Does Anyone 'look' Sick

[JuneFlower]

I just worry so much because my daughter is so pale and just appears ill. I worry they have missed something more than POTS. I know you can't know what is going on with her but do any of you get pale and look unwell? She also has very low blood pressure but the meds are helping. However, she still feels awful.

Thanks,

June

[little_blue_jay]

I always look super tired, i.e. super droopy eyes despite sleeping late whenever I can. (I saw myself in a dollar store mirror on what I thought was a good day, I'd slept well, and saw my droopy eyes and thought I looked like cr*p warmed over!) Pale yes, due to the iron deficiency. I must look worse than I thought when I'm having the shortness of breath and tachycardia, a customer a few days ago (I work in a coffee shop) told me he could tell I wasn't feeling well, I was having a super bad day with the blood pooling in my feet.

[amyksmith]

I look sick. I look very pale, kind of ashen at times and have almost bruised-looking areas around my eyes that don't go away no matter how much sleep I get (and they aren't from allergies). People who don't know about my illness often comment that it looks like I'm about to get sick (throw up) or "must be coming down with something".

Then, since I don't sweat properly, in situations where it's hot and/or humid, I quickly turn so red in the face that it's more magenta/purple at my cheeks, areas on my neck. Also my head and neck get dripping wet -- like soaking the collar of my shirt, even though I'm just standing or (more likely) sitting there. That typically gets comments only from children so I assume it looks so awful that adults are too embarrassed to say anything.

Hope that's helpful in some way. - Amy

Edited to add: Oh, but I do not only have POTS which I see if your concern about your daughter's situation. I can't help you there, obviously, but I have autonomic dysfunction with GI, cardiac and peripheral neuro symptoms.

[gjensen]

I am not especially pale, but I do not look well. To someone that did not know me, maybe not. To those that do know me, know that I am not well by looking at me. I have seen some recent pictures of myself and was disappointed to see what I saw. It was a bit of a reality check.

[JuneFlower]

thanks everyone! Sorry you are all experiencing this distressing side effect. It must not feel great to hear people comment on your appearance.

Amy in NY- well my daughter has GI problems, weight issues, migraines and severe low blood pressure in addition to POTS but most of that is part of POTS from what I read. I don't know anymore. So maybe I shouldn't worry so much.

June

[looneymom]

Tyler is pale and does not travel well. When he has been seen by new doctors in the past, they have commented on his paleness and black circles under the eyes.

[Mamawithpots]

Contrary to the others I look perfectly normal. Which makes people question this whole thing. The only thing I have been diagnosed with is Pots, maybe that's why. Good luck, hope you look and feel better soon.

[JuneFlower]

yeah I'm not sure what makes my daughter pale and sick looking. But people still tell her that her problems are all in her head…Thanks everyone

June

[amyksmith]

June Flower -

Sounds like she has some of the same symptoms as I do, though mine have a different origin. Whatever else, please do what you can to counter anything other people say to her about her disease being "all in her head" or "only a psychological problem". Thirteen is such a challenging age to begin with and as everyone here would tell her if we could, her illness is very physical and very real. Undermining her self-awareness by telling her that her experiences aren't "real" is potentially as destructive as anything. I'm so sorry she hears that as a kid. It's challenging enough to hear that stuff as an adult. Good luck with everything. - Amy

[TCP]

Yes, I look sick and weak. My face is pale except when I really flush up. I don't look good these days bloated from meds and lethargic.

[JuneFlower]

Amy- thank you. I know this is hard for her and even sometimes I do it because I am so frustrated that she doesn't ever go to school. I know she must have some anxiety about going back and I can't always tell if she is really feeling sick or she is saying it to avoid school. I try to believe her all the time but I don't want to let her school years slip by with no effort. Its a hard balance. She can't even work on stuff at home cause she is so sick. Right now she is so nauseous she can't eat.

TCP-yes my daughter also gets red and flushed and warm to the touch. I don't know why.

June

[AshleyPooh]

I am pale but that's because I don't get into the sun (for the obvious reasons hehe). I do dhave raccoon eyes, which by that I mean to say that I have severe bruising around my eyes that makes me look like I left eye makeup on for days and it's gone and smeared everywhere. I've tried mentioning this to docs before but for whatever reason they ignore it. Also , now because of eye strain caused by my visual and migraine like symptoms, I have developed red veins on my top eyelid that looks just awful. I've resorted to using concealer to hide the bruised eyes, and pale skin colored eye shadow to hide the veins.

[JuneFlower]

Ashley,

I'm so sorry. I'm its not as bad as you think. The make up can help too. My daughter only looks bad when she feels bad. It is very weird and sudden sometimes. I'm so excited, her nausea lifted and she is doing homework now!!!

June

[Lethargic Smiles]

I am 24. My Mom can tell with one look how sick I am feeling and can even tell over the phone by my voice. It's not even a symptomatic or not symptomatic thing, she can tell the exact degree of my suffering by looking at me. She can tell if I am going to get a cold in a few days by my voice over the phone and told me I was getting mono 5 days before I realized I was sick.... also over the phone. Mom powers! She will also notice changes in my coloring more than other people around me a lot do. Sometimes I will be talking to her and not really notice a sudden increase in symptoms (because I'm used to it), and she will say, "Your color just drained, are you getting sick?" I think it may be a Mom thing.

When I feel incredibly bad and have been throwing up and such, most people can tell I am sick.

[srb]

Interesting question... On many days, people remark how good I look (including family). Just this week, however, I had a bad episode at work and several colleagues intervened based on how "bad" I looked. Mostly ashen/white and walking like a drunk apparently. Quite embarrassing.

[Daunarenee]

Yes I look sick too. Make up helps to hide the dark circles and paleness. I find myself getting super flushed when I get an adrenalin rush and sweaty, then go white with droopy eyes when my blood pressure drops. My friend with POTS also gets splotchy red skin around her chest when her heart is pounding and she turns white. The dramatic fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rate make it hard for the body, I find my blood pools in certain areas like my feet, amd stomach leaving arms and head pale and I get cold really easily! But I am glad to hear your daughter has improved blood pressure. Hopefully her blood volume can increase and she can feel better from that too.

[LastUnicornLady]

For me, it really depends on the day. Some days, people tell me I "must be feeling better" or something to that effect, and I just want to tell them to shut up... I don't, though. And then other days, people will ask my family (never me directly, though...) if I'm doing alright, because I "didn't look like it." So, it really depends.

[JuneFlower]

Sorry about typos in last post. Doh! Anyway. Yeah my daughter sometimes even looks bad when she says she is fine! Yesterday was a great day for her but she looked pretty tired with black circles. Oh well. Maybe she needs more catch up sleep.

June

[Goschi]

Most people tell me that I look "so healthy" and express their expectations that I must definitely be on the way to recovery. In most cases they refer to my "healthy-coloured" face. In fact, this is due to my almost permantent "slightly flushed" face, which is actually easy to misinterpret.

However, my wife recognizes with one look, how I am doing. She says she needs one short look into my eyes and can tell immediately where I am between "1 and 10".

[AshleyPooh]

I've been wondering for a while now why the dark circles stay there. I have them permanently, some days they are less noticeable, but they stick around. It has to be a blood flow thing I guess, but isn't that bad for your eyes?

[galatea]

I look 100% healthy all the time, which is quite frustrating as no one takes me seriously apart from family. Like some of you, I also have the permanent slightly flushed face which is interpreted as health and vigour. When I’m too tired to talk or too tired to have an ‘engaged expression’ people think I’m really bored which is annoying.

[imapumpkin]

People tell me I don't look sickly, but that I am EXTREMELY pale. I am very fair-skinned to begin with, but given that I have to avoid the sun (the heat aggravates my POTS and makes my BP drop) and the fact that POTS patients have circulation issues, it makes sense that paleness is a common symptom for us. Seriously, total strangers comment on the paleness of my skin. I started wearing much more makeup to avoid these awkward encounters,but on a day I don't feel like getting completely dolled-up, with a little blush, mascara and some tinted lip balm, people comment WAY less.

[bunny]

I vary based on how I'm doing. If I'm feeling rough I've been told I actually look gray. Full of colour when feeling good.