Question: I had all three types of polio. I was paralyzed from my throat down and was unconscious. Now I am 69 years old and have been diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Could polio, post-polio and POTS Syndrome have any connection and/or relationship?
Answer: POTS syndrome causes the heart to race to compensate for an excessive drop of blood pressure when a person stands upright, especially suddenly from lying down position. It is considered an abnormality of the autonomic nervous system’s function to control automatic reflexes that change heart rate and the opening and closing of blood vessel size, which then affects the blood pressure. While polio may affect some of the sympathetic nervous system cells (part of the autonomic nervous system) that control opening/closing of blood vessels, I am unaware of orthostasis (low blood pressure and faintness when standing up suddenly) being a common problem among the many post-polio patients that I have seen and know.
The name POTS is usually used to describe an unusual autonomic nervous system dysfunction in relatively young people that has no known cause. You more likely have developed “orthostatic hypotension” related to aging issues, including drug effects and fluid balance. While polio weakness could be playing a role in making this problem worse, it is unlikely to be the primary cause. Treatment would also be the same as in people who never had polio. I would expect support hose, possibly all the way up to the waist in a “pantyhose garment,” would be particularly helpful if polio leg weakness with blood pooling there when you stand up is a major factor in your POTS.