POTS is a condition where your heart rate climbs when you stand up because the system that adjusts your blood flow isn't keeping up. Dr. Zach Conner explained it at Van Every Family Chiropractic Center in Royal Oak, and here is the plain version for anyone looking for POTS support in Royal Oak.
What is POTS and how is it diagnosed?
POTS stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a group of symptoms that show up together. Dr. Conner explained that it is diagnosed when your heart rate climbs 30 or more beats a minute (40 or more for teenagers) within 10 minutes of standing up, without your blood pressure dropping, and it has been going on for at least three months.
Doctors usually check it with a tilt table test, or by having you lie down and then stand for 10 minutes while they track your heart rate and blood pressure, after ruling out other causes like dehydration, medication, thyroid or anemia.
Why does your heart race when you stand up?
When you stand, gravity pulls a big share of your blood down into your legs and belly, and your nervous system is supposed to send a message that makes the blood vessels squeeze. With POTS, that handoff doesn't work smoothly.
Dr. Conner described how pressure sensors in your neck and chest notice the change instantly and send a message up to your brainstem, and your brain sends a message back down. With POTS the blood vessels don't squeeze the way they should, so blood stays pulled down low and less of it makes its way back up to your heart and brain. Your body senses that shortfall and releases a surge of adrenaline, and your heart starts racing. As he put it, "It's your heart trying to cover a regulation system that isn't keeping up." The racing heart is not the problem itself.
Is POTS just anxiety?
No. Dr. Conner said many people with POTS have been told it's anxiety, or that their test came back completely normal, and the research shows "people with POTS are no more anxious than the general population."
He shared that in the largest survey of people with POTS, "it took a median of about two years and around seven doctors to get a diagnosis," and three out of four were told it's something else first. "That's a long time to feel like nobody believes you." When anxiety does show up, he said, "When anxiety shows up, it's usually because of what POTS put you through, not the cause of it." You know your heart races, and you know it's real.
Where can you find POTS support in Royal Oak?
You can find it at Van Every Family Chiropractic Center, 4203 Rochester Rd in Royal Oak. Dr. Conner said he sees people with POTS in his office, and he opened by telling them "your body's not broken. It's stuck protecting you and it's waiting on permission to let go."
He said what almost nobody explains is the why: "Why your nervous system does this when someone else's doesn't, and what can actually change it." This is part 1 of a 5 part series. The rest covers why it happens to you and not everybody else, the hidden reason your nervous system gets stuck, and what helps let it go. We also offered a free POTS guide.
Families come to our Royal Oak office from Troy, Ferndale, Berkley and Birmingham. All three of our doctors, Dr. Anna Saylor, Dr. John Johr and Dr. Zach Conner, see patients of every age. You can read more about POTS and dysautonomia, learn about Dr. Zach Conner, or meet the doctors.
If your heart races every time you stand up, call or text (248) 616-0900 or book online.
Frequently asked questions
What does POTS stand for?
POTS stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Postural and orthostatic mean changing position and being upright, tachycardia means a racing heart, and syndrome means a group of symptoms that show up together. Dr. Zach Conner broke the name down this way so the term is easier to follow.
How is POTS diagnosed?
It is diagnosed when your heart rate climbs 30 or more beats a minute (40 or more for teenagers) within 10 minutes of standing, without your blood pressure dropping, and it has gone on for at least three months. Doctors check with a tilt table test, or by having you lie down and then stand for 10 minutes.
Is POTS caused by anxiety?
No. Research shows people with POTS are no more anxious than the general population. When anxiety shows up, it's usually because of what POTS put you through, not the cause of it. If you've been told it's just anxiety, call or text (248) 616-0900 and talk with our Royal Oak team.
Do your doctors see teenagers and children in Royal Oak?
Yes. Dr. Anna Saylor, Dr. John Johr and Dr. Zach Conner all see patients of every age at our Royal Oak office, including teenagers, children, babies and pregnant patients. The POTS criteria we shared include a separate heart rate number for teenagers, 40 or more beats a minute.
