POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
POTS is an abnormal response by the autonomic nervous system to becoming upright. There is an abnormally high increase in heart rate and altered blood supply to the brain on standing. It results in a large number of symptoms, the commonest of which are dizziness, fainting, tiredness and palpitations.
Many doctors and nurses do not know that POTS exists and so may not think of the diagnosis.
When lying down, 25% of our blood lies in our chest cavity. Under normal circumstances, when we stand, up to 800 millilitres of blood will be pulled down by gravity from our chest to the abdomen and legs. To maintain blood supply to our brain, the sympathetic nervous system will react by immediately narrowing blood vessels. Heart rate increases by 10-15 beats per minute and there is a very slight increase in blood pressure.
In some people, these mechanisms fail, altering the return of blood to the heart and brain. Extra noradrenaline can be produced to compensate and the heart races. Within 10 minutes of standing up, patients experience an increase in heart rate of 30 beats per minute or more (40 beats per minute in teenagers) and this is associated with symptoms of POTS.
source: POTS UK
I find this image of my feet to be a helpful visual for understanding POTS. The top picture is my feet elevated and the bottom picture is after standing, when all the blood has pooled in my feet and legs.
Many doctors and nurses do not know that POTS exists and so may not think of the diagnosis.
When lying down, 25% of our blood lies in our chest cavity. Under normal circumstances, when we stand, up to 800 millilitres of blood will be pulled down by gravity from our chest to the abdomen and legs. To maintain blood supply to our brain, the sympathetic nervous system will react by immediately narrowing blood vessels. Heart rate increases by 10-15 beats per minute and there is a very slight increase in blood pressure.
In some people, these mechanisms fail, altering the return of blood to the heart and brain. Extra noradrenaline can be produced to compensate and the heart races. Within 10 minutes of standing up, patients experience an increase in heart rate of 30 beats per minute or more (40 beats per minute in teenagers) and this is associated with symptoms of POTS.
source: POTS UK
I find this image of my feet to be a helpful visual for understanding POTS. The top picture is my feet elevated and the bottom picture is after standing, when all the blood has pooled in my feet and legs.
Dysautonomia (Dysfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System)
Dysautonomia is an umbrella term used to describe various conditions that cause a malfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) controls most of the essential functions of the body that we do not consciously think about, such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, dilation and constriction of the pupils of the eye and temperature control.
source: Dysautonomia International
source: Dysautonomia International
Gastroparesis (Delayed Gastric Emptying)
Gastroparesis means weakness of the muscles of the stomach. Gastroparesis results in slow emptying of food from the stomach into the small intestine.
The stomach is a hollow organ composed primarily of muscle. Solid food that has been swallowed is stored in the stomach while it is ground into tiny pieces by the constant churning generated by rhythmic contractions of the stomach's muscles. Since smaller particles are digested better in the small intestine than larger particles, only food that has been ground into small particles is emptied from the stomach. Liquid food does not require grinding.
When the contractions of the stomach's muscles are weakened, food is not thoroughly ground and does not empty into the intestine normally. Since the muscular actions whereby solid food and liquid food are emptied from the stomach are slightly different, the emptying of solids and liquids follows different time courses, and there may be slow emptying of solid food (most common), solid and liquid food (less common), or liquid food alone (least common).
The primary symptoms of gastroparesis are nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms of gastroparesis include bloating with or without abdominal distension, early satiety (feeling full quickly when eating), and in severe cases, weight loss due to a reduced intake of food because of the symptoms. Abdominal pain also is present frequently though the cause of the pain is unclear. Reduced intake of food and restriction of the types of food that are eaten can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Source: Medicine Net
The stomach is a hollow organ composed primarily of muscle. Solid food that has been swallowed is stored in the stomach while it is ground into tiny pieces by the constant churning generated by rhythmic contractions of the stomach's muscles. Since smaller particles are digested better in the small intestine than larger particles, only food that has been ground into small particles is emptied from the stomach. Liquid food does not require grinding.
When the contractions of the stomach's muscles are weakened, food is not thoroughly ground and does not empty into the intestine normally. Since the muscular actions whereby solid food and liquid food are emptied from the stomach are slightly different, the emptying of solids and liquids follows different time courses, and there may be slow emptying of solid food (most common), solid and liquid food (less common), or liquid food alone (least common).
The primary symptoms of gastroparesis are nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms of gastroparesis include bloating with or without abdominal distension, early satiety (feeling full quickly when eating), and in severe cases, weight loss due to a reduced intake of food because of the symptoms. Abdominal pain also is present frequently though the cause of the pain is unclear. Reduced intake of food and restriction of the types of food that are eaten can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Source: Medicine Net
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