What is POTS? Symptoms of blood circulation disorder explored as Solange opens up about her health condition

Singer Solange Knowles recently opened up about her experience with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) after fellow artist Shaun Ross shared a post on Instagram about his long journey with COVID and this condition. In his caption, Ross explained that he was diagnosed with POTS following his battle with long COVID.

Solange responded to the Instagram post, writing:

"Sending you so much love and strength Shaun and to everyone in the comments dealing with the overwhelming, confusing, and isolating nature of POTS! I was diagnosed with POTS, Sjogren’s and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) back in 2018. I completely understand what it’s like to not want your health circumstances to define you."

POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) is a disorder that primarily affects the autonomic nervous system. Several symptoms of this condition include fast heart rate, dizziness, and fatigue, as per the Cleveland Clinic.

Although there is no cure for the condition, lifestyle changes and certain treatments can help manage it. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, these symptoms may happen when the person is standing upright.

The condition affects an estimated one to three million Americans, and researchers are yet to determine the exact factors that may lead to its development. The condition reportedly gets worse in warm environments or when the affected person tends to stand for longer periods. Lack of fluid and salt intake might worsen the situation.

Some popular personalities who have been diagnosed with this disorder are Halsey, Solange Knowles, Billie Eilish, Mara Wilson, Jameela Jamil, and Brittany Bowes.

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Shaun Ross thanks Solange for her support and sharing her POTS experience

After Solange, who is also Beyoncé's sister, shared her experience with the disorder, Shaun took to X to express his gratitude for her response. In the tweet shared on October 16, he wrote:

"Proof that you just never know when someone may be struggling behind closed doors. Thank you @solangeknowles for commenting on this #POTS #dysautonomia."

When a netizen praised Shaun's decision to open up about the condition on social media, knowing that "internet can be a nasty place," Shaun responded, saying, "someone had to" do it. He wrote:

"Someone had to there are so many people out there struggling and I have a platform and a reach and I feel like a lot of people that may have this condition behind closed doors inside of the industry never talk about it so I decided to do just that."

Several netizens further shared their own experiences after Ross opened up about it on Instagram and X. Many even praised him for his decision to talk about it so that people felt relatable.

In his Instagram video, Shaun explained that he didn't want to talk about it in detail initially to avoid making this condition his identity.