New Delhi: One of the long-term side-effects of Covid-19 found in many people include Postural tachycardia syndrome or PoTS, an abnormal increase in heart rate that occurs after you sit up or stand. Also known as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, this ailment affects a range of people but is most common among women aged 15-50 years of age.
According to health experts, many post-Covid19 patients mistake their rapid heartbeat to be anxiety, when it could be PoTS. Doctors say PoTS often improves gradually over time and some medicines help, but the condition does affect the quality of life of a person suffering from it.
Doctors say as soon as you sit upright or stand, gravity pulls some of the blood down to your stomach, hands, and feet area. However, as response to that the blood vessels quickly narrow and the heart rate goes up rapidly to maintain blood flow to the heart and brain and prevents the blood pressure from dropping.
In PoTS, the autonomic nervous system does not work properly. There’s a drop in blood supply to the heart and brain when you become upright and the heart races to compensate for this.
Signs and symptoms
According to National Health Services, PoTS can either develop suddenly or even begin gradually. The signs and symptoms of the ailment, include:
Dizziness and nausea
Fainting
Memory and concentration issues
Palpitations of the heart
Shaking and sweating
Chronic fatigue and weakness
Headaches
Pain in the chest
Breathlessness
According to the Cleveland Clinic, many people notice symptoms aggravating especially after doing strenuous exercise or having a menstrual period.
How to treat PoTS?
Self-care measures can sometimes help to reduce the symptoms of PoTS. If these do not work, you may need to take medications to feel better.
Treating an episode
Health recommends if you suddenly feel faint or dizzy, you can try countering the fall in blood flow by:
Lying down on the bed, and raising your legs
Crossing your legs in front of each other while standing, rocking up and down on your toes
Ways to reduce the symptoms
To reduce your symptoms in the long run, do the following:
Drink plenty of fluids
Keep active and exercise normally
Keep your head elevated while sleeping
Try wearing support tights or other forms of compression clothing to improve blood flow in your legs
Avoid standing for long
Do not jerk while getting up from bed
Avoid drinking coffee or alcohol
Include more salt in your diet
What causes PoTS?
PoTS, doctors say is usually an issue with the nervous system, however, the reasons for its happening are unknown. Many times, teenagers develop this ailment, which gradually disappears a few years later.
Sometimes it can develop suddenly after a viral illness like Covid-19, or during or after pregnancy.
Some of the other known causes are:
Conditions like diabetes, auto-immune issues, cancer
Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Alcohol poisoning
Faulty genes
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Note: The information given here is based on religious belief and public belief. There cannot be any scientific evidence for this. Keeping in mind the general interest and knowledge, it is being presented here.
