Managing POTS Symptoms with Sodium

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a complex disorder that affects the autonomic nervous system, leading to a range of debilitating symptoms. Ways to manage these symptoms include the use of sodium and electrolyte supplements, such as NormaLyte Oral Rehydration Salts, has gained attention. 

Let's talk about why POTS patients turn to sodium, how blood pooling impacts individuals with POTS, and how electrolyte supplements like NormaLyte can play a crucial role in symptom management.

Understanding POTS and Blood Pooling

POTS is characterized by an excessive increase in heart rate when moving from lying down to an upright position. This rapid heart rate often leads to symptoms such as lightheadedness, dizziness, fatigue, and sometimes fainting (but not for everyone!). One of the underlying mechanisms contributing to these symptoms is blood pooling.

Normally, when a person stands up, blood vessels in the legs contract to prevent blood from pooling in the lower extremities. This is done automatically with what is called the autonomic nervous system.  It's also responsible for blinking, breathing, and other things that happen automatically.

However, in individuals with POTS, this mechanism is impaired. POTS is a form of dysautonomia (which basically just means a dysfuction of that system that makes things happen automatically.

Blood likes to accumulate in the lower body (think legs, feet) due to inefficient constriction of blood vessels. That causes decreased blood flow to the brain, leading to symptoms like dizziness and lightheadedness.

The Role of Sodium in Managing POTS Symptoms

Sodium plays a crucial role in regulating blood volume and blood pressure. In POTS patients, increasing sodium intake can help expand blood volume, thereby improving circulation and mitigating symptoms associated with blood pooling. By increasing blood volume, sodium can potentially alleviate symptoms like lightheadedness, fatigue, and cognitive impairment, which are exacerbated by inadequate blood flow to the brain.

However, it's essential to note that sodium supplementation should be approached with caution and under medical supervision. 

NormaLyte and Electrolyte Balance

NormaLyte is an electrolyte supplement designed to help restore and maintain electrolyte balance in the body. Electrolytes are essential minerals that carry electrical charges and play a vital role in various physiological functions, including regulating fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contraction.

For individuals with POTS, electrolyte imbalances can exacerbate symptoms and contribute to heart instability (you know, where your heart thump thumps off the charts). NormaLyte can help POTS patients maintain optimal hydration and electrolyte balance, thereby potentially reducing the severity of symptoms associated with orthostatic intolerance and blood pooling.

Electrolytes for POTS

Sodium and electrolyte supplements like NormaLyte can be valuable tools in managing symptoms associated with POTS. In fact, it's clinically proven to help manage symptoms of POTS.

By increasing the amount of blood volume within your body, it will lead to the symptoms not being as severe offering relief to people living with this chronic illness.

However, it's important for POTS patients to work closely with healthcare professionals to develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses their unique needs.  Everyone's body is different and unique to them which means their needs will be different.  So talk to your doctor, come up with a plan for how much sodium you should consume, and find symptom relief!

NormaLyte offers free samples of our clinically proven oral rehydration salts (ORS) and our new PURE Electrolyte Salt Capsules too!