York Hospital Consultant Could Have Treatment to Tackle Long Covid

The York Press

A YORK heart specialist says he believes many Long Covid patients may actually have a condition called POTS – and could benefit from treatments used for patients with the syndrome.

Dr Sanjay Gupta, a consultant cardiologist at York Hospital, is an expert in POTS, or postural tachycardia syndrome.

The condition can leave sufferers debilitated, constantly exhausted, and sometimes unable even to walk.

The condition is thought to be caused by a malfunctioning of the autonomic nervous system which regulates the heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and sweating.Symptoms can include palpitations, dizziness, brain fog, chest pain, gut problems, breathlessness and excessive sweating – similar to the symptoms reported by many Long Covid patients.

And like Long Covid, POTS often develops following a viral or other infection, Dr Gupta says. The symptoms can last for years, ruining patients’ lives. “Patients can feel that their lives are not worth living.”