Woman Says She’s ‘Allergic To Gravity,’ What Is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, POTS?

You’ll have heard the assorted media studies of a 28-year-old lady saying that she’s “allergic to gravity.” Now, being “allergic to gravity” could sound like breaking out in hives every time gravity is round or what Michael Jordan had when he flew in direction of the basket within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties. However on this case, as described in an article by Simona Kitanovska for Zenger News published in Newsweek, Lyndsi Johnson, 28, used the phrase to explain her battle with POTS. And right here POTS doesn’t imply a bunch of cookware. Relatively, it stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. When you have got POTS, it could result in actually a standing drawback in which you could really feel sick and even go out everytime you stand for various minutes. This clearly could be a debilitating situation as a result of standing is often one thing that you simply do so much in life.

On this video from SWNS, Johnson described simply how debilitating POTS has been for her:

Kitanovska’s article quoted Johnson as saying, “I am allergic to gravity–it sounds loopy but it surely’s true. I can not arise for longer than three minutes with out feeling faint, being sick or passing out.” It additionally quoted Johnson as describing the situation leaving her “in mattress all day–for as much as 23 hours a day.”

Technically, POTS isn’t an allergy, per se. It has nothing to do along with your immune system responding or reacting to gravity. Fairly the other. It’s about your physique not with the ability to absolutely react to gravity because it usually does. It’s when your cardiovascular system can’t keep sufficient blood stream to your head while you change your physique place. And getting blood to your head is essential for 2 causes. First, it’s your head, which ranks pretty excessive in your record of essential physique elements. Secondly, crimson blood cells are what carry oxygen to cells all through your physique. With out sufficient oxygen, cells like these in your mind can’t absolutely perform.

Usually, your cardiovascular system is ready to hold blood flowing to all elements of your physique, no matter how you might change the place of your physique. That’s why you don’t see individuals passing out left and proper in gymnastics competitions or Dancing with the Stars episodes every time they flip the wrong way up or fling their heads to the facet. It does this by a posh system of nerve fibers that ship indicators to your blood vessels to contract and your coronary heart to beat at applicable charges.

Nevertheless, when you have got POTS and arise, the blood stays within the decrease a part of your physique due to, you realize, gravity. With out sufficient blood in your head, you can begin feeling dizzy, lightheaded, and about to faint. The shortage of blood can immediate your mind to inform your coronary heart, “hey, coronary heart, not sufficient oxygen up right here. What’s the deal? Begin beating quicker to get us extra blood.” In consequence, your coronary heart fee can improve by 30 beats per minute or extra, whereas your blood strain decreases. This elevated coronary heart fee might not be sufficient to compensate although.

Various things can result in POTS equivalent to harm to the nerves that assist management your blood stream, larger ranges of a stress hormone referred to as norepinephrine, or very low blood ranges. Nevertheless, usually the reason for POTS is unknown.

Diagnosing POTS ain’t all the time straightforward both. POTS will be mistaken for all types of issues. While you inform individuals which you could’t arise or have to put in mattress for lengthy intervals of time, individuals will be fairly, shock, shock, judgy. They will come to quite a lot of untimely and incorrect conclusions about you.

Because the signs of POTS will be actually and figuratively disorienting, it could take some time to correctly diagnose the situation. Sometimes, medical doctors will use a tilt-table take a look at to find out whether or not you have got POTS. This entails you mendacity flat on a desk after which being strapped to it. This wouldn’t be a traditional desk like a eating desk however one that may be tilted slowly upwards to simulate your shifting to a standing upright place. Within the meantime, the physician can monitor your coronary heart fee and verify for signs equivalent to feeling faint.

A giant a part of diagnosing POTS is to rule out different potential causes. So medical doctors could verify different issues equivalent to an EKG, a coronary heart monitor, or an echocardiogram to measure how your coronary heart is functioning. Additionally they could use blood and urine checks to verify what’s happening along with your kidneys, liver, and thyroid gland.

Sadly, there’s no remedy for POTS. So it’s all about managing signs as a lot as potential. Drugs like fludrocortisone, midodrine, phenylephrine, and beta-blockers could assist improve blood stream all through your physique. Carrying compression stockings in your decrease extremities all the way in which as much as your thighs and even your waist could assist squeeze blood out of your legs upwards in your physique, type of like squeezing toothpaste. Consuming salty meals and water can hold the amount of your blood larger. Train may help improve blood stream, though sustaining bodily exercise will be powerful with POTS. Correct schooling and consciousness of the situation and its signs is essential not just for these affected by POTS but additionally for these across the individual.

Not too long ago, 14-year-old, Gabby Speeding, who was identified with POTS in 2021, wished to boost consciousness concerning the situation by pursuing a world file. This CBS11 KTHV information phase confirmed how Speeding efficiently broke a world file by holding a deep squat place for 2 hours:

Because the information phase associated, there was an increase in POTS diagnoses amongst those that have had Covid-19. This has raised questions on whether or not POTS is yet one more potential lengthy Covid situation.

So having POTS isn’t precisely being “allergic to gravity.” It’s not one thing that a bit Zyrtec or Claritin can deal with. It’s not as in case your immune system and physique are reacting to gravity. As a substitute, it does end result out of your cardiovascular system not with the ability to counteract the consequences of gravity on the blood in your physique. And coping with this may be very, very powerful. In spite of everything, assuming that you’re on Earth, gravity is type of all the time round.