Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome occurs in many long covid patients, creating a new target for therapy.
Could water, salt and activewear help a long covid patient?
In The Tea Room today we chat with Marie Claire Seeley, PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide and clinical nurse at the Adelaide postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) clinic.
Spurred by the lived experience of POTS over a decade ago, Ms Seeley’s PhD investigates the link between long covid and POTS.
“In our Adelaide POTS clinic at least 40% of our patients can directly attribute POTS to a post-viral insult,” Ms Seeley said.
Her study is contributing to the burgeoning research indicating that many long covid patients suffer from POTS and that prompt diagnosis and early treatment could reduce the impact of long covid.
The good news is that POTS can be significantly reduced for some patients through lifestyle management and improved blood pressure support.
“Even in the initial stages of long covid we see people having a relatively good response to increasing salt and water intake. Wearing good medical grade compression attire also keeps some blood pressure support for the thoracic cavity. These days you can get that in some of the athletic wear available,” Ms Seeley said.
Alongside drug therapy, long covid patients at the Adelaide POTS clinic have been getting relief.
“We recently had a doctor in this situation who hadn’t been able to work for some months due to long covid. He was extraordinarily fatigued, brain fog, unable to stand, couldn’t do surgery any more. We advised lifestyle changes which he’d started implementing, then we put him on to Ivabradine.”
Ms Seeley saw the patient four weeks later and although not cured he was able to return to work.
“It was astounding to see the change in him, but I would say the majority have a more moderate response,” Ms Seeley said.
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