What is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome?

A growing number of people are experiencing a mysterious post-COVID-19 disease.

According to M. Kate Elfrey, D.O., board-certified cardiologist with The Heart Center at Mercy Medical Center, it's not exactly known what causes Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), but it's believed to be a dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system.

"The way I explain that to my patients is that fight-or-flight system that is inherent in our nervous system is not functioning as well as it should, and so there's some type of dysregulation there where our body has a hard time keeping those things under control," Dr. Elfrey said.

Triggers like smoking, alcohol and hot or cold weather can bring on symptoms, which can vary but include lightheadedness, dizziness, fatigue and extreme weakness.

"The main one is fatigue, especially when I am standing or walking, when I'm upright," Briana Gerdeman, a patient who has POTS, said. "I also have a lot of brain fog, confusion, memory problems, and that affects me even if I'm sitting down. I have a lot of trouble adjusting to temperature, especially heat, but even cold is difficult."

Gerdeman explained that she can only stand up for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, which has impacted her life tremendously.

"I don't work full-time. The mental health effects, like the brain fog and confusion, do make it hard to work. Just the daily activities—like cooking, grocery shopping, those both involve standing—so I can't really do them in the same day. So, I have to plan ahead a lot," Gerdeman said.

Dr. Elfrey noted that there aren't many treatment options for this difficult disease. She tells her patients to drink a lot of water, increase salt intake, consider compression stockings and avoid triggers.

View Dr. M. Kate Elfrey’s interview regarding POTS, an illness women may be more apt to develop following COVID-19.