FIND YOUR POTS CAUSE: Mitochondrial Disease 101 (Guest Post by Hannah!)

Global Mito Awareness Week is September 16-22.  Mito can cause POTS symptoms, and other types of autonomic dysfunction.

"Mitochondrial cytopathies are a diverse group of inherited and acquired disorders that result in inadequate energy production. They can be caused by inheritable genetic mutations, acquired somatic mutations, exposure to toxins (including some prescription medications), and the aging process itself." (1)

 

I'm very excited to have an amazing POTSy teen that I met and have gotten to know a bit through Facebook offer to write about her probable POTS cause, Mitochondrial Disease. Her name is Hannah, and she just started her Freshman year at UNC Chapel Hill. She is one of the most well spoken and knowledgeable teens, let alone people, I have met - especially regarding her health conditions. She is always willing to answer questions and help others navigate a very confusing set of diseases.  She developed POTS as a young teen, but then her symptoms changed and became more severe, and she was given a tentative Mito diagnosis after numerous positive tests and working with both Mito and POTS specialists.  

MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE 101

by Hannah

The mitochondria are the “power-plants” of the cell—they provide most of the energy a cell needs to function. There are mitochondria in every single cell except for red blood cells. Mitochondrial disease, or ‘mito’ is a genetic and generally progressive problem with the mitochondria. (There is also a concept of “mitochondrial dysfunction”, where there is no gene mutation but the mitochondria don’t work well because of some outside force, such as certain medications or diseases.) The spectrum of severity of mitochondrial disease varies widely, from a baby with Leigh’s Disease who passes away before his first birthday, to the very serious MNGIE, to a woman who gets excessively fatigued and weak as she ages.

Cells have multiple mitochondrian that power the cell through by converting ADP to ATP.