Conditions
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
A heart rate that climbs on standing, with dizziness, a racing heart or brain fog that ease when lying down.
About POTS
POTS affects how the body controls heart rate and blood flow when you stand up. On standing, the heart rate rises more than usual, and people may feel lightheaded, have a racing or pounding heartbeat, feel shaky, tired or foggy, or notice their vision dimming. Lying down usually helps.
Symptoms often come and go, so they can be hard to show in a short visit. Clinicians look at heart rate and blood pressure lying down and standing, how long symptoms have gone on, and whether something else could explain them.
Who usually evaluates it: Often a cardiologist, a neurologist who works with the autonomic nervous system, or a primary care clinician.
What you can record in Selihc Health
- A guided 10-minute stand test at home, with a helper present and a one-tap stop
- Heart rate and blood pressure readings, lying down and standing
- Symptoms when upright, and when they started
- Fainting or nearly fainting
What only a clinician can do
- A tilt table test or an in-clinic stand test
- Checking for other causes, such as fluid loss, anemia, thyroid problems or medicine side effects
- Heart tests such as an ECG, when they are needed
In an emergency
Call 911 if someone faints and does not wake up within a minute, has chest pain that does not go away, or has trouble breathing.
The published criteria
Your summary organizes your records against these sources, for your clinician to review. What clinicians see
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: consensus criteria (CMAJ 2022 review)
Raj SR, Fedorowski A, Sheldon RS. Diagnosis and management of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. CMAJ. 2022;194(10):E378-E385.
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This page is general information written for patients, not medical advice. Content is a draft awaiting clinical review.
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