Olympic medalist Katie Ledecky kept it a secret for nearly a decade. POTS Diagnosis Together with the world.
The Olympic swimmer, who is the most decorated female Olympian with 14 medals, said she suffers from POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome).
In her new memoir, “Just Add Water: My Swimming Life,” published in June by Simon & Schuster, Ledecky writes that the disease can cause “dizziness, fainting and fatigue.”
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What is POTS?
POTS is Autonomic nervous systemAccording to Dr. Blair Grubb, a cardiologist and POTS expert at the University of Toledo School of Medicine and Life Sciences, this hormone controls some of the body’s normal regulatory functions.
Katie Ledecky will compete in the women’s 400m freestyle swimming preliminaries for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Défense Arena on July 27, 2024. Ledecky has revealed her POTS diagnosis to the world after keeping it a secret for nearly a decade. (Getty Images)
“When you stand up, gravity tries to push about 20 to 30 percent of your blood volume downwards,” he told Fox News Digital.
In response to this displacement, the brain Your heart beats faster Doctors say it sends more powerful signals to the blood vessels in the lower body to constrict three times harder than before.
“This causes a lot more blood to build up in the lower body than normal,” Grubb said.
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As more blood moves downward, less and less oxygen is delivered to the brain.
Ledecky discusses this effect in her book: “When you stand, blood pools in the blood vessels below your heart, which causes your body to release extra norepinephrine and epinephrine, which puts more stress on your heart, making it beat faster,” she writes.
What causes this symptom?
According to Grubb, people with a genetic trait called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (also known as joint hypermobility syndrome) appear to be more susceptible to developing the condition.
“However, POTS is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus and COVID-19” he told Fox News Digital.
Katie Ledecky reacts after competing in the women’s 400m freestyle qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Defense Arena on July 27, 2024. (Getty Images)
One of these infections could trigger an autoimmune reaction, in which the body’s immune system attacks itself and produces antibodies that interfere with the blood vessels’ ability to constrict, the doctors said.
POTS can also occur on its own, without any obvious trigger.
Symptoms of POTS
Experts say the symptoms experienced by people with POTS depend on the amount of blood moving downwards.
“It can range from mild symptoms like your heart beating fast and you feel a little dizzy when you stand up, Disabled State“It prevents patients from being able to sit upright,” Valerie Iovine, a physical therapist at Strive Physical Therapy in Philadelphia, told Fox News Digital.
“It can change over the course of a life, but it can also change from day to day or even week to week.”
“When you stand up, gravity tries to push about 20 to 30 percent of your body’s blood volume downward.”
The name of the condition, “postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome,” literally means “the more upright you are, the faster your heart beats,” says Iovine, who treats many POTS patients and has the condition himself.
“Your heart is beating to properly supply oxygen to your brain,” she said.
Symptoms include “incapacitating fatigue, exercise intolerance, heat intolerance, palpitations, lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting and brain fog,” the doctor said. (iStock)
“But in addition to dizziness, headaches, and fainting or near-fainting, many people with the disorder also experience problems with temperature regulation, blood pressure regulation, Gastrointestinal dysfunction“
In more extreme cases, patients may have trouble thinking, concentrating and remembering, something Grubb said is sometimes called “brain fog.”
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Some people may experience the following symptoms: Blurred visionSymptoms include black spots in the field of vision, tunnel vision, and headaches.
“If more blood is displaced, there is a risk of loss of consciousness,” Grubb said.
Treatment and Therapy
The main treatment for POTS is to increase fluid and salt intake, Grubb says.
“It’s also important to recondition patients through exercise and strengthen their lower limb muscles,” he said.
Some drugsGrubb said drugs such as midodrine and droxidopa, known as vasoconstrictors, work by tightening blood vessels to allow more blood to return to the heart.
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Other drugs, such as fludrocortisone and desmopressin, work by increasing the amount of fluid the heart can pump.
“Drugs such as pyridostigmine enhance neurotransmission, helping the nervous system work more effectively to maintain normal blood vessel function,” Grubb added.
The disease often causes flu-like symptoms after exercise, a condition known as post-exercise malaise/post-exercise exacerbation (PEM/PESE). (iStock)
Many people say,Exercise intoleranceThe term “exercise therapy” is used to describe the symptoms of POTS, but Iovine said the problem is “inappropriate exercise prescription and dosing.”
“Exercise is the best way to deal with POTS,” she says.
“I would argue that for these patients, exercise is medicine.”
In her book, Ledecky says swimming can be an effective treatment for POTS, writing, “Reclined aerobic exercise, such as swimming, and core strengthening can help relieve symptoms.”
“For these patients, exercise is medicine.”
Iovine said it’s essential to receive treatment from a cardiologist and a physiotherapist.
Your cardiologist can help you measure your vital signs, such as your heart rate. blood pressure She said her symptoms are under control, but a knowledgeable physiotherapist can help her manage them and increase her tolerance of upright positions.
“Proper hydration, replenishing electrolytes and keeping cool can also help manage symptoms,” the experts advised. (iStock)
“Proper hydration, replenishing electrolytes and staying cool can also help manage symptoms,” Iovine advised.
“Heat causes your blood vessels to expand, making it harder for them to pump blood against gravity to your head,” she says.
How POTS impacts athletes
“POTS can be a challenge for anyone, from those with complex pre-existing conditions to elite athletes like Katie Ledecky,” Iovine told Fox News Digital.
This disease is often Flu-like symptoms After exercise, you may experience a condition called post-exercise malaise/post-exercise exacerbation (PEM/PESE).
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“This is when the autonomic nervous system reacts reflexively. Stress and exercise“It could worsen existing symptoms or create new problems for POTS patients,” Iovine said.
“This could be a problem for an Olympic athlete in terms of rigorous exercise, or in other cases, exercise could be as simple as getting out of bed and walking to the kitchen.”
There is no cure for POTS, but with the help of their care team, many patients are able to manage their symptoms and return to their daily lives. (iStock)
POTS causes a “dynamic disorder,” Iovine noted.
“One day you’ll be able to swim like an Olympian, and the next day… [it will] Have you ever been stuck in bed or forced into a wheelchair?
POTS can be especially difficult if: Physical activity Grubb added that this includes sports that involve frequent “starts and stops,” such as basketball, volleyball, soccer and field hockey.
“A real illness”
Both experts emphasized that POTS is a “real disease.”
“People who were previously very healthy develop severe impairments and disabilities,” Grubb said.
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“They may experience incapacitating fatigue, exercise intolerance, heat intolerance, palpitations, lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting and brain confusion.”
Iovine said the “invisible” nature of the disease, along with the high heart rate and fluctuating symptoms, mean the condition is often Mental Health.
“One day you might be swimming like an Olympian, the next you might be stuck in bed or in a wheelchair.”
“Patients often don’t receive proper treatment and are led to believe it’s all in their imagination,” she said.
“POTS is a real condition, and the good news is that there are real management strategies,” Iovine continued.
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There is no cure for POTS, but many patients are able to manage their symptoms and return to their daily lives.
Iovine: “Build Up Your Care Team And they need the confidence to advocate for their health and stick to a regular routine to manage it.”
