POTSWhat Is Dysautonomia, and How Does It Relate to POTS?
The umbrella term explained in plain language, and where POTS fits inside it.
The short version
Dysautonomia names a group of conditions where the autonomic nervous system does not regulate things correctly. That system runs heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and temperature control in the background (Freeman 2011).
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is one specific, well-studied form. It describes an abnormal heart rate rise when you move from lying or sitting to standing (CCS 2020).
Where POTS fits
POTS: a sustained rise of at least 30 bpm within 10 minutes of standing in adults, without the blood pressure drop of orthostatic hypotension.
Orthostatic hypotension sits nearby as a related, separate condition: blood pressure falls on standing.
People often meet the word "dysautonomia" before they hear "POTS." Two people can both have autonomic symptoms and still have different conditions underneath, each with its own workup and management.
POTS has a published definition: a sustained heart rate increase of at least 30 beats per minute within 10 minutes of standing in adults, without the blood pressure drop that defines orthostatic hypotension (Freeman 2011, HRS 2015). A clinician looks for it with a stand test or tilt table test, alongside your symptoms and history.
What this means for you
Measure what happens to your heart rate and blood pressure when you stand, and bring those numbers to the appointment along with your description. The home stand test guide explains how.
Keep reading
- Orthostatic intolerance explained: the main types and how a stand test tells them apart.
- Do I have POTS?: what to check before you see a doctor.
This page informs and does not diagnose. Only a clinician who can examine you and see your whole history can interpret your numbers.
- Freeman R, Wieling W, Axelrod FB, et al. Consensus statement on the definition of orthostatic hypotension, neurally mediated syncope and the postural tachycardia syndrome. Autonomic Neuroscience. 2011;161(1-2):46-48.
- Raj SR, Guzman JC, Harvey P, et al. Canadian Cardiovascular Society position statement on postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and related disorders of chronic orthostatic intolerance. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 2020;36(3):357-372.
- Sheldon RS, Grubb BP, Olshansky B, et al. 2015 Heart Rhythm Society expert consensus statement on the diagnosis and treatment of postural tachycardia syndrome, inappropriate sinus tachycardia, and vasovagal syncope. Heart Rhythm. 2015;12(6):e41-e63.
- What Is POTS? A Plain-Language Explanation
- How to Test for POTS at Home: The 10-Minute Stand Test
- POTS Symptoms: The Common Ones and What They Mean
- How POTS Is Diagnosed: Criteria, Stand Test and Tilt Table
- NASA Lean Test for POTS: How to Do It at Home
- Do I Have POTS? What to Check Before You See a Doctor
- Tests to Ask For When You Suspect POTS
- Why Does My Heart Race When I Stand Up?
- POTS Heart Rate: How to Graph It with Apple Watch
- Orthostatic Intolerance: Types and How POTS Fits In
- Why Blood Pressure Matters in a POTS Stand Test
- What Causes POTS? Subtypes, Triggers and What the Evidence Shows
- POTS and Long COVID: What the Research Shows
- POTS in Teens, Young Adults and During Pregnancy
- POTS Treatment Overview: What Guidelines Recommend First
- Fluids and Salt for POTS: What the Trials Show
- Compression and Exercise for POTS: Two First-Line Treatments
- POTS Medications: What Each One Does and What the Trials Show
- Living With POTS: Triggers, Pacing, Heat, Meals and Sleep
Want a record to bring to your visit? The POTS app guides the stand test at home and graphs your heart rate. See the app