I AM YOU is hosted by Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights that help women understand their unique heart health, manage stress, and take charge of their well-being. Dr. Alvarez’s mission is simple: to inspire every woman to become the CEO of their own health—with knowledge, confidence, and community.  

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez spotlights a condition that is frequently dismissed—and life-altering when ignored: POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). You’ll meet “Maya,” a 22-year-old college student whose dizziness, racing heart, and near-fainting episodes were brushed off as anxiety—until the real pattern became impossible to ignore.  

Dr. Alvarez breaks POTS down in plain language, including what’s happening in the body and why it disproportionately affects young women—often flaring with dehydration, heat, illness, fast position changes, prolonged standing, and hormonal transitions.  

With clarity and compassion, she covers:

• What POTS is and how it’s defined (including standing and tilt testing criteria)  
• The symptoms women actually feel—from lightheadedness and palpitations to fatigue, brain fog, GI symptoms, and “anxiety-like” adrenaline surges  
• Why POTS gets missed (and why “normal labs” and “normal blood pressure” don’t rule it out)  
• A practical foundation plan: fluids, electrolytes, sodium, compression, and the right exercise strategy (not “push harder”)  
• How hormones affect symptoms—and why your care plan should acknowledge that reality  
• What to say when you get dismissed (“You’re too young,” “It’s just anxiety,” “Just drink water”)  
• Five steps you can start today to stabilize your day-to-day and identify triggers  

This episode is a direct call-to-action: do not accept dismissal, do not lose years to “maybe it’s in your head,” and learn how to advocate for yourself as the CEO of your own health.  

For a powerful companion story, Dr. Alvarez also recommends revisiting Episode 29 with Hannah, where years of symptoms were dismissed before the right strategy finally helped.  

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