YES!

Look up the topics that have the word "autonomic" in the subject line. POTS effects your autonomic nerve system.

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POTS

POTS is an Autonomic Nerve System response... Go to the other topics that have "Autonomic" in the subject line.

AN OVERVIEW

Standing up is something most of us take for granted; we've been doing it since childhood. Our bodies automatically adjust to the pull of gravity by increasing vascular tone, heart rate and cardiac output. Blood vessels contract, heart rates increase and our systolic blood pressure remains the same or decreases slightly while diastolic pressure increases slightly (Brunner & Suddarth, 2000, p. 546). Our bodies operate in perfect homeostasis and we stand up with little effort.

The simple act of standing up can be a challenge for some people. There are disorders that affect the body's ability to appropriately adjust to the pull of gravity. When the body cannot effectively adjust to upright posture, a person is said to have orthostatic intolerance. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a disorder characterized by orthostatic intolerance.

While the hallmark of POTS is an excessive heart rate increment upon standing, patients often exhibit numerous symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysregulation. Many POTS symptoms seem to be caused by an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system's control over blood flow. It is the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that regulates the needed adjustments in vascular tone, heart rate and blood pressure upon standing. Some of the messages coming from the autonomic nervous system tell the blood vessels to relax or tighten. In people with POTS, the system seems to be out of balance and blood is not going to the right place at the right time to do what the body needs (Fischer, 2007).

http://www.dinet.org/pots_an_overview.htm



Autonomic failure has many causes and manifestations.

It may result from a primary disturbance of autonomic regulation or more commonly as a secondary effect of another systemic disorder (eg, diabetes, amyloidosis). This article focuses on primary syndromes of generalized autonomic failure and includes a discussion of pure autonomic failure (PAF) and idiopathic orthostatic hypotension, autoimmune autonomic neuropathy (AAN), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). The selective sympathetic disturbance of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is also discussed briefly.

POTS is a common, relatively benign disturbance of the sympathetic nervous system that primarily affects young women. POTS either develops slowly in adolescence, or abruptly after a febrile illness or other immunological challenge.

http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/byname/idiopathic-orthostatic-hypotension-and-other-autonomic-failure-syndromes.htm


POTS is a group of different disorders associated with similar clinical manifestations. POTS is classified as being either primary or secondary.

The most common primary form of POTS is called the "partial dysautonomic" (PD) form.[1-3] These patients seem to suffer from a mild type of peripheral autonomic neuropathy characterized by an inability of the peripheral vasculature to constrict in the face of orthostatic stress. This causes a much greater than normal degree of blood pooling in the dependent areas of the body when upright, which in turn causes a compensatory increase in heart rate and contractility that attempt to maintain cerebral perfusion at constant levels. While this increase in heart rate and contractility may initially be fully compensatory, the degree of peripheral venous pooling may continue to increase over time and exceed this compensatory effect. These individuals then become increasingly dependent on their skeletal muscle pump to maintain adequate blood pressure until increased venous pooling exceeds its compensatory effects as well.

There is a 5:1 female-to-male ratio. Many patients will report the abrupt onset of symptoms after a febrile illness (presumed viral), as well as after pregnancy, immunizations, sepsis, surgery, or trauma. It is currently felt that this form of POTS has an immune-mediated pathogenesis. Studies have demonstrated serum autoantibodies to alpha3 acetylcholine receptors of the peripheral autonomic ganglia in patients with postviral autonomic neuropathy.

Symptoms of orthostatic intolerance (and often severe headaches) may be of such intensity that the patient may be functionally disabled. The etiology is unclear but appears to reflect a transient period of autonomic imbalance that occurs in rapidly growing adolescents.

The second (and less common) form of primary POTS is referred to as the "hyperadrenergic" form. These patients tend to report a gradual and progressive onset of symptoms as opposed to an abrupt onset. Hyperadrenergic POTS patients report significant tremor, anxiety, and cold sweaty extremities when upright. Many will report a significant increase in urinary output after being upright for even a short period of time, and over half suffer from true migraine headaches. The hallmark of this form of POTS is that in addition to orthostatic tachycardia they will often display orthostatic hypertension

The term secondary POTS is used to describe various conditions that produce peripheral autonomic deinnervation but with sparing of cardiac innervation. The most common form of secondary POTS is chronic diabetes mellitus; however, it also occurs in conjunction with amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, alcoholism, Lupus, Sjogren's Syndrome, heavy metal intoxication, and following chemotherapy (especially from the vinca alkaloids).


POTS may also be the presenting form of more severe autonomic nervous system disorders such as pure autonomic failure or multiple system atrophy. POTS may also present as a paraneoplastic syndrome seen in association with adenocarcinomas of the lung, breast, ovary, and pancreas.

www.emedicine.com/neuro/byname/ idiopathic-orthostatic-hypotension-and-other-autonomic-failure-syndromes.htm

CAUSES
http://www.dinet.org/what_causes_pots.htm

As opposed to DINET, I've found MyHeart has awesome information about the causes of POTS: http://myheart.net/pots-syndrome/causes/

Sorry! I posted the wrong one. Here's the correction: http://myheart.net/pots-syndrome/causes-of-pots/

They've also got information on - well pretty everything related to POTS - in what they're calling the "POTS Center". The part that's pretty cool is that all of the articles are written by a cardiologist. Here's the link to the center: http://myheart.net/pots-syndrome/