Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. I can only speak to my own experience and hope that gives you some insight into what POTS is and how it can affect you or the people around you.
What it feels like: Being sick all of the time and having each illness last twice as long as it should.
What causes it:
This one is very controversial according to my doctors. I’ve been told by my immunologist that POTS is an autoimmune disorder and can lower your white blood cells. My white blood cells have been low at several different times in my life leading to transfusions. I’ve had cardiologists say that POTS is not an autoimmune disease and does not cause immune problems. There has been more evidence of recent showing that POTS could be an autoimmune disease.
Solutions I’ve found:
Eating well really helps more than you would think. Wearing a mask when going into a public and crowded places helps. I could be totally crazy but I do think elderberry gummies (in the pharmacy aisle) help around cold and flu season. Also make sure to get your vaccines! They are your biggest protection. If you’re continuously sick go see an immunologist and get your white blood cells tested, you might need a transfusion.
Further Reading
“Inflammatory Biomarkers in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome with Elevated G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Autoantibodies.” NCBI, 6 February 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7914580/. Accessed 2 April 2023.
“New evidence of autoimmunity in POTS! | The Dysautonomia Dispatch.” Dysautonomia International, 25 February 2014, https://dysautonomiainternational.org/blog/wordpress/new-evidence-of-autoimmunity-in-pots/. Accessed 2 April 2023.“POTS: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment.”
Cleveland Clinic, 9 September 2022, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16560-postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots. Accessed 2 April 2023.