Navigating Life with POTS After a Concussion

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) isn’t well understood. However, it’s a condition that affects an estimated 1-3 million people in the United States. 

There are many causes of POTS, including conditions associated with nerve damage and high levels of stress hormones. Some people develop POTS after a concussion or brain injury. 

POTS is a disorder affecting your autonomic nervous system — the part of your nervous system responsible for regulating involuntary processes like your heart rate and blood pressure. 

One of the condition’s main characteristics is an extreme heart rate increase when you stand up. This is partially due to excessive blood pooling below your heart when upright. POTS also involves decreased blood flow in your circulatory system. 

Other POTS symptoms that occur when standing upright include:

• Lightheadedness
• Brain fog
• Exercise intolerance
• Headaches
• Blurry vision
• Nausea

You might notice some similarities between these common POTS symptoms and the symptoms that occur after a concussion. If you experience them following a possible brain injury, it’s important to reach out to our team at Delaware NeuroRehab in Dover, Delaware. 

Our experts are here to help you navigate life with POTS after a concussion, starting with multidisciplinary rehabilitation at our practice. 

Understanding POTS after a concussion

So, why does POTS often happen after concussions? 

Post-concussion syndrome involves symptoms that outlast the initial concussion for months or years. It’s common for a brain injury to cause changes in your circulatory and autonomic nervous systems. 

While a concussion is a head injury, the effects can spread throughout your nervous system, including your autonomic nervous system. A dysregulated autonomic nervous system may have trouble regulating your blood pressure and heart rate, leading to POTS. 

Managing post-concussion syndrome with POTS

POTS after a concussion calls for highly individualized therapy and lifestyle changes. The good news is that, in most cases, POTS is manageable through diet and lifestyle changes. 

POTS management involves drinking plenty of water. Our team recommends drinking three liters a day. Additionally, a salt intake of around two teaspoons daily. Together, these recommendations help you maintain adequate levels of blood in circulation. 

Certain foods, beverages, or behaviors might aggravate your POTS symptoms. Finding the best regimen for managing your POTS after a concussion may involve some trial and error as you search for and identify triggers. 

Our non-pharmaceutical recommendations for POTS management might include:

• Personalized physical therapy
• Wearing compression garments
• Sleeping with your head elevated
• Avoiding alcohol and caffeine 
• A balanced diet
• 7-8 hours of restful sleep every night
• Focused diaphragmatic breathing

Pharmaceutical medications can also help treat POTS primarily by working on your heart and/or blood vessels. Our team treats POTS on a case-by-case basis, starting with a comprehensive evaluation and functional neurocognitive imaging scan to assess blood flow in the brain. 

Get in touch today

Any suspected concussion or brain injury requires attentive and immediate care, even if you didn’t lose consciousness at the time of the injury. Our team at Delaware NeuroRehab is ready to intervene with advanced diagnostic testing and individualized care for POTS after a concussion. Request an appointment online or over the phone at our Dover, Delaware, office today.