I finally start to feel like I have my POTS under control and then I get too stressed out, or workout just a little too hard and the next thing I know I am back in bed.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS, is a syndrome that many with Lyme disease experience. It is characterized by too little blood returning to the heart when going from sitting to standing. This will typically also cause tachycardia (or fast heart rate).
When symptoms include feeling lightheaded, faint, and a rapid heart rate it can drastically affect your everyday life. POTS affects everyone to a different degree, from some barely noticing symptoms to being bed ridden.
So what can we do to help our symptoms? Below are a few tips that have personally helped me the last few years.
1) Drink More Water
· Try to 1 drink between 3-4L per day
· Spice it up! Add lemon, or a drop of lemon essential oils. Cucumbers are also a refreshing option.
· Purchase a Hydroflask or a similar large and insulated water bottle to carry around
2) Eat Healthy
· Add a serving of vegetables to lunch and dinner.
· Fruit is awesome, but if you have Lyme don’t overdo this and make your symptoms worse
· Eat healthy fat - avocados, almonds, etc
· Cut out sugar. Especially if you have Lyme because it feeds off of it. Stevia is an awesome alternative and also a natural antibiotic.
3) Get Moving
· The more I lay in bed the worse my POTS symptoms get.
· The recumbent bike is my best friend and always makes me feel better
· Anything where you stay the same level – biking, row machine, or a treadmill when you start to feel better.
4) Load Up On Salt
· This is by far my favorite tip. I LOVE salt. This will help to raise your blood pressure.
· You can get salt pills behind the pharmacy counter without a prescription.
For those who suffer from POTS, what are your tips? Please comment below and share what makes you feel your best!
Being chronically ill can be so tough but do everything you can for yourself and for those around you to feel your best physically and mentally. You can’t control that you are sick, but can control your mindset and attitude. So here is to another day of maintaining hope and believing the best is yet to come.
Keep fighting!
- Focus On Lyme
Resources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320098.php
http://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/pots
*I am not a doctor and I do not claim to cure any cause, condition or disease. I am not liable nor claim responsibility for any emotional or physical problems that may occur directly or indirectly from reading this blog