Navigating POTS Appointments for Surviving the Summer Heat

Over the next few weeks, I am going to have several blog posts that highlight specific topics for the Navigating POTS appointments 📆 Since last week's Symptom of the Week was Heat Intolerance, and this week's Symptom of the Week is Sweating/Night Sweats, I decided to focus on Surviving Summer & the heat in this post ☀️🥵🌌😓🌞 First, I am going to explain how heat affects POTS and then explain some of the specific challenges that come with these symptoms. Then I will give examples of how Navigating POTS appointments can help with these symptoms, I have included questions that I wanted to discuss as a patient, so I hope this is helpful for you 🩵

How does heat affect POTS patients? POTS patients often feel worse in the heat and can experience heat intolerance and either increased or decreased sweating ☀️🥵 Heat intolerance can happen for a number of reasons, your autonomic nervous system controls temperature and sometimes has a difficult time regulating itself 🌡️ This is especially true if you can't sweat 😓 Also when you get hot your blood vessels dilate and your body increases blood flow to the skin which is why you can look "flushed" or red when it's hot🩸 These changes in blood flow and the sweating that occurs when you get hot often make POTS patients feel worse 🥵 

How does my heat intolerance affect me? Honestly, I kind of hate summer because I always feel so much worse 😎🌞🥵 I often joke that I "hibernate" during the summer and avoid going outside 🏜️ ☀️🥵 All of my symptoms are a lot worse, I sweat a lot, feel dizzy, nauseous, have headaches, get chest pain, presyncope and get really fatigued 😓 I have a really hard time sitting in the sun, but I also sunburn pretty easily haha ☀️😅 I need it cold in my house so I don't feel sick, but sometimes people can make insensitive comments about it 😕 It can be really easy to feel isolated, discouraged and alone when I am dealing with these symptoms 😓

What are the social implications of heat intolerance? It can be really embarrassing to sweat a lot😓 And it's hard to deal with heat intolerance because lot of people love summer, and most of our family trips happen during the summer because school is out 📆 I live in Utah so it's not very humid, but it can get pretty hot, especially down in Southern Utah where all the National Parks are🏜️ We also have family in North Carolina and Georgia and it is really hot and humid there 🥵💦 I have definitely had to miss some extended family trips because I knew I would feel too sick if I went and that can be really disappointing 😔 There have been other times when I have gone, but I planned specific ways to deal with the heat while I was there 🥵  And there have been other times when I have worked with my family members to plan a good time of year to go visit a particular place that might be hard for me during the summer 🗓️ And aside from trips, there are a lot of outdoor activities during the summer like BBQ, hiking, picnics, etc. Honestly, trying to plan things in the summer is still one of the hardest things for me, but I have learned a lot! 

So how can these Navigating POTS Appointments help with the physical, emotional and social affects of Summer & Heat symptoms in POTS patients? 

Consultation Appointments: These are 30 minute appointments focused on individualized education or help with specific concerns. Here is a list of possible summer or heat questions that we could discuss in a consultation appointment: 

-I feel like understanding why I am experiencing a specific symptom could help me, can you teach me more about heat intolerance or sweating in POTS patients?

-What are some specific ways I can manage heat intolerance during the summer? 

-What are some specific ways to help reduce the emotional or mental load of heat symptoms? 

-What are some specific ways to help address the social implications of heat symptoms?

-We are going on a trip and I am overwhelmed thinking about how to manage my symptoms, can we go talk about this and come up with a plan so I can be prepared? 

-I am going to a specific outdoor event that that I am worried about. Can we talk about strategies to manage my symptoms while I am there and how to best communicate with people about it?

-I need to have a conversation with a specific person about my heat symptoms, can we practice together?

-I feel so overwhelmed that I don't even know what to ask, but I want to talk to somebody who understands.

* Any other specific questions that you have! 

Coaching Appointments: These appointments are 60 minute appointments that involve specific hands-on help with various problems. These appointments are more in depth and often involve notes or a write up of some kind.  📆 Here is a list of possible things we could address, which type of appointment it would be and what I would create for you in those appointments: 

-Other: Can you help me create a plan for an upcoming trip I have? This would involve me typing up a list of things to bring on your trip, specific ways to deal with symptoms while you are there and any other specific things you would like. 

-Other: I want help creating a Summer Survival Kit, can you help me put one together? This would involve me typing up a list of things to include in your kit and links to the items you can include.

-Specific Goal Setting: I want to go to an event outside and have some specific goals around managing symptoms in the summer, can you help me create a plan for achieving those goals? This would involve me creating a list of goals, specific plans to achieve them and ways to follow up on track progress.

-Emotional Discussion Appointment: I am nervous about talking to a specific person about my heat symptoms, can you help me prepare for that conversation? This would involve me typing up specific talking points and notes for your conversation. 

Emotional Discussion Appointment: I am experiencing a lot of emotions around my heat symptoms and am feeling overwhelmed. Can we talk about some of my emotions and then come up with a plan to move forward? This would involve me typing up a summary of what we discussed and a plan for moving forward

Other Appointment: This is an opportunity to discuss anything you want and then request what you would like to have typed up or created for you, hopefully it can be a helpful resource for you! 

*Just a reminder that your first appointment is 1/2 off, so $25 for a consultation and $50 for a coaching appointment! If you have any specific concerns about scheduling or prices please email navigatingpots@gmail.com