Bathing with POTS can be very challenging. If you have POTS and dread taking showers, you certainly aren’t alone. With so many in our community sharing how triggering they can be for symptoms, and providers time and time again emphasizing how the heat can exacerbate our symptoms, it is no wonder why we aren’t huge fans! The goal is to make bathing practices as easy as humanly possible, through the use of various tips and tricks that can help you save energy, minimize post-shower or post-bathing flares, and maximize your overall comfort. Although what helps and what may be recommended will vary for each of us, we have listed some helpful things to consider and pass by your medical teams.

24 Helpful Things To Consider:

1.) If you have a shower with a low lip entry, consider purchasing a shower chair or bench that you can sit on. This can help to reduce standing and maximize safety. An example of a helpful shower chair can be seen in the Helpful Items section.

2.) If you have a tub and feel unsteady getting into the bathtub, you can consider purchasing a tub bench. The tub bench can allow you to remain seated when entering the tub, as a portion of the bench can remain on the outside, and a portion can remain on the inside. While seated, you can lift your legs over to the tub one by one and slowly slide over.

3.) Consider purchasing a handheld shower head which you can bring down to use when needed.

4.) Place your soap, shampoo, and other essentials in an easy to reach place within arms reach.

5.) Because hot water and air can contribute towards vasodilation, exaggerating blood pooling and potentially worsening orthostatic intolerance and other symptoms, it may be helpful to consider taking a slightly warm shower, using a ventilation fan, and turning off the water intermittently to keep yourself from getting too hot.

6.) It may be helpful to consider using a long handled sponge to help with harder to reach areas.

7.) It may be helpful to consider using a long razor extension handle to minimize bending over when shaving legs and maximize ease of use. See our Helpful Items section for an example.

8.) Consider using a Terry cloth robe that you can wrap yourself in when drying off, as opposed to a towel. You can dab yourself when drying off to try to reduce energy expenditure, and you can also consider using a hair wrap to dry your hair (as opposed to a large towel which can be harder on our necks).

9.) Consider laying in bed directly after your shower to rest prior to changing into your pajamas.

10.) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Consider hydrating well before showering and after showering, bringing glasses of water into the bathroom with you or having them close-by for ease of use if you need to infuse before or after.

11.) Keeping your emergency POTS bag with you outside of the shower just in case so it is within reach. For questions about this, see our Daily To-go Bag section.

12.) If you think you may need to use a mobility aid afterwards, ensure it is within reach at all times. Examples of a rollator and wheelchair are listed within our Helpful Items section.

13.) Placing your pajamas and/or other clothing items out ahead of time to save yourself energy.

14.) Using dry shampoo to reduce the frequency with which you are washing your hair.

15.) Preparing bed baths, using a wash cloth with some soap and water, to reduce energy on high symptom days.

16.) On very high symptom days consider reducing the frequency of bathing to save energy and spoons.

17.) Using an arm rest when blow drying your hair to save energy.

18.) Purchasing bathing wipes to use for very high symptom days when you really need to reduce energy expenditure.

19.) Having arm rails installed in the shower for added safety and security.

20.) Bathing when your symptoms are less severe during the day. Many in our community find that showering in the evening can be better tolerated, but this may not be the case for everyone. Make sure to choose a time that is best for you.

21.) Making sure you have a mat to step onto outside of the shower to reduce risk for falls.

22.) Purchasing a shower/tub mat to improve shower safety when in the shower and reduce risk for slipping/falls.

23.) If you have this option, consider having a safe person available to help you either during or afterwards.

24.) If you live by yourself, consider purchasing a waterproof help alert band or necklace that can allow you to call for help if you fall or experience another emergency when bathing. You can also consider using an Apple Watch which may offer you this as well, seen within our Fitness Tracker and Helpful Items sections.