A serious autonomic nervous system disorder is affecting a number of COVID-19 Long Haulers; people who are experiencing persistent and worsening symptoms long after they were supposed to be “recovered” from COVID-19.
The condition is POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and it affects the blood flow and can disrupt the body’s ability to regulate bodily functions like the heart rate and blood pressure.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 3 million people in the U.S. were living with POTS, and since the pandemic it has doubled. As a result there is a lack of specialists to support those suffering from Long Hauler induced POTS.
Specialists and people with POTS are now hoping the National Institute of Health’s funding will also invest in the research on post-COVID conditions surrounding POTS.