By .kennedykrieger
A new study from Kennedy Krieger Institute shows that the majority of children diagnosed with long COVID are likely to experience orthostatic intolerance (OI), a condition that causes the body to struggle with regulating blood pressure and heart rate when standing up. As a result, children often feel dizzy, lightheaded, fatigued and may experience “brain fog” or cognitive difficulties.
Orthostatic intolerance includes disorders such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and orthostatic hypotension. Among the patients studied, dizziness (67%), fatigue (25%), and body pain (23%) are found to be common symptoms, which worsen when standing and improve when lying down. These symptoms can make it difficult to perform everyday activities like exercising, attending school, and socializing, severely impacting their quality of life.