People with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) have an increased heart rate (called tachycardia) when they stand. They may feel lightheaded, tired, and sick to their stomach. They can have other symptoms too. You can do things to help your child if they have POTS symptoms, and they can take steps to make symptoms happen less often.

Follow these instructions to care for your child.

When POTS symptoms happen, your child should:

• Sit or lie down.
• Raise their legs above the level of their heart.
• Drink fluids.
• Take some deep breaths.
• Cool down if they feel warm by taking off a layer of clothing or blowing a fan on themselves.

To make POTS symptoms less likely to happen, help your child avoid triggers that bring symptoms on, such as:

• standing for a long time
• being hot
• eating a very large meal
• drinking alcohol
• exercising vigorously

Help your child follow your health care provider's instructions for:

• taking any medicines
• increasing salt and water intake
• using compression wear that squeezes the lower part of the leg or the belly
• sleeping with their head raised on several pillows
• creating an exercise routine that starts with seated exercises (such as rowing or riding a stationary bike) before they do exercises that require them to be upright (such as running)
• counseling, if your child has a lot of stress or anxiety

Your child:

• is having more POTS episodes than before
• passes out and injures themselves
• is very stressed out by the POTS episodes

What happens in POTS? The autonomic nervous system controls things like heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. When someone stands, this system tells the blood vessels in the lower body to tighten. This keeps too much blood from going to the lower body to make sure the brain and other parts of the upper body have enough blood. In POTS, this doesn't happen. The heart speeds up to try to get more blood to the brain and upper body but it may not be enough, and this causes the symptoms of POTS. The symptoms may come right after someone stands, or they may take a few minutes to develop.

What are the symptoms of POTS? When someone with POTS stands, their symptoms can include:

• racing heart
• lightheadedness 
• passing out
• tiredness
• anxiety
• nausea (feeling sick to the stomach)

What causes POTS? The exact cause is not known. It can develop:

• after a viral illness
• after surgery or an injury
• in someone with another illness (such as chronic fatigue syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease)

There may be a genetic (inherited) link as POTS is more common in kids whose parents have had it.