POTS, A Condition That Appeared After COVID, Is Treatable, But Its Victims Cannot.

Mar, 2023 - By WMR

COVID led to a chronic illness that affects millions of people around the world, and yet, many do not have access to the care and support they need.

Globally, the COVID-19 epidemic has had a terrible effect on people's physical and emotional health. The impacts have lasted longer for certain people than anyone anticipated. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which would be marked by lightheadedness, dizziness, exhaustion, and other symptoms, is one of the conditions that have emerged in the wake of the pandemic. Regrettably, many POTS patients are unable to get the care they require and deserve because of the present healthcare system.

Since the condition is little understood and many people are written off as having anxiety, the diagnosis is often delayed. Many people have to wait up to two years for treatment from specialists after being diagnosed. Any or all of those things can go a bit wacky when the nervous system that controls emotions is malfunctioning.

According to experts, there is a severe dearth of medical practitioners with expertise in treating POTS patients. The number of persons with POTS has at least doubled since the epidemic began, even though there are the same number of experts and growing waiting lists.

Although the actual origin of POTS is unknown, symptoms frequently appear after a concussion or latent infection. Up till somewhat more than twenty years ago, the medical community did not generally acknowledge POTS as a legitimate illness. Only in October 2022 did the illness in the US obtain a unique diagnostic code. It has been challenging to keep track of the actual quantity of POTS patients because the ailment lacks a diagnostic classification and is frequently confused with other heart problems.

Patients with POTS frequently have low blood volumes and trouble constricting their blood vessels, so when they stand up, the plasma begins to collect beneath their hearts. This reduces the amount of essential oxygen reaching the brain and may cause lightheadedness, mental dullness, or fainting. The patient's society is in crisis. If people can't maintain their health, everything else also collapses.