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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | August 28, 2018 09:18 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Jeanne McNeill |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome Awareness Month (October 2018) |
| Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a type of dysautonomia, a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system that controls autonomic functions of the body such as our heart rate and blood pressure. Individuals with POTS can experience a wide variety of symptoms, like high or low blood pressure and heart rate, dizziness or lightheadedness, fainting and extreme fatigue. These symptoms can make interacting in daily activities challenging or impossible. POTS affects between 1 and 3 million people in the United States, the majority being women aged 15 to 50 years old. Adolescents can have an especially difficult time in dealing with POTS as it can cause depression, anxiety, time missed from school and decreased academic performance. Treatments vary on an individual basis but can include changes in diet and exercise, medicinal options, or both. The cause of POTS is currently unknown, making increased visibility and awareness of the disorder all the more important. For these reasons and more, I intend to introduce a resolution designating the month of October 2018 as “Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania. It is my hope that my colleagues will join me in raising awareness of POTS and support fellow Pennsylvanians living with POTS. |
Introduced as HR1092