What Is POTS Syndrome? Tampa | Wesley Chapel FL
Could you have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)?
- Do you or someone you know often feel dizzy, especially when standing up?
- Have you experienced a foggy feeling in your brain, making it hard to think or concentrate?
- Are you dealing with constant fatigue, no matter how much you rest?
- Do these symptoms seem to come and go, without any clear reason?
- Are you wondering if these could be signs of a condition like POTS syndrome?
- Do you know someone who’s struggling with similar symptoms and looking for answers?
If these questions sound familiar, then it’s important to learn about POTS as it may be impacting you. We will discuss the connection between brain fog, dizziness, chronic fatigue, and POTS syndrome.
WHAT IS POTS SYNDROME?
POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, is a condition related to the autonomic nervous system, which controls functions like heart rate and blood pressure. The hallmark feature of POTS is an increase of heart rate >30 bpm in adults and >40 in children when going from a sitting to standing position without having a notable drop in blood pressure. POTS affects a range of systems in the body including: immune, nervous, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal. This leads to a wide rage of symptoms that individuals will experience.
CAN POTS SYNDROME CAUSE BRAIN FOG, DIZZINESS, AND CHRONIC FATIGUE?
Yes, it can. Here’s why:
- Blood Flow Issues: POTS affects how blood flows in the body, which can lead to dizziness when standing.
- Brain Fog: Due to blood flow irregularities, the brain might not get enough oxygen, leading to a feeling of mental cloudiness or brain fog.
- Chronic Fatigue: Constant strain on the body from trying to manage blood flow can result in ongoing tiredness.
WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF POTS SYNDROME?
There are many symptoms that an individual may experience with POTS, but you don’t have to have all of them.
HOW DO THESE SYMPTOMS MANIFEST IN POTS SYNDROME?
The symptoms of brain fog, dizziness, and fatigue in POTS syndrome are very common. This usually manifests in certain ways for individuals:
- Feeling lightheaded or dizzy when initially standing up or being on your feet for even 5-10 minutes.
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering things. This may be an ongoing issue or you may notice it gets worse as the day goes on.
- Constant tiredness, even after getting enough sleep. You may feel the need for naps even if you get great sleep at night. Going through life is draining and most have pulled back substantially from what they’d normally do as a result.
WHO GETS POTS SYNDROME?
POTS is estimated to impact nearly 3 million Americans, but which ones are more likely:
- Nearly 80% of those diagnosed with POTS syndrome are female.
- Predominantly impacts teenagers and adults.
- Those with hypermobility, specifically with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome are at higher rate.
- May develop after an infection including flu and covid-19
- May develop after a vaccine
- May develop after exposure to mold
- May develop after a concussion
MANAGING SYMPTOMS OF POTS SYNDROME
While battling symptoms of POTS is frustrating, it doesn’t have to be. We’ll first cover what traditional medicine does for POTS before talking about how we approach it. Traditional medical approaches are about managing the symptoms of POTS.
- Initial evaluation: Will include a tilt table test or doing orthostatic testing. Basically this involves having an individual go from lying to standing and measuring the changes in blood pressure and heart rate.
- Medication Management: As long as blood pressure isn’t too low many are prescribed a beta blocker to control the heart rate. Some are even trying different corticosteroids to try and reduce inflammation, but this isn’t a widely accepted approach at this time.
- Lifestyle Adjustments: Increase salt intake or take salt tablets. Wear compression stockings to help promote blood flow.
- Physical Therapy: In some cases individuals are sent to physical therapy to help build up strength and endurance.
PEAK BRAIN AND BODY TREATMENT FOR POTS SYNDROME
We believe in a holistic approach to managing POTS syndrome. As noted previously, POTS impacts multiple systems of the body. We’ve found that the two things that matter most in POTS recovery are the nervous and immune systems. We evaluate and treat both the nervous and immune system.
How We Evaluate Nervous System Function For POTS Syndrome
The nervous system is best evaluated by looking at function, not through imaging. If you’ve had imaging and were told it’s normal that is okay, but it doesn’t mean everything is fine. It just means the imaging can’t pick up what is needed. That is where testing that evaluates nervous system function comes in. There are 3 ways we evaluate the nervous system:
- Videooculography (Eye Movement): Eyes are considered the windows into the health of the brain. With this testing we are able to map out which parts of the brain are healthy or not. This testing provides tremendous insights and answers.
- Computerized Balance Posturography: Dizziness is a common symptom with POTS and can be due to impairment in vestibular function as a result. When balance testing is used as part of an evaluation we can distinguish between vestibular issues or weakness that impacts balance.
- QEEG Brainmapping: This allows us to evaluate brain waves including delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma waves. Imbalances in these could help explain brain fog, concentration, memory, and anxiety based symptoms.
How We Evaluate the Immune Symptoms in POTS Syndrome
Most are frustrated when they get their labs done. They get a basic CBC, CMP, and maybe a little more; but they are routinely told their labs are normal. Most labs will not pick up immune system dysfunction. If you know what to look for there are clues along the way. We look for patterns of symptoms increasing due to: stress, menses, infection, poor sleep, and nutrition choices.
We can also perform labs that looks at inflammation, iron deficiency, immune system dysfunction, and even stool testing. When it comes to evaluating immune system dysfunction we are able to do an in-depth panel that goes far beyond what a CBC provides.
It is worth mentioning that we are finding a group of individuals who are dealing with issues related to mycotoxins which are produced by mold. There is specific testing that we do to evaluate for that.
NEED HELP OR MORE INFORMATION?
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms like brain fog, dizziness, and chronic fatigue and suspect it could be related to POTS syndrome then it’s time for a full evaluation. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been diagnosed or have had symptoms for 6 months or 5 years.
At Peak Brain and Body we’ve helped individuals who’ve tried numerous other treatments and didn’t see progress until taking an approach that focuses on both nervous and immune system function.
Request a Free Discovery Consult with our team today.
What is POTS?
POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) is a condition where your heart rate rises abnormally when you stand. It can cause dizziness, tiredness, brain fog, and other symptoms that affect daily life.
Who can get POTS?
Mostly women, teens, and adults. It can happen after illness, a concussion, or other health issues.
How do I know if I have it?
A doctor can check your heart rate and blood pressure when you change positions to see if it matches POTS patterns.
What is brain fog, and is it related to POTS?
Brain fog means feeling confused, forgetful, or unable to concentrate. Many people with POTS experience it because their brain isn’t getting enough oxygen due to blood flow changes.
