What can I do about my POTS? Part 1

At-home solutions for patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

The treatment of POTS is currently aimed at improving the symptoms that a person experiences. Unfortunately there is no treatment to completely resolve this syndrome, but there are several things you can try at home to manage your symptoms.

Here are a couple of places to start:

1. Increasing your fluid intake.

Photo by Noppadon Manadee on Unsplash

“How much water should I drink daily?” is a commonly asked question by people nationwide. The general recommendation for this will vary based on different characteristics - age, medical conditions, etc. For people with POTS there can be a significant improvement with a general increase in their fluid intake. One guideline suggests drinking 3 liters of fluid daily, which is just over 12 cups of water. If you are just beginning to manage your symptoms, 12 cups of water can seem like an impossible amount, but you can start with slow and gradual increases from your usual baseline.

2. Increasing your dietary sodium.

Photo by Luwadlin Bosman on Unsplash

Another strategy that can help people with POTS is to increase their sodium intake. You have probably heard that sodium retains water - in the case of people with POTS this may be helpful to increase the overall volume of fluid in your body! For some people with other heart, kidney, or liver problems, it may be necessary to consult with their doctor before making a drastic change to their sodium intake. For an otherwise generally healthy person with POTS, daily sodium intake of 3.2-4.8 grams may be helpful in symptom management. This may not be too far from what you are already doing as the average American consumes approximately 3.4 grams of sodium daily. To supplement, you can increase your use of table salt or consider consuming sports tablets/beverages. 

It is always a good idea to consult with your doctor before making any big changes that could affect your health, especially if you have other conditions that could be impacted by these dietary changes. If you are having difficulty connecting with your doctor, Empirical Health can help!

Don’t forget to check out Part 2 of this series to learn about a few other at-home treatments that can help alleviate POTS symptoms.

---