Compression Stockings for Dysautonomia? They Might Help!

Many doctors advise their dysautonomia patients to try medical compression stockings,  to help minimize common dysautonomia symptoms such as lightheadedness, fainting, low blood pressure, tachycardia, fatigue, and leg pain caused when blood pools in the legs. Compression stockings can also provide more endurance for daily upright activities.  Here are a few tips to help get the right compression  stockings, the right fit, how to use them to get the most benefit, and how to get them at a reduced price or even free with a doctor's prescription:

 

Compression stockings are measured in mmHg and most often, 20-30mmHg or 30-40mmHg waist-high stockings are recommended. Lower levels of compression or stockings don't go all the way to the waist can still help, but usually these don't give you the maximum benefit. Also, patients that wear knee-high and thigh-high stockings and have blood pooling in your thigh area have noticed a swelling above the top of the knee. Same thing with the thigh-highs. Waist high stockings are also recommended to prevent the not-so-cool thigh bulge created by thigh high stockings.

 

You'll also want to get open and closed toe versions of whatever compression stockings you choose. Open toes are good for summer, closed toe for winter, etc. Choose sheer stockings if they're going to be seen and opaque type if they'll be covered because they're more comfortable, less scratchy, etc. Medical compression stockings are fitted using measurements of your ankle circumference, calf circumference and the distance between heel and knee.  Take your measurements first thing in the morning since this will be the measurements with the minimum amount of swelling.

 

Cost usually isn't too bad, either. Compression stockings range from around $20 to $150. Don't forget to call your insurance provider and ask if they cover medical compression stockings with a doctor's prescription. If they do, you may have to use only certain medical supply companies as a source. If they don't require a certain supplier, you can get them online, but make sure you get quality--the cheap compression stockings don't usually last very long, don't fit as well and aren't as comfortable.

 

Chances are, if you've already been to or spoken with Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC in Birmingham, AL., you already know about the benefits of compression stockings. If you haven't, give us a call and set up an appointment. Dr. Susan Phillips and Dr. Paula Moore offer more than 40 years of combined experience with successful dysautonomia and POTS treatment. We offer flexible appointment times and many options to help you get the care you need and get better--faster! 

Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC
Accurate Diagnosis & Treatment for Better Results
2470 Rocky Ridge Road Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35243
http://www.mvpctr.com
(205) 286-3200

Testing for POTS and Dysautonomia is Helpful--But What About Underlying Causes?

Dysautonomia is fairly general medical diagnosis that describes any malfunction of the autonomic nervous system. There are many other diseases and conditions, however, that can lead to a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. So, if you've had a postive POTS test, you may want to ask your doctor about this list of conditions and possibly futher testing to see if the root cause can be pinpointed and thus lead to real relief:

 

Amyloidosis - if harmful amyloid proteins are deposited on the heart or the peripheral nerves, it can cause symptoms of dysautonomia / POTS.

 

Antiphospholipid Syndrome - this condition is less well known to physicians, but APS causes"sludging" or thickening of the blood that may manifest as headache, memory loss, word finding difficulty, trouble with balance, multiple sclerosis-like syndrome, neuropathy and disorders of the autonomic nervous system (most commonly POTS) and neurocardiogenic syncope).

 

Celiac Disease - this is a common autoimmune disease in which the small intestine is the primary tissues that are attacked.  Various neurological disorders have been thought to occur in 6-10% of people with celiac disease.

 

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease - CMT includes a group of disorders where genetic mutations impede normal function of the peripheral nerves (nerves not inside the brain or spinal cord), and often the autonomic nervous system.

 

There are many other conditions that can lead to dysautonomia or POTS symptoms--to read about more of these conditions, see this link.  If you think you have dysautonomia or POTS symptoms, the first, best thing to do is to visit an autonomic disorder treatment center and ask if the doctor can do a dysautonomia test.

 

Again, if that or a POTS test is positive, you may want to investigate other conditions to see if they are the cause. On the brighter side, many times simple lifestyle and dietary changes can greatly improve dysautonomia symptoms. 

 

Dr. Paula Moore and Dr. Susan Phillips at Dysautonomia MVP Center, LLC in Birmingham, AL bring more than 40 years of autonomic disorder expertise and they'll be able to quickly shed some light on your concerns and get you on the road to recovery. Call for an appointment today at (205) 286-3200.

Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC
Accurate Diagnosis & Treatment for Better Results
2470 Rocky Ridge Road Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35243
http://www.mvpctr.com
(205) 286-3200

Diagnosing POTS: Do You Need a POTS Doctor?

POTS or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome can be a difficult thing to diagnose. This is mainly because of the list of symptoms that can point to a variety of other conditions. In some cases, your family doctor will have heard about and recognize POTS as a possible diagnosis, but many physicians still do not recognize POTS as a legitimate condition on its own. 

 

For that reason, if you’re experiencing symptoms like lightheadedness or fainting when you stand up, racing heartbeat when you stand up from sitting or lying down, it can definitely be to your advantage to seek out doctors that specialize in POTS syndrome first to at least rule it out.

 

Better yet, simply call Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC in Birmingham, Alabama.  Dr. Paula Moore and Dr. Susan Phillips are widely known as some of the most knowledgeable doctors that diagnose POTS, dysautonomia and related autonomic disorders. If it turns out through POTS testing you don’t have POTS, then at least you can move on to your regular physician with far less worry about being misdiagnosed.

Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC
Accurate Diagnosis & Treatment for Better Results
2470 Rocky Ridge Road Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35243
http://www.mvpctr.com
(205) 286-3200

Testing for POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)

POTS is a disorder that is often overlooked or misdiagnosed, with some patients dealing with symptoms for years without knowing what’s really going on and usually without relief.  The reason postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is sometimes misdiagnosed is because of the variety of symptoms that accompany this syndrome and many other conditions. The most common symptom of POTS is patient intolerance of going from lying down to standing (usually with lightheadedness or fainting, low blood pressure) and racing heart rate.

And since POTS often affects blood pressure and heart rate response to upright posture, POTS doctors employ tests such as the tilt table test to begin with.  With this test, a patient is strapped to a mechanical table, which will tilt them upright at an angle of at least 60 degrees. Measurements of heart rate and blood pressure are taken while lying flat and then again at intervals while tilted upright. The degree of differences in the numbers and patient response will guide the physician either toward a POTS diagnosis or toward something else.

 

There are a variety of other tests that help doctors determine if POTS is present, as well, such as a POTS stress test (measuring exercise tolerance), MRI's, EMG (electromyography), catecholamine tests and others. If you think you have POTS, the best thing to do first is to call Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC in Birmingham, AL.  Dr. Paula Moore and Dr. Susan Phillips are widely known as some of the most knowledgeable specialists in the areas of POTS, dysautonomia and related autonomic disorders. Call and make an appointment today and get to the bottom of your symptoms!

Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC
Accurate Diagnosis & Treatment for Better Results
2470 Rocky Ridge Road Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35243
http://www.mvpctr.com
(205) 286-3200

POTS Show Up Out of The Blue? You May Need to Check for APS

In a recent paper by Dr.Jill R. Schofield, MD, Professor Graham Hughes, Professor Yehuda Shoenfeld, and Dr. Svetlana Blitshteyn on the clinical association of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and APS, there appears to be evidence that for cases of POTS that seem to appear without a cause may be related to APS and symptoms may be improved by using treatments associated with APS. (read full abstract here)

What is APS? APS is an autoimmune disorder where different antiphospholipid antibodies work against against clotting factors, platelets, or cells that line blood vessel walls and cause blood to become sticky, leading to an increased risk of blood clots in arteries, veins, and placenta (resulting in miscarriage, still birth and low birth weight). And APS isn't that rare, but it is severely underdiagnosed and is estimated to affect approximately 1% of the population in the U.S.

Dr. Schofield says that "because this is a newly described clinical association, we have a lot to learn.  At this time, I believe all POTS patients should be tested for APS; other physicians might disagree.  At the very least, I believe all POTS patients with any of the following should be tested for APS: migraine, memory loss, balance trouble, livedo reticularis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, history of miscarriage, another autoimmune condition, a family history of blood clots or a family history of autoimmune disease. These were the most common findings in the patients in our study.  Also, of note, three of the 15 APS patients included our study also had Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS)."

If APS is detected, Dr. Schofield believes POTS-caused by or related to APS might improve with a trial of anticoagulants such as aspirin, clopidogrel, heparin, warfarin and/or IVIG. This is why she suggests that any patients with a POTS diagnosis with no apparent cause should be tested for APS. And true, using anticoagulants can increase the risk of bleeding, however, the benefits may outweigh the risk if the hyper-coagulative nature of APS can be brought back into balance with these agents and improve or eliminate the POTS symptoms.

As always, to get the very best help with anything POTS, dysautonomia or MVP syndrome-related, make sure you contact Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC in Birmingham, AL. Dr. Paula Moore and Dr. Susan Phillips have over 40 years combined experience with accurate diagnosis and successful autonomic disorder treatment and they are your fastest track to wellness in these areas.

Make an appointment today at their new treatment center at 205-286-3200. All of the staff at Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC look forward to serving you!



Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC
Accurate Diagnosis & Treatment for Better Results
2470 Rocky Ridge Road Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35243
http://www.mvpctr.com
(205) 286-3200

Diagnosed with Barlow’s Syndrome? Always Get a Second Opinion Before Surgery

About 5-10% of the world’s population is estimated to be afflicted with Barlow’s Syndrome or mitral valve prolapse (MVP). First described by John Brereton Barlow in 1966, this condition means that one or more of the valves that allow blood to flow from the upper to lower chambers of the heart don’t open and close completely, resulting a leakage of blood back through the valve and a characteristic ‘clicking’ or murmur sounds (often called a heart murmur).  And while in many cases there is some type of defect in the valve itself that requires surgery or other methods to fix, in many cases a condition with very similar symptoms called dysautonomia can actually be the cause of the dysfunctional valve, which requires a different method of treatment. That’s reason enough to always get a second opinion before having surgery.

 

POTS, known throughout history by different names such as DaCosta's Syndrome, Soldier's Heart, Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome, Neurocirculatory Asthenia, Chronic Orthostatic Intolerance and Orthostatic Tachycardia, can also have symptoms in common with MVP, which is why it garnered a name like MVP syndrome.

The point is to really make sure of what is going on before agreeing to any surgeries by getting a second opinion from an autonomic disorder specialist—simply because dyautonomia is so often mistaken for an actual prolapsed mitral valve issue.  Then seek competent help with POTS treatment, if that is what is determined to be really going on. If it truly is a prolapsed mitral valve, the autonomic specialist will be able to tell you that so that you can seek the correct treatment for that.  Again, the most important thing is get an accurate diagnosis and a second opinion any time mitral valve prolapse is suspected.

 

Your best bet, if are having MVP-like symptoms or have been diagnosed with MVP, is to call one of the best pots clinics in the nation with a brand new treatment center and the latest equipment--Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC in Birmingham, AL.

 

Dr. Paula Moore and Dr. Susan Phillips are widely known as some of the most knowledgeable specialists in the areas of POTS, dysautonomia and related autonomic disorders. Call and make an appointment today—you’ll be glad you did.

Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC
Accurate Diagnosis & Treatment for Better Results
2470 Rocky Ridge Road Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35243
http://www.mvpctr.com
(205) 286-3200

POTS and Pregnancy: What You Should Know

Since POTS mostly affects women of child-bearing age, there are often questions about how POTS will affect a pregnancy shortly after a POTS diagnosis. The good news is that many women with POTS have had little to no issues with their pregnancies. Research has shown that 60-70% of patients will actually see a decrease in POTS symptoms during pregnancy, still 30-40% of those do experience an increase in symptoms. So, to minimize the chances of issues and make the pregnancy more comfortable, it's best for those with POTS to educate themselves about how POTS can affect them and their baby, and then seek guidance from best POTS syndrome treatment they can find.

 

Typically, POTS doctors advise women who want children to get pregnant to do that sooner rather than later because of the greater chance of fetal complications that naturally become higher at higher ages. And as higher age increases the chance of miscarriage and inability to conceive, Additionally, one study from Vanderbilt University suggested that there may be also be a higher rate of gynecological disorders in women with POTS, like endometriosis and uterine fibroids. And if autonomic body systems aren't functioning correctly, this is likely to intensify the issues associated with getting pregnant later in life.

 

This is why, if you're wanting to get pregnant and feel like you might be having any of the common symptoms associated with POTS (lightheadedness, fainting, dizziness, fatigue, inability to exercise, nausea, sensation of an abnormal heartbeat, anxiety, or blurred vision), you definitely want to see a POTS specialist to determine if you have POTS or not, then if so, get the best treatment for POTS and allow them to advise you about your pregnancy. This will greatly help minimize any complications, which can be done by taking the right steps.

 

One great resource for guidance about POTS and any POTS-affected pregnancy is Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC in Birmingham, Alabama. Along with their new state-of-the-art autonomic disorder treatment center, Dr. Paula Moore and Dr. Susan Phillips bring over 40 years of combined experience with managing and improving POTS, dysautonomia, and mitral valve prolapse symptoms. If you're thinking of getting pregnant and have any sense of POTS-like symptoms, give them a call today and get the facts so that you and your baby have the best chance at health.

Dysautonomia-MVP Center, LLC

Accurate Diagnosis & Treatment for Better Results

2470 Rocky Ridge Road Vestavia Hills, Alabama 35243

http://www.mvpctr.com

(205) 286-3200