Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia is a syndrome. As such, there is a collection of symptoms that distinguish it. The symptoms are widespread because the autonomic nervous system plays an extensive role in regulating functions throughout the body. Many of these symptoms, such as low blood pressure,* may present only after prolonged standing. Symptoms will vary from person to person. The following is a list of symptoms reported by patients. When possible, we have included the percentage of patients that research reports have experienced a given symptom.
Symptoms presumed to be related to cerebral hypoperfusion:**
Lightheadedness 77.6 % (Grubb, 2000)
Fainting or near fainting 60.5% of patients report near fainting (Grubb, 2000)
Generalized weakness 50% (Low et al.)
Symptoms presumed to be related to autonomic overactivity include the following:**
Palpitations 75% (Grubb, 2000)
Tremulousness 37.5% (Low, Opffer-Gehrking, Textor, Benarroch, Shen, Schondorf, Suarez & Rummans, 1995)
Shortness of breath 27.6 % (Grubb, 2000)
Chest discomfort and/or pain 24.3 % (Grubb, 2000)
Sudomotor symptoms include the following:**
Loss of sweating 5.3 % (Low et al.)
Excessive sweating 9.2 % (Robertson, 2000)
Loss of sweating and excessive sweating are more common in patients with elevated norepinephrine levels (Thieben, Sandroni, Sletten, Benrud-Larson, Fealey, Vernino, Lennon, Shen & Low, 2007).
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POTS symptoms can vary from day to day. They tend to multiply and become exaggerated upon upright posture. Blood flow and blood pressure regulation are also abnormal while supine or sitting, but these abnormalities may not be as apparent and may require orthostatic stress to become evident (Stewart & Erickson, 2002). Some patients do report symptoms occurring while sitting or lying down. Heat, exercise and eating can exacerbate symptoms. Women sometimes report an increase in symptoms around menstruation. If you are suffering from some of the above symptoms, you need to seek professional help. Please do not attempt self-diagnosis. *Some of the above symptoms are specifically related to orthostatic hypotension, traditionally defined as an excessive fall in BP (typically > 20/10 mm Hg) on assuming the upright posture. Not all patients will experience a drop in blood pressure upon standing. Some physicians define orthostatic hypotension as a separate entity from POTS. ** The hypothesized origin of symptoms and their frequency came from the "Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: The Mayo Clinic Experience" by Thieben, Sandroni, Sletten, Benrud-Larson, Fealey, Vernino, Lennon, Shen & Low, 2007. Read more>>
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