One of the main symptoms of POTS is fatigue or ongoing extreme tiredness. This often causes people to talk to their doctor, as the exhaustion can interfere with daily life significantly.

You may also experience shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, lightheaded and possibly feel sick too. For some, POTS can lead to blackouts or syncope/fainting, though this is rare.

Although changing into an upright position is what triggers POTS, the symptoms can sometimes feel constant and unrelenting – particularly in more severe cases – and minimal exertion can cause extreme tiredness and shortness of breath. This can make daily life very difficult, as even things like getting dressed, having a shower, and carrying out simple tasks at work may become challenging. Many people with POTS experience symptoms of low mood, depression, and anxiety too.

Anybody can develop the condition, but it is most common in women and younger age groups. Women aged 15-25 years are most affected. Generally, people with POTS find their symptoms improve as they get older, but this isn’t always the case, and some may find they’re affected throughout their life.

Many people with POTS do not get an immediate diagnosis. It’s very common for people to live with symptoms for several years until they find out what’s wrong.

Several factors cause this, for example, lack of awareness of the condition. The symptoms can also be vague and overlap with many other conditions, including common issues such as anxiety. Diagnosing POTS often starts with ruling out other possible causes, which will usually involve blood tests and possibly an ECG or ultrasound scan of the heart. You may also have a Holter monitor test, which is a portable ECG.

Once we rule out other conditions, the next stage is a ‘tilt table test’. This involves lying on a table while attached to a heart rate and blood pressure monitor. Your doctor then tilts the table into an almost standing position, enabling them to monitor the changes in blood pressure and heart rate in response.