Long Covid Podcast 29 - Lorna Nicholson - PoTS & Breathing
Apr 6, 2022
Lorna Nicholson, a nurse-turned-Pilates teacher and founder of PoTS UK, shares her expertise on Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) and breathing recovery strategies. She explains PoTS signs and its overlap with Long COVID, emphasizing the role of autonomic dysfunction. Lorna dives into managing PoTS through lifestyle changes, medications, and the vital importance of breathing patterns. She offers practical tips like mindfulness and slow breathing to calm the nervous system, making the complex condition more approachable for those affected.
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What Postural Tachycardia Syndrome Is
- POTS is defined by a sustained heart rate rise of >30 bpm on standing with many associated symptoms like dizziness and fatigue.
- It sits under orthostatic intolerance and often coexists with low blood pressure and vasovagal episodes.
Shared Biology Behind POTS And Long COVID
- Lorna links POTS, long COVID and ME/CFS as manifestations of a dysregulated autonomic nervous system and related systems.
- Immune, mitochondrial and hormonal dysfunctions commonly overlap across these conditions.
Chronic Stress As A Root Trigger
- Chronic sympathetic (fight/flight) activation can dysregulate the autonomic and immune systems and drive symptoms.
- Persistent stress and past unresolved trauma prime the nervous system to overreact to triggers like COVID.