Overview
There are approximately half a million POTS syndrome sufferers in the United States alone, with the majority being young women. Being unable to stand for extended periods can result in severe functional impairment in POTS syndrome. This article emphasizes the importance of diet and nutrition in improving the quality of life of POTS syndrome patients!
What Is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)?
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a condition in which most of your blood stays in your lower body when you stand up, causing your heart rate to increase. Whether sitting, standing, lying down, or hanging upside-down from a tree branch in the backyard, your blood flows constantly. However, if that rate changes when you change positions, you have orthostatic intolerance (OI). It is the most common POTS symptom. It can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting. POTS causes your heart to beat faster to get blood to your brain. After you stand, your heart rate can increase by 30 beats or more per minute. As a result, your blood pressure is likely to fall.
Who Might Get POTS?
POTS can affect anyone of any age. However, about 80% of cases are diagnosed in women aged 15 to 50.
What Are the Symptoms Of POTS?
Some common POTS symptoms are:
- Exhaustion or fatigue.
- Fainting or near-fainting.
- Forgetfulness and brain fog.
- Headaches and body pain/aches (may feel flu-like); neck pain.
- High blood pressure/low blood pressure.
- High or low heart rate, i.e., racing heart rate.
- Insomnia and frequent sleep awakenings, chest pain, racing heart rate during sleep, and excessive sweating.
- Nervous, jittery feeling.
- Shakiness/tremors, especially with adrenaline surges.
- Temperature deregulation (hot or cold).
How Is POTS Usually Diagnosed?
A tilt table test assesses someone’s response to orthostatic stress and is commonly used to diagnose postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Patients are usually strapped to a table tilted to simulate standing by forcing blood from the upper body to the legs. Because tilt tables are unavailable in all hospitals, some doctors will diagnose POTS by monitoring blood pressure and heart rate changes as the patient moves from lying down to standing up. Another method of testing for POTS is an electrocardiogram (ECG). Small electrodes are attached to the chest during this test to measure the heart’s rhythm. It is done to rule out other heart problems causing symptoms similar to POTS.
Management and living with POTS
One of the best ways to manage your POTS condition is always to have a good and balanced diet. Here are a few diet and nutrition tips to successfully manage your POTS condition!
- Choose to Eat Fewer and Lower Carbs and Smaller Meals.
POTS patients are advised to eat smaller meals more frequently and to limit their carbohydrate intake. POTS patients may experience worsening orthostatic symptoms after eating. But why is this the case? When a meal is consumed, blood flow to the digestive system increases in order to aid digestion. POTS already has a problem with blood pooling in the lower body and not returning to the heart or upper body as it should. So, when a large meal is consumed, the additional stress of a large amount of blood is diverted to the digestive system, resulting in blood pooling in the vessels that supply the digestive system.
In patients with orthostatic symptoms, the higher the carbohydrate content of a meal, the lower the blood pressure. Blood pressure is higher in those who restrict their meals’ carbohydrate content.
- Increase Fluid Intake.
Fluid intake should be increased, especially in the morning, to increase circulatory blood volume. Most of us limit our fluid intake before bedtime to avoid waking up in the middle of the night to use the restroom. Bring a large glass of water to bed and drink it (if possible) before leaving to replace the fluid deficit from the night before. It is known as front loading. Aim for at least 2-3 liters of fluid daily. Caffeine-containing beverages can aggravate tachycardia and symptoms in some people. Conversely, caffeine can raise blood pressure and improve wakefulness, which some patients find useful. Downing two glasses of cool fluids may also help raise blood pressure and decrease heart rate.
- A High Salt Diet.
A high salt diet containing an additional 3-10g of salt per day may be advised. It will increase circulatory blood volume, lowering heart rate while increasing blood pressure. Excess salt, on the other hand, can harm some patients, including those with high blood pressure, kidney and heart disease, and children. As a result, extra salt should be taken only if your doctor recommends it. Foods high in salt include:
- Anchovies
- Bacon
- Bread products
- Cheese
- Corned beef
- Crisps
- Fish sauce
- Gravy granules
- Mustard, prepared yellow
- Olives
- Pasta sauce
- Pickles
- Pretzels
- Salami
- Salted nuts
- Sausages
- Smoked meat and fish
- Soy sauce
- Stock cubes
- Tomato ketchup
A Fantastic 3-Day POTS Sample Diet Menu!
Here’s a 3-day POTS sample diet menu to help patients manage their condition effectively!
Day 1
- Breakfast: toast, cheesy omelet, and two sodium chloride tablets.
- Lunch: a burrito bowl.
- Snack: peach slices and 1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese.
- Dinner: salmon patty comprising of canned salmon, roasted potatoes, and asparagus spears.
Day 2
- Breakfast: scrambled eggs, liberally salted, and oatmeal topped with fruit.
- Lunch: ruben sandwhich with sauerkraut.
- Snack: string cheese and a 1/4 cup of salted mixed nuts.
- Dinner: baked sweet potato, grilled chicken, and sauteed green beans.
Day 3
- Breakfast: Greek yogurt parfait and two sodium chloride tablets.
- Lunch: roasted sunflower seeds and chicken salad with liberally salted hard-boiled eggs.
- Snack: An apple and 2 ounces of beef jerky.
- Dinner: A dinner roll, vegetable beef soup, liberally salted.
Takeaway
POTS is a condition that results in a rapid heart rate and dizziness when standing, as well as depression, chronic fatigue, and sleeping problems, all of which can reduce one’s quality of life. Fortunately, modifying your diet and lifestyle as described above can help you better manage POTS and its symptoms.
