anything about your own health, talk to a doctor or other qualified professional.
Quick answer
POTS stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. It’s a condition in which the heart rate rises abnormally when a person stands up, together with symptoms like dizziness, light-headedness, a racing heart and fatigue that usually ease when they lie down. It’s a disorder of the autonomic nervous system.
Breaking down the name
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Postural | Related to body position |
| Orthostatic | Upright, standing |
| Tachycardia | A fast heart rate |
| Syndrome | A group of symptoms that occur together |
What happens in POTS
When anyone stands, gravity pulls blood toward the legs. The autonomic nervous system, which controls automatic functions like heart rate and blood pressure, normally adjusts within seconds. In POTS, this adjustment doesn’t work properly, so the heart beats much faster to compensate.
Doctors typically look for an increase of at least 30 beats per minute in adults (40 in teenagers) within 10 minutes of standing, without a big drop in blood pressure.
Common symptoms
- Dizziness or light-headedness on standing
- A pounding or racing heartbeat (palpitations)
- Fatigue and weakness
- “Brain fog” and trouble concentrating
- Shakiness, sweating, headaches, and sometimes fainting
Symptoms can be worse in heat, after a big meal, after standing still for a long time, or after illness.
Who gets POTS?
It’s most common in women and girls aged 15 to 50. It can begin after a viral infection (including COVID-19), pregnancy, surgery or trauma, and it’s linked to some other conditions such as joint hypermobility syndromes.
Diagnosis and management
Diagnosis is often made with a standing test or a tilt table test that measures heart rate and blood pressure as position changes. Management plans are set by a doctor and often include lifestyle measures, with some people improving over time. Anyone with these symptoms should see a doctor to rule out other causes.
Curious about the heart itself? See how many chambers the human heart has.
Sources
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