OHIO — Kelsey Botti sticks to a strict exercise routine. Right now the mother of two bikes five days a week.

What You Need To Know

  • The Cleveland Clinic defines POTS as a condition that causes your heart to beat faster than normal when you transition from sitting to standing.

  • It can cause many symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, brain fog, fatigue and headaches.

  • The syndrome is most common in women and is estimated to affect around 3 million Americans.

“Where I was even a year ago last October in the ER for symptoms, I couldn’t control. Compared to this October, there’s no comparison,” Botti said.

Not long ago, the physical therapist could barely walk up the stairs.

“I was carrying a load of laundry up two flights of steps and I got to the top and I thought, ‘Oh boy, here it comes,’” Botti said. “I could feel the racing heart and I could feel it get fuzzy and I knew enough from physical therapy to get my feet above my head to get blood flow back.”

That’s when her doctor ordered a tilt table test. The test confirmed her diagnosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, in 2021.

“[I was] overwhelmed,” Botti said. “I didn’t know what it was.”

The Cleveland Clinic defines POTS as a condition that causes your heart to beat faster than normal when you transition from sitting to standing.

It can cause many symptoms, such as dizziness, fainting, brain fog, fatigue and headaches.

The syndrome is most common in women and is estimated to affect around 3 million Americans.

A lot is unknown about POTS, including risk factors. Dr. Erik Van Iterson is the Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation at the Cleveland Clinic. He said the medical community continues to work to learn more about the condition and what causes it.

“That is a frustrating conversation to have with certain patients who really want to know where exactly did this come from, but it isn’t out of a lack of medical professionals wanting to tell a patient, it’s really from a perspective of lack of knowledge because POTS is very multi-factorial,” Van Iterson said.

“There’s no way to tell exactly with POTS and I think that’s what frustrating to people. Like there’s no single test that says this is where you got POTS,” Botti said.

Botti can trace her symptoms back to 2012. She said it all started after she fell while snowboarding, which caused a concussion.

For nearly 10 years, the now 32-year-old experienced joint pain, GI issues, dizziness, headaches, and she even started losing hair. She developed an irregular heartbeat after giving birth to her second son.

“I was just not the mom I wanted to be when I felt so sick inside, and it’s hard because from the outside you look a certain way with this illness, but on the inside you’re struggling,” Botti said.

“I was just not the mom I wanted to be when I felt so sick inside and it’s hard because from the outside you look a certain way with this illness, but on the inside you’re struggling," Botti said.

When the Pittsburgh woman sought care at the Cleveland Clinic, she began to feel much better.

There’s no cure for POTS, but diet and exercise changes can be effective treatment.

Botti said the prescribed bike regimen has helped her the most. 

She wants to spread awareness about the condition and encourage others to keep searching for answers if something feels off.

“If you are diagnosed with POTS, I know some days can feel so gloomy and down and the mountain looks so high. But just one step at a time and you have no idea where you could end up,” Botti said.

Van Iterson said POTS requires a lifelong commitment to symptom management. Each treatment plan will be tailored to the individual and exercise, as medicine can be effective.

He said the symptoms of POTS can make a patient feel like working out is impossible, but when done correctly at the appropriate intensity, that can be the very thing that makes them feel better.