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Autonomic Tachycardia Syndrome Essay

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Autonomic Nervous System Disorder: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
When something goes wrong with the autonomic nervous system, it can cause serious problems. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is an abnormality of the autonomic nervous system, commonly defined as an inability to regulate the heart rate (Rowe 6). Patients with POTS will experience symptoms that can limit daily activity and function (Agarwal et al. 478). Although treatment can be challenging, patients with POTS that take an active role in the diagnosis and management of their care can improve their quality of life.
To understand POTS it is important to understand the role and function of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system involves …show more content…

In a healthy individual, blood vessels contract, heart rates increase and blood pressure adjusts with little effort (Langford 23). In patients with POTS, the body does not have the ability to make appropriate adjustments. POTS patients require three times more energy to stand than a healthy person (Grubb 2). Although an abnormal heart rate upon standing is common in patients with POTS, they will also experience other symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations, nausea, diminished concentration, fainting, coldness or pain in the extremities, chest pain and shortness of breath (“POTS”).
Patients with POTS will not feel better unless they are active, but they do not have the energy to be active (“POTS”). In patients surveyed, 97.2% showed fatigue as a major concern, followed by dizziness, brain fog, and heart palpitations (“POTS”). A quiet activity, such as sitting at a desk, or a small amount of physical activity can cause fatigue that can last twenty four to seventy two hours (Rowe 3). Research has shown that almost half of POTS patients will experience at least one episode of fainting which is why it is sometimes nicknamed the fainting disease

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