Christina Applegate's 13-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
The star's daughter, Sadie, shed light on her condition on Tuesday's episode of Applegate's "MeSsy" podcast.
"I have something called POTS," Sadie shared. "I have no clue what it actually is, but it's something to do with the autonomic nervous system and it affects my heart. When I stand up, I get really, really dizzy and my legs get really weak, and I feel like I'm going to pass out," she said, according to the New York Post.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describes the symptoms of the circulation disorder as lightheadedness or fainting which is also accompanied by a rapid increase in heartbeat.
It is a chronic disorder and can cause symptoms in addition to fainting, like tremors and nausea.
Sadie admitted she had silently been living with the condition for a while.
Applegate, who is battling multiple sclerosis, said she "hates" that her daughter has to navigate life with the chronic disorder.
"I hate it for you my darling. I really hate it for you," she said. "I'm sad. But I love you and I know you're going to be OK. And I'm here for you and I believe you. And thank you for bringing this to light and awareness."
Looking back at her symptoms before her diagnosis, Sadie recalled leaving her sixth-grade class to make multiple trips to the nurse's office.
"In class, if I were to stand up then, I would be like, 'I have to go to the nurse. I can't do this.' Or I'll be in PE, and I'll be like, 'I have to go to the nurse,'" she said.
"They were like, 'You're doing this to get out of class. It's probably just anxiety. Go back to class.' They wouldn't do anything for it."
"Them not doing anything about it definitely hurt me physically and emotionally," she continued. "Because I was just like, 'This is rude and I feel sick, and you're telling me to go to PE and run laps around the football field. I can't do that.'"
POTS has brought a greater understanding between mother and daughter though. Reflecting on her condition, Sadie admitted it helped her to "understand what my mom's going through."
"Like, when my mom's like, 'Oh, I'm kind of in pain right now. Oh, I'm having tremors.' If I didn't have this, I probably would be like, 'I don't really care. I don't know what you're talking about,'" she added.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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