By Chloe Schaffran

For The Diamondback

Avery Beason, a freshman at the University of Maryland and former gymnast who trained at the Olympic level, lives with a condition that is often misunderstood: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS.

While her symptoms aren’t always visible, Beason said POTS has significantly changed her daily life. She first began noticing issues in February 2023 and was officially diagnosed at the end of that April after passing out during multiple practices.

“No one really could figure out what was wrong, because after the episode, and once I was at the hospital, everything looked fine,” the public health science major said.

POTS can be difficult to diagnose, sometimes taking years. Its symptoms are frequently overlooked and the condition is often poorly recognized within the medical community, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

The COVID-19 pandemic helped raise awareness of POTS among medical professionals, according to the National Institutes of Health, because some patients with persistent symptoms similar to COVID-19 were found to have POTS. Despite this increased attention, Beason said she faced dismissive experiences, with some doctors blaming her symptoms on other factors like depression or anxiety.

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POTS can vary in severity from person to person, which affects how much it impacts daily lifestyle, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Beason said she fell in the middle of the spectrum when she was first diagnosed, but is now on the higher end, meaning her symptoms typically include an elevated heart rate, dizziness, fatigue, brain fog and passing out frequently.

Beason said transitioning from training at an elite, Olympic level and preparing for college gymnastics to stepping away from gymnastics entirely because of her medical struggles was not only a physical change, but a mental and emotional challenge.

She said it was difficult to watch her body change from being strong and muscular to becoming sick and losing weight after being diagnosed with POTS.

“Seeing yourself transition to that is a very, almost an out-of-body feeling of ‘What is going on, what is happening?’” she said.

Now having to navigate a different path than she expected, Beason said she’s adjusted her mindset.

She said it’s important to find the little wins and look at things in a more positive way.

“‘You were able to fight through all of these hospital admissions and be standing where you are right now,’ versus ‘You were so strong and now you’re so weak,’” she said about her new perspective.

Rina Ajro, one of Beason’s close childhood friends, said it’s important for others to learn from Beason’s experience.

“Listen when people stress their problems or issues,” she said. “Be more understanding that it may seem small because it doesn’t affect you, but in all reality, that’s their whole life.”

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One student at this university said Beason helped her recognize POTS symptoms in herself.

Jayla Copes, a freshman biology major, was recently diagnosed with POTS after Beason encouraged her to see a doctor.Copes said she dealt with the symptoms since she was young, but prior to her diagnosis, she assumed they were normal.

Copes said the process to get diagnosed can be difficult for many patients, and the outcome depends heavily on the doctor they see.

“If you have a doctor that believes you, I think [POTS] would be really easy to diagnose,” Copes said. “But if you have a doctor that doesn’t know what POTS is, or even cares about it, I think you’re just going to be stuck feeling the same.”

Copes emphasized the shared struggle many patients face when dealing with medical professionals who minimize complex symptoms like POTS.

Although she no longer competes in gymnastics, Beason said her experience in the sport shaped her future career plans. She added that dealing with the healthcare system firsthand motivated her to become a physician assistant, so that she can help patients navigate the medical world.

Through the challenges she’s faced, Beason said she hopes her story can offer perspective and provide people with a better understanding of POTS.

“It is okay if things are changing, it’s not the end of the world,” she said. “You will still get to wherever you’re supposed to be, whether that’s what you want to hear at the moment or not.”