Depression is on the rise in America and it affects all age groups from teens to seniors and it affects all different ethnic groups, people in different economic levels, different sexes, different types of jobs and more. In 2016, it was estimated that about 7.4% of adults in the US suffered from some form of depression and by 2017, that number had increased to nearly 20% of adults that have been diagnosed with some form of depression.

A number of reports have found a direct link to the rise of mobile phones and social media with the rise of depression among teens and younger adults. In 2017, around 41% of high school students in the United States reported feeling sad or hopeless. Much of that is not only associated with the loss of personal interactions due to the rise of mobile phones and social media, but also due to a decaying society that has abandoned much of its moral values.

According to WebMD, there are a number of different types of depression – major depression, persistent depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), psychotic depression, peripartum (postpartum) depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), situational depression and atypical depression.

We’ve discussed some of these forms of depression in the past, so I’ll not go into detail into all of these, except to say that sometimes depression can be caused by diet, medications as well as physical and mental related issues.

However, did you know that there is another cause of depression that is rarely spoken of? Have you ever heard of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, also known as POTS?

Few have heard of POTS, but when Tori Foles, wife of the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, was diagnosed with POTS, it seemed to bring the condition more into the public eye.

She started having symptoms of dizziness, nausea and fatigue. One doctor diagnosed her as having a viral infection and another doctor said she had anxiety or depression. Tori explains:

“They told me I had a virus, but I had never heard of [a viral illness] where you are dizzy all the time. There were a lot of times I couldn’t get out of bed.:

She was eventually diagnosed as having postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

One source explains POTS as:

“Breaking POTS down based on its name can provide insight into the condition:

• Postural means the condition is related to the posture of the body.
• Orthostatic also suggests the body’s position is involved and refers to dizziness and a sudden drop in blood pressure.
• Tachycardia means a rapid heartbeat, generally over 100 beats per minute.
• Syndrome means it is not a disease but rather a group of symptoms that are often seen together.

“POTS is characterized by an increased heart rate, drop in blood pressure, and dizziness upon standing. This happens because the heart does not get enough blood when a person stands up, so the heartbeat increases to try to improve the blood circulation.”

“POTS is a type of dysautonomia, which are disorders of the part of the nervous system that regulates blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing patterns.”

The symptoms for POTS includes: increased heart rate in first 10 minutes of standing, drop in blood pressure, dizziness or lightheadedness, fatigue, tremors or shaking, shortness of breath, chest pain, heart palpitations, intolerance to exercise, pain or cold feeling in extremities, constipation, bloating, diarrhea, nausea and general weakness. These symptoms vary from person to person.

Since the symptoms can vary from person to person, there is no single treatment. Generally, doctors will concentrate treatment on the heart and blood pressure. They may also recommend wearing compression stockings, increase salt intake (helps raise blood pressure), drink more water, exercise sitting down and raising your head while in bed.

The success of treatment also varies. With medication and lifestyle treatments, some see improvement or lessening of the symptoms and a few have reported a complete remission of their POTS.

It is nothing to trifle with and if you have been diagnosed as having depression and have a combination of the symptoms listed above, you may have POTS and not depression. See your doctor and ask.