Actress Christina Applegate’s daughter, Sadie, announced she has been diagnosed with postural orthostatic syndrome (POTS). The 13-year-old made the announcement on Tuesday’s episode of Applegate’s “MeSsy” podcast. Although there is no known cure for POTS, the condition can be managed in most patients with diet, exercise and medication, says Johns Hopkins Medicine.

POTS is a relatively common autonomic nervous system disorder, estimated to impact more than 3 million Americans. The number of people with POTS increased dramatically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Lauren Stiles, a leading expert on POTS and a research assistant professor of neurology at Stony Brook University School of Medicine.

Research by Cedars-Sinai investigators also found a link between COVID-19 vaccination and a diagnosis of POTS.

The autonomic nervous system regulates our heart rate, blood pressure, gastrointestinal motility, sweating, kidney function, and tear and saliva production. When the autonomic nerves aren’t working properly, POTS or other forms of dysautonomia (autonomic nerve failure) can occur. Stiles, president and CEO of Dysautonomia International adds that people with POTS have an abnormal increase in their heart rate and reduced blood flow to their upper body and brain when they stand up.

Common POTS symptoms include lightheadedness when standing up, brain fog, fatigue, gastrointestinal dysmotility, and headaches, but there are many other symptoms that can occur in POTS. Some people with the disorder faint when they stand up, but this is not required to diagnose POTS.

POTS most commonly strikes young women but can occur at any age and in males as well. The most common age of onset is 14, but about half of patients develop POTS in adulthood. People who are at high risk for the condition may have experienced illnesses or serious infections, pregnancy or trauma, or surgery, says the Cleveland Clinic. Eventually, about 25% of people with POTS require a wheelchair, Stiles tells Newsmax.

Common treatments for POTS include increasing salt and fluid intake, wearing medical compression stockings, performing reclined exercises like rowing or recumbent biking, and medications like beta blockers, midodrine, fludrocortisone and pyridostigmine.  However, these and other treatment options do not always provid effective relief of the symptoms experienced by many people with POTS, notes Stiles.