What is POTS/EDS

POTS is short for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It affects my body’s ability to circulate blood effectively, which results in fainting, overheating, blood pressure issues, heavy fatigue, and a need for higher levels of sodium. In my specific case, I am able to function fairly well for a set amount of time before crashing and losing all ability to do anything for a handful of days. I also sometimes just crash at random during the day and become very ill. I am heavily dependent on sodium intake and become incapacitated if I do not consume enough. These effects combined make it so I currently cannot reliably work without taking a lot of sick days, which most places don’t like at all. Working out helps prolong my functional periods by a lot, but I am limited by my EDS. Quarantine has reduced my activity level and resulted in my POTS becoming more severe;;;

EDS is short for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that affects blood vessels, joints, ligaments, tendons, and skin through weak collagen. There are 13 types of EDS, and I thankfully have the one that is not life-threatening. This type is type III, or hypermobility type, which is pretty much what it sounds like. My joints are hypermobile, but their connective tissues tear easily. I have a torn labrum in my hip because of this. EDS has caused me to experience forms of tendinitis throughout my body since I was ten, and experience daily body-wide pain. This pain has thankfully gotten milder with the introduction of a really good chair! But unfortunately I still always feel it. I also scar really easily because of my EDS which isn’t really a big deal but it sucks LOL. I’m also prone to skin conditions and increased bleeding risks, but thankfully these have not been an issue for me yet. I’ve also been advised by doctors to not do anything that causes impact on my joints (e.i. running), because I’ll pay for it severely when I get older;; So I like to bike and walk instead. ♡ I’d swim, but I’m really bad at it. oops.

EDS’ effect on the body causes my joints and muscles to have to work much harder than the average person to achieve the same results. I can’t actually tell the difference because I’ve had this my whole life, but my body fatigues much faster than a normal person. On the bright side, this means my muscles tone really fast haha. But I experience a lot of pain as a trade off.

EDS often goes hand and hand with POTS; they cause each other a sort of feedback loop. People with EDS are more likely to develop POTS.

I’m writing this much about them because these conditions, especially POTS, are severely underdiagnosed and not well-understood. So I am more than happy to delve even deeper into them if you find yourself interested!