What Triggers POTS Symptoms?

In this blog post, we will be taking a look at the most frequently reported triggers of POTS symptoms. By recognising these common day-to-day triggers, you'll be able to make the adjustments you need to live a healthier, more active lifestyle.

What is POTS?

First, let’s define POTS. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a condition that falls under the umbrella of dysautonomia—a group of disorders related to dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. The term “autonomic” refers to the self-governing nature of this system, which controls involuntary functions that we do not consciously regulate. These include breathing, digestion, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, sweating, and more.

Triggers of POTS

Temperature

When researching for this post, I found that, for many others like myself, temperature was the single largest trigger of POTS flare-ups after more direct causes such as physical exertion, standing for long periods, and dehydration—more on that later.

People with POTS frequently have trouble regulating their temperature. This is because the system that regulates heart rate—the autonomic nervous system—also controls your body temperature. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is generally at the core of many issues related to POTS.

When your body gets hot, blood vessels widen, which causes your heart to beat faster to maintain the correct blood pressure. This extra challenge is why many people with POTS struggle during the hotter summer months.

We have a dedicated page on managing symptoms during hot weather, which you can find here.

Dehydration

The purpose of this blog post is to explore lesser-known triggers that newly diagnosed people might not recognise. However, I always feel the need to touch on hydration, as anyone who has lived with POTS will have been told repeatedly—it’s very important.

Many symptoms of POTS stem from low blood pressure. When we stand up, gravity pulls blood down to the lower parts of our bodies, away from our brain and other vital organs. In POTS patients, our bodies struggle to adjust to this change.

By increasing our fluid and salt intake, we can boost our blood volume, which helps our bodies function more efficiently and reduces symptoms such as lightheadedness, dizziness, and elevated heart rate.

We also have a page dedicated to this topic, which you can find here.

Stress

Both physical and emotional stress can worsen POTS symptoms. This again relates to the autonomic nervous system, specifically the sympathetic part of the system.

The sympathetic nervous system controls the fight-or-flight response, which is why POTS is often confused with anxiety. In fact, these conditions often go hand in hand, creating a feedback loop that can be difficult to break.

This is why mindfulness and meditation play a key role in reducing POTS symptoms.

Visit our "Link Between Hypermobility and POTS/Dysautonomia" post to learn more about why hypervigilance and adrenaline surges are common among POTS patients.

Diet

Everyone knows that maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is essential for our overall health. This becomes even more important when living with a chronic illness.

Digestion is another "automatic" process controlled by the autonomic nervous system and is a common source of secondary symptoms, such as bloating, gas, diarrhoea, and constipation.

Eating large, heavy meals is likely to worsen POTS symptoms, as blood is directed to the stomach to aid digestion, lowering blood pressure. That’s why it’s recommended to eat smaller portions more frequently rather than two or three large meals a day.

Click here for more information about a POTS-friendly diet.

Sleep

As mentioned earlier, high levels of hypervigilance and adrenaline are common issues faced by people with POTS, making it difficult to get a good night’s sleep.

But lack of sleep can also cause a rise in unwanted symptoms. Poor sleep routines disrupt your body’s ability to rest and recover. Therefore, practicing good sleep hygiene is essential to keep your body in the best shape possible.

Stimulants

Both alcohol and caffeine, along with other drug use, are likely to trigger an increase in unwanted symptoms.

In fact, 16 to 73% of chronic alcohol abusers suffer from autonomic dysfunction. Alcohol causes blood vessels to widen, lowering blood pressure, and also leads to dehydration—all of which should be avoided if you live with POTS.

Caffeine is also a common trigger due to its effects on heart rate and its disruption of sleep.

Final note:

I hope some of this information proves useful and has a positive impact when you put it into practice. Thank you for reading.