<
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/02/27/pots-heart-fainting-long-covid/>
"A life-changing condition called POTS, which can cause fainting, irregular
heartbeats and dizziness, particularly among young women, appears to be on the
rise as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
But the condition isn’t well understood, and doctors dismiss many patients as
having anxiety, delaying diagnosis. Once diagnosed, many patients face waiting
lists as long as two years to get treatment from specialists.
POTS stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a disorder of the
autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary functions like heart
rate, blood pressure and digestion.
“When the autonomic nervous system is not functioning properly, any or all of
those things can go a little haywire,” said David R. Fries, a cardiologist and
POTS specialist at Rochester Regional Health.
POTS patients typically experience a marked rise in heart rate when standing
and a complex combination of symptoms, including dizziness, brain fog,
fainting, headache and fatigue, among many others.
There is no known cure for POTS, but physical therapy, medications and diet
changes related to salt intake can sometimes help.
Experts say there is a dire shortage of medical professionals who know how to
care for patients with POTS. Lauren Stiles, president and chief executive of
Dysautonomia International, a nonprofit advocacy group, estimates that the
number of people with POTS has at least doubled since the start of the
pandemic, while the number of specialists has remained the same and waiting
lists are getting longer."
My father developed POTS after a COVID infection, and had to have a pacemaker
installed.
Via Violet Blue’s
Pandemic Roundup: March 2, 2023
https://www.patreon.com/posts/pandemic-roundup-79446275
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
