Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a dysautonomia

Dysautonomia literally means dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is the master regulator of organ function throughout the body. It is involved in the control of heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, respiration, digestion and other vital functions. Dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system can produce the apparent malfunction of the organs it regulates. For this reason, dysautonomia patients often present with numerous, seemingly unrelated maladies.

The defining symptom of POTS is an excessive heart rate increment upon standing. However, there are a multitude of other symptoms that often accompany this syndrome. A person with POTS will experience heart rates that increase 30 beats or more per minute upon standing and/or increase to 120 beats or more per minute upon standing.

POTS is a chronic illness that can be debilitating at times. POTS patients use about three times more energy to stand than a healthy person. It is as if these patients are running in place all the time. Research shows that POTS patients' quality of life is similar to those with congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Most patients will have to make some lifestyle adjustments to cope with this disorder. The quantity and severity of symptoms varies from day to day and hour to hour.

Symptoms: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia is a syndrome. The symptoms are widespread because the autonomic nervous system plays an extensive role in regulating functions throughout the body. The symptoms tend to multiply and become exaggerated upon upright posture. Some patients do report symptoms occurring while sitting or lying down and will include some of the following:

Tachycardia (high heart rate)
Lightheadedness /Dizziness / Disequalibrium (off balance)
Chest pain/ Palpitations-painful heart beats/abnormal heart beats
Exercise intolerance
Blurred Vision/tunnel vision
Clamminess / Flushing / Intolerance to heat/ Excessive sweating
Fainting or near fainting
Anxiety/Feeling "wired"
Fatigue (which can be disabling)
Headache
Shortness of breath
Blood pooling in limbs(can make legs feel heavy and appear mottled and purple in color)
Low blood pressure upon standing
Cognitive impairment (may include difficulties with concentration, brain fog, memory and/or word recall)
Diarrhea (sometimes with alternating constipation)
Tremulousness
Sleep disorders (can cause unrefreshing sleep and an increased need for sleep)
Cold hands (and often feet & nose) /Chills
Numbness or tingling sensations/ Restless Leg Syndrome
Generalized weakness
Low back pain/Aching neck and shoulders/Muscle aches and/or joint pains
Nausea/Loss of appetite
Noise sensitivity /Light Sensitivity/Easily over-stimulated
Feeling detached from surroundings

Things to Avoid

Climbing stairs will make some patients feel worse.
Dehydration is one of the worst states a POTS patient can be in. It is very important to always stay well hydrated.
Exercise will make many people with dysautonomia feel worse. Some patients will experience an exacerbation of symptoms after exercise that may last for a day or more.
Fatigue-Those with POTS will do well to live life at their own pace. It is important that patients don't overdo it, as this will make them feel even worse.
Heat dilates blood vessels and will make POTS symptoms worse.
Holding the arms up in the air can cause problems for some individuals. Holding the arms up requires the heart to work harder to counteract the effects of gravity. The heart may not be able to effectively pump blood up into raised arms and tachycardia will result from its effort.
Lifting objects can aggravate the symptoms of POTS. This may be due to the increased work load on the heart.
Over-stimulating environments can make POTS symptoms worse. A number of POTS patients report being overly sensitive to bright lights, loud noises and busy environments.
Singing has been reported to temporarily worsen symptoms in some individuals.
Stress will often aggravate the symptoms of POTS. POTS patients sometimes lack the ability to correctly process stress due to malfunctioning or excessive functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). POTS patients need to avoid stress (when possible) and live life at their own pace.

(Above information courtesy of www.potsplace.com)