PoTS › Self-check
Do I have PoTS symptoms?
Ten questions, an optional home standing test and one question about post-exertional malaise. The result is calculated on your device only – nothing is stored or sent.
Please do not use this self-check if you currently have:
- chest pain or pressure
- fainting with injury, or fainting during exercise
- a resting heart rate persistently above 120
- severe shortness of breath
- new weakness, speech or vision problems
In that case contact a doctor or your local emergency number now.
1. Ten questions
1.Within a few minutes of standing up I feel light-headed, dizzy or as if I might faint – and it gets worse the longer I stand.
2.My heart races or pounds when I stand up or with light activity such as climbing stairs, showering or housework.
3.My symptoms improve clearly when I lie down.
4.I feel exhausted most days, out of proportion to what I have done.
5.I have "brain fog" – trouble concentrating, finding words or remembering.
6.Exercise is harder than it used to be, and recovery afterwards takes unusually long.
7.Heat, large meals, long standing or dehydration make my symptoms worse.
8.My symptoms have been present for more than three months.
9.They started after an infection (e.g. COVID-19, glandular fever, flu), an operation, a pregnancy or a period of bed rest.
10.A doctor has already told me that my resting heart rate or blood pressure is normal, but no cause for my symptoms has been found.
2. One question that changes the plan
After physical or mental exertion, do you get markedly worse 12 to 48 hours later, for a day or more (post-exertional malaise)?
3. Optional: your home standing test
Lie down for 5–10 minutes, note your heart rate; then stand still for 10 minutes and note the highest sustained heart rate (and whether your blood pressure fell by 20/10 mmHg or more). Instructions: How do I recognise PoTS?
Please answer all ten questions and the question on post-exertional malaise.
This self-check is an orientation based on the international consensus criteria for PoTS (Heart Rhythm Society 2015, NIH expert consensus 2021, JAMA review 2026) and the NICE 2021 guideline on ME/CFS. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace a medical examination. Your answers are processed in your browser only and are not transmitted or stored.