Hydration and POTS, the "Invisible Illness"

Hydration and POTS—The “Invisible Illness”

They say you shouldn’t read your own reviews, but here at LIV HQ, we’re constantly doing just that! We like to keep track of what you’re saying online, respond to your questions and concerns, and read about why you keep giving us those 5-star reviews (thanks, by the way!). That’s why we’re excited to give a shout-out to those in the LIV community that suffer from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a disease of the autonomic nervous system, who love our product. We see comments all the time from POTS patients who have found some serious relief through hydration, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Below, we delve into the symptoms of POTS, often termed the “invisible illness” because of its tendency to be overlooked or misdiagnosed, and how proper hydration can help.

What is POTS? 

POTS is a form of “dysautonomia”—a disease of the nervous system. There are many types of dysautonomia, but POTS has to do with blood flow and how it changes based on the posture of the body. One of the most common signs of POTS is extreme dizziness or fainting after standing up.

Here’s why: imagine your body as a pinball machine. Tilt the “machine” down (by standing up), and all the “pinballs” (the blood) will fall to the bottom of the machine (your legs). In those without POTS, the nervous system is able to redistribute blood appropriately to the upper body, acting as the pinball machine’s flippers which can propel pinballs to the top of the machine (getting the blood to the upper body). In those with POTS, the “flippers” are malfunctioning, and blood is not able to be propelled upward. Instead, blood pools at the lower half of the body, leaving the upper half without proper blood flow. The lack of blood flow to the heart and head leads to dizziness or unconsciousness.

Symptoms of POTS

POTS symptoms can be pretty debilitating. While it’s known mainly for causing fainting and dizziness, POTS patients describe all kinds of unpleasant symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, headaches, and heart palpitations, among others. POTS is tricky to diagnose because its symptoms are often confused with those of other illnesses. The disease is even confused with psychological disorders at times, and it often takes patients a long time to receive the proper diagnosis and care. Most patients see upwards of 4 doctors before being diagnosed correctly. 

How Hydration Can Help

As we discussed, the main problem with POTS is a lowering of blood pressure in the upper half of the body. According to MyHeart, one of the leading resources for those with POTS, proper hydration can actually help increase blood pressure and reduce heart rate—both things that can help a POTS patient comfortably stand for longer periods of time. Salt was also found to improve symptoms of POTS because it naturally raises the volume of blood, and thereby blood pressure.

Liquid I.V. is not a drug and cannot be a substitute for proper medical care, but we do hear an awful lot from patients with POTS and their family members who have found the product life-changing. In reviews on Liquid-IV.com, our verified buyers wrote:

• “My daughter has Dysautonomia; mainly POTS. Liquid IV is a welcomed surprise in trying to find an additive that tastes good and doesn’t make her nausea worse. Not only does she enjoy the flavor, but this formula does not have added sugar for flavor! The form of glucose is what helps it get into her bloodstream, just like the fluid bag if we were at the hospital. We now have another choice for hydration and are able to assist her sodium levels for the day!”
• “I love Liquid I.V. It has been a life-saver. I have severe POTS and need to drink so much fluid and electrolytes. Liquid I.V. is the only electrolyte supplement that doesn’t make me sick!”
• “My son uses this 2 times a day to help with his POTS symptoms. It has helped improve his symptoms so much that he is not passing out daily anymore.”
• “My daughter has POTS and has had to get saline intravenously to be able to function properly. Liquid IV does the job of the IV saline. It’s been an absolute godsend. The fact that it comes in a flavor she likes is a huge deal too.”

That, LIV fam, is why we do what we do. We’re so glad our product has made an impact on those suffering from the “invisible illness” and we’re excited to spread the word about proper hydration and POTS!

Have a question? Let us know in the comments below!