Effects of Breathing Retraining Exercises on Heart Rate, Blood Pressure and Orthostatic Intolerance in Pregnant Females With Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

What this Trial Is About

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a condition marked by a significant rise in heart rate when moving from lying down to standing, often causing symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, brain fog, lightheadedness, rapid heartbeat, and palpitations. It mainly affects females of reproductive age and can be triggered by viral infections, trauma, or hormonal changes. During pregnancy, symptoms may worsen in the first trimester due to hormonal shifts and reduced blood volume, which then increases in the later trimesters. Breathing exercises may help regulate the nervous system by improving parasympathetic activity and reducing sympathetic activity. This randomized clinical trial will include 44 pregnant females with POTS aged 19 to 35 years, conducted at two hospitals over 10 months. Participants will be randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group performing diaphragmatic breathing exercises daily for 5 minutes over 30 days, and a control group receiving educational retraining focusing on gradual position changes, hydration, and use of compression garments. Both groups will also practice progressive muscle relaxation techniques as a baseline treatment. Participants will undergo assessments using the Vanderbilt Orthostatic Symptom Score to measure orthostatic intolerance, along with non-invasive blood pressure monitoring and pulse oximetry to track heart rate. Data collection will occur over 6 weeks, after which results will be analyzed. The study is double-blinded and aims to evaluate the effects of breathing retraining exercises on heart rate, blood pressure, and orthostatic intolerance in pregnant females with POTS.

Effects of Breathing Retraining Exercises in Pregnant Females With Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.