Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a condition that causes your heart to speed up by at least 30 beats per minute after you move from sitting or lying down to standing up. Many patients, after a viral illness, develop POTS symptoms, which are suspected to be due to an autoimmune response. COVID-19 can trigger POTS, and some people who recovered from COVID-19 seem to have POTS-like symptoms such as a faster heart rate, trouble thinking, lightheadedness, headaches, nausea and vomiting, and extreme tiredness that won’t go away. It appears that anyone who has had COVID-19 can get POTS, whether the virus initially caused serious symptoms or mild ones. However, in a study presented at the 2023 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, only 12 out of 80 patients who had persistent symptoms after COVID-19 infection met the diagnostic criteria for POTS.

Doctors don’t yet know all the possible effects of long-haul COVID-19. To make a diagnosis, your healthcare team will first try to rule out other causes of your symptoms. For example, COVID-19 can cause blood clots or scars in your lungs, which can cause symptoms similar to POTS but need different treatment. Treatment for post-COVID POTS is personalized based on the diagnosis. Aggressive hydration, dietary modifications, and certain medications are generally used to treat POTS. There are some medications that your doctor can prescribe to control heart rate, and drinking a lot of water can also help some people. However, there is no one standard approach to post-COVID patients with POTS-like symptoms.