Standing up to POTS syndrome

woman sitting on bed

Christina Applegate’s battle with multiple sclerosis has been well documented since the actress revealed her diagnosis in 2021. But now it’s her 13-year-old daughter, Saide Grace Applegate Noble, who’s making news with her own health challenge. Noble recently shared that she was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

According to Mary O’Meara, a nurse practitioner for OSF HealthCare, POTS is a syndrome where the body is not adjusting well to different postures or positions. POTS causes the heart to beat faster than normal when a person goes from sitting or lying down to standing up. Symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, fainting and heart palpitations.

“When you're laying down and you stand up fast, or maybe you're sitting and you stand up fast, you can get symptoms because your blood – instead of being rushed to your brain – is actually pooling down in your lower extremities,” says O’Meara. “You get lightheaded, your heart can beat fast. You can have irregular heartbeats, chest pain, or you might feel nauseous, feel like you're going to pass out.”

O’Meara says POTS is somewhat common – it affects between 1 and 3 million people in the country. While it can impact anyone, it tends to happen more frequently to woman between the ages of 15 and 50. POTS can start after a pregnancy, major surgery, trauma or even a viral illness.  O’Meara says she has many patients suffering from POTS in her own practice.

POTS is not life threatening, but it can be challenging to deal with on a regular basis. There is no known cause and medication is typically not prescribed to help with symptoms.

“What's interesting is you treat POTS with more exercise,” O’Meara says. “You want to have healthy muscles to help you get that blood from your lower extremities up to your head.” Hydration and frequent snacks also seem to help.

Aerobic and strength exercises can help improve your heart and blood vessels as well as muscles in your legs and core. But it can be a challenge to work out or exercise, especially if you feel lightheaded or dizzy. That’s why it’s important to inform others if you are experiencing any symptoms.

“We tell young people who have this to make sure their coaches are aware so that if they actually have a medical emergency, if they are losing consciousness, that they have someone there to help them,” O’Meara says. 

Since POTS exhibits symptoms that are like other diseases, O’Meara stresses the importance of getting a proper diagnosis from your doctor. Symptoms can come and go for years, and some people see improvement over time. It's important to advocate for yourself and get to a care provider who will listen to you and perform necessary testing to make sure there's nothing more serious going on.

“While POTS is very common and it can affect our life, it doesn't have to keep people on the bench, so to speak,” she says. “We want to encourage people to get out and exercise because that helps with their symptoms. We want them to play sports in school. It's just an understanding, having the support and knowing that you can do these things. We're here to help you. We can help you reduce your symptoms, so that we not only improve your life but keep you healthier.” 

To learn more about POTS syndrome, visit OSF HealthCare.