https://autonomic.care/insights/ HRV, POTS, dysautonomia and post-viral recovery, explained for the people living it. en-us © Autonomic Autonomic Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://autonomic.care/web-app-manifest-512x512.png https://autonomic.care/insights/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/autonomic-blood-pressure-indices-kerdo-robinson-kvas/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/autonomic-blood-pressure-indices-kerdo-robinson-kvas/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth From three simple numbers (systolic, diastolic and pulse) you can derive several older physiology indices that read autonomic balance and cardiovascular efficiency. They are research tools, not clinical verdicts, so their value is in your own trend. Here is what each one means and how to read it. basics https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/blood-pressure-basics-systolic-diastolic-pulse/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/blood-pressure-basics-systolic-diastolic-pulse/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth The three numbers on a blood-pressure reading each tell a different story: systolic is the peak as your heart contracts, diastolic is the resting pressure between beats, and pulse is how fast it all repeats. Here is what each one means and how a recovery-focused reading differs from the clinical chart. basics https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/how-to-measure-hrv-accurately-at-home/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/how-to-measure-hrv-accurately-at-home/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth The secret to at-home HRV isn't an expensive device: it's consistency. Same time, same posture, same length, every day. Here's how to take readings you can actually trust, why the trend matters more than any single morning, and how to stop fooling yourself with noise. basics hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/hrv-complete-guide/ https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/hrv-complete-guide/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Heart rate variability is the single clearest at-home window into your autonomic nervous system. This is the complete guide: what RMSSD, SDNN, HF and LF actually mean, what moves them, how to measure well, and how to read the trend without spiraling. hrv recovery https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/hrv-frequency-domain-vlf-lf-hf-power/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/hrv-frequency-domain-vlf-lf-hf-power/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Your heartbeat rhythm can be split into frequency bands, each reflecting a different piece of autonomic regulation. Here's what HF, LF, VLF and total power actually mean, why the mix matters more than the total, and how to read the LF/HF ratio without over-trusting it. basics hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/hrv-histogram-mode-amo50-mxdmn-cv/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/hrv-histogram-mode-amo50-mxdmn-cv/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Mode, AMo50, MxDMn and CV are the geometric HRV metrics: four different reads on the shape of your heartbeat-interval histogram. They're the raw ingredients behind the Baevsky stress index. Here's what each one describes and how to grade it. basics hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/lf-peak-hf-peak-coherence-resonance/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/lf-peak-hf-peak-coherence-resonance/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Frequency-domain HRV isn't only about how much power sits in each band: it's about where the power concentrates. Here's what the LF and HF peaks mean, why paced breathing pulls them into place, and how resonance-frequency breathing at about six breaths a minute maximizes your HRV. basics hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/mean-arterial-pressure-and-pulse-pressure/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/mean-arterial-pressure-and-pulse-pressure/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Systolic over diastolic is only the start. Two derived numbers, mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure, often say more about how well your circulation is actually perfusing your organs, and both are quietly informative in POTS and orthostatic intolerance. basics https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/pns-index-sns-index-stress-index-explained/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/pns-index-sns-index-stress-index-explained/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Three numbers the app shows side by side to describe autonomic balance: the PNS index (your rest-and-recover side), the SNS index (your fight-or-flight side), and the Baevsky stress index. Here's what each one means and how they move together. basics hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/resting-heart-rate-and-mean-rr/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/resting-heart-rate-and-mean-rr/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Resting heart rate is the plainest read on your autonomic load, and a creeping baseline is often the first sign of a bad stretch. Here's why position changes the number, how mean RR is the same information seen from beat-to-beat space, and how to read a rising resting HR in POTS recovery. basics hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/rmssd-and-pnn50-vagal-tone-metrics/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/rmssd-and-pnn50-vagal-tone-metrics/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth RMSSD and pNN50 are the two time-domain numbers that track vagal tone, the parasympathetic 'rest and digest' side of your nervous system. RMSSD is the cleanest day-to-day recovery signal you have. Here's what each one means and how to read them. basics hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/rr-intervals-and-the-tachogram-explained/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/rr-intervals-and-the-tachogram-explained/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Every HRV number you'll ever see is built from one simple series: the time in milliseconds between your heartbeats. This is the plain-language explainer for RR intervals, the tachogram that plots them, and why a healthy trace looks like rolling waves rather than a flat line. basics hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/the-autonomic-score-and-grade-bands/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/the-autonomic-score-and-grade-bands/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Every colored tint in the app traces back to one system: a 0–100 readiness score and a ladder of grade bands from Excellent down to Crash, plus a violet Warning flag for readings that are suspiciously high. Here's how raw metrics become a single number, and how to read it without over-trusting it. basics app https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/what-is-sdnn-in-hrv/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/what-is-sdnn-in-hrv/ Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth SDNN is the broadest single HRV number: the standard deviation of the gaps between your heartbeats. Here's what it measures, why short readings run lower than the figures you see quoted, and how to read it as a recovery signal. basics hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/research/long-covid-dysautonomia-research-2026/ https://autonomic.care/insights/research/long-covid-dysautonomia-research-2026/ Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth An honest read on where the science stands in 2026: long COVID and ME/CFS increasingly look like related post-viral illnesses with measurable autonomic dysfunction, and the evidence is converging on why. research postviral https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/recovery-from-post-viral-dysautonomia/ https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/recovery-from-post-viral-dysautonomia/ Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Recovery from POTS and post-viral dysautonomia is slow, noisy and non-linear, which is exactly why it's so easy to lose hope in the day-to-day. Here's how to pace, read your trends, and turn months of scattered data into decisions that actually bend the curve. recovery pots postviral https://autonomic.care/insights/food/low-histamine-pots-meal-ideas/ https://autonomic.care/insights/food/low-histamine-pots-meal-ideas/ Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth A crash-day toolkit of low-effort, lower-histamine meals that also respect POTS: salt-forward, easy to digest, and cookable with minimal standing. Idea lists, not fussy recipes, with one habit that changes everything: cook fresh, freeze fast. food recovery https://autonomic.care/insights/app/getting-started-with-autonomic/ https://autonomic.care/insights/app/getting-started-with-autonomic/ Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth A friendly, low-effort plan for your first seven days. Set a baseline, build a simple morning habit, and learn what to ignore while your data is still finding its feet. app recovery https://autonomic.care/insights/postviral/pots-long-covid-and-mcas-overlap/ https://autonomic.care/insights/postviral/pots-long-covid-and-mcas-overlap/ Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth POTS, long COVID, ME/CFS and MCAS overlap so much that many people are told they have several at once. Here's what actually connects them, how they differ, and which parts of each you can track at home. postviral pots https://autonomic.care/insights/app/autonomic-app-measure-analyze-monitor-act/ https://autonomic.care/insights/app/autonomic-app-measure-analyze-monitor-act/ Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Everything about autonomic recovery comes down to one loop: measure what's happening, analyze the trend, monitor for warnings, and act. Autonomic is the app built to close that loop: private, offline, and scored against medical thresholds. app recovery https://autonomic.care/insights/food/mediterranean-diet-long-covid/ https://autonomic.care/insights/food/mediterranean-diet-long-covid/ Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Long COVID involves persistent, low-grade inflammation, and the Mediterranean pattern is one of the most anti-inflammatory ways to eat. Here is what the 2025 evidence actually shows, and how to start without overwhelming yourself. food postviral research https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/autonomic-nervous-system-and-dysautonomia-guide/ https://autonomic.care/insights/basics/autonomic-nervous-system-and-dysautonomia-guide/ Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Your autonomic nervous system runs everything you never think about: heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, temperature. When it stops regulating properly, that's dysautonomia. Here is how it works, what goes wrong, and why it's measurable. basics pots postviral https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/what-recovery-looks-like/ https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/what-recovery-looks-like/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Recovery from post-viral dysautonomia and POTS is real but slow, and it almost never moves in a straight line. Here is what the honest timeline looks like, why plateaus mislead you, and what to watch instead of the daily noise. recovery postviral https://autonomic.care/insights/pots/best-tools-for-tracking-pots/ https://autonomic.care/insights/pots/best-tools-for-tracking-pots/ Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth A practical guide to the affordable devices that capture POTS at home (chest straps, rings, watches, blood-pressure cuffs and pulse oximeters), plus the one test that needs no gadget at all. pots app https://autonomic.care/insights/postviral/is-it-long-covid-or-pots/ https://autonomic.care/insights/postviral/is-it-long-covid-or-pots/ Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Long COVID and POTS are not competing labels: one is a broad umbrella and the other a specific, measurable diagnosis that often sits inside it. Here is how to tell what you are actually dealing with. postviral pots https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/resonant-breathing-hrv-biofeedback/ https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/resonant-breathing-hrv-biofeedback/ Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Slowing your breath to about six breaths a minute is one of the few things that reliably raises HRV in real time. Here is the mechanism, a concrete protocol, and honest caveats for sensitive nervous systems. hrv recovery research https://autonomic.care/insights/food/sibo-histamine-gut-dysautonomia/ https://autonomic.care/insights/food/sibo-histamine-gut-dysautonomia/ Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Dysautonomia doesn't stop at your heart rate, it slows your gut, invites bacterial overgrowth, and can stir up histamine problems. Here is how POTS, SIBO and MCAS feed each other, and the dietary tools that actually help. food pots postviral https://autonomic.care/insights/research/does-hrv-biofeedback-work-long-covid/ https://autonomic.care/insights/research/does-hrv-biofeedback-work-long-covid/ Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Slow resonant breathing is one of the gentlest things you can try for long COVID dysautonomia. Here is what the actual studies found, where they fall short, and how to judge whether it is worth your energy. research hrv postviral https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/sleep-and-autonomic-recovery/ https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/sleep-and-autonomic-recovery/ Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Most of your parasympathetic restoration happens overnight, which makes sleep the single biggest lever you have on autonomic recovery. Here is how dysautonomia disrupts it, and gentle, realistic ways to sleep better. recovery hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/how-to-improve-hrv-what-works/ https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/how-to-improve-hrv-what-works/ Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth The honest, evidence-based guide to raising heart rate variability, ranked by real-world impact. Sleep and pacing beat any gadget, and in post-viral illness HRV mostly rises as the underlying dysregulation heals. hrv recovery https://autonomic.care/insights/food/low-histamine-diet-mcas/ https://autonomic.care/insights/food/low-histamine-diet-mcas/ Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth A low-histamine diet can calm the flares of MCAS and histamine intolerance by lowering your total histamine load. Here is a practical eat-versus-avoid list, the freshness rule that matters most, and why this is a short-term tool, not a way of life. food pots https://autonomic.care/insights/app/autonomic-vs-fitness-trackers/ https://autonomic.care/insights/app/autonomic-vs-fitness-trackers/ Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Fitness trackers are built for healthy people chasing performance. When you are recovering from POTS or long COVID, that framing can quietly mislead you. Here is what a recovery-first tool does differently. app hrv pots https://autonomic.care/insights/postviral/what-causes-long-covid/ https://autonomic.care/insights/postviral/what-causes-long-covid/ Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth The leading 2026 theories for what drives long COVID overlap rather than compete: persistent inflammation, microclots, small-fiber nerve damage, autoantibodies and autonomic injury. Here is what each one may explain about how you feel. postviral research https://autonomic.care/insights/pots/pots-treatment-salt-fluids-compression-medication/ https://autonomic.care/insights/pots/pots-treatment-salt-fluids-compression-medication/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth POTS treatment usually starts with volume, compression and a careful exercise ramp, and adds medication when those aren't enough. Here's how each piece works and why it's almost always a combination. pots recovery https://autonomic.care/insights/food/pots-diet-what-to-eat/ https://autonomic.care/insights/food/pots-diet-what-to-eat/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth There is no single POTS diet, but a few patterns reliably help: smaller and more frequent meals, generous sodium and fluids, and steady blood sugar. Here is what to eat, what tends to backfire, and why. food pots https://autonomic.care/insights/research/how-accurate-are-hrv-wearables/ https://autonomic.care/insights/research/how-accurate-are-hrv-wearables/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Chest straps, rings and watches don't measure your nervous system equally. Here is what peer-reviewed validation studies actually show about HRV accuracy, and why consistency matters more than a perfect number. research hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/pacing-101-energy-envelope/ https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/pacing-101-energy-envelope/ Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Pacing is the single most important recovery skill for POTS, long COVID and ME/CFS. Here is how to find the edge of your energy envelope, stop the boom-and-bust cycle, and expand your capacity without triggering a crash. recovery pots postviral https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/hrv-dropped-overnight-how-to-read-it/ https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/hrv-dropped-overnight-how-to-read-it/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth You checked your morning HRV and it cratered. Before you spiral, here is what actually moves a single reading, why one day is mostly noise, and how to read the rolling trend that really matters. hrv recovery https://autonomic.care/insights/app/how-autonomic-scores-your-readings/ https://autonomic.care/insights/app/how-autonomic-scores-your-readings/ Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth A raw HRV or heart-rate number means almost nothing on its own. Here is how Autonomic turns each reading into a grade zone, scored against recovery-relevant thresholds and your own rolling baseline. app hrv https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/how-to-measure-hrv-at-home-devices/ https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/how-to-measure-hrv-at-home-devices/ Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Chest straps, finger rings and wrist watches all measure HRV differently, and their accuracy varies more than the marketing suggests. Here is what the validation research shows, and why consistency beats precision every time. hrv app https://autonomic.care/insights/research/science-of-salt-and-fluids-for-pots/ https://autonomic.care/insights/research/science-of-salt-and-fluids-for-pots/ Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth "Drink more, salt more" is the most repeated advice in POTS. Here is the physiology behind it, what the evidence actually supports, and where the guidance runs ahead of the data. research pots https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/what-is-hrv-and-why-it-matters-for-pots-recovery/ https://autonomic.care/insights/hrv/what-is-hrv-and-why-it-matters-for-pots-recovery/ Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Heart rate variability is one of the clearest windows into your autonomic nervous system. Here is what it measures, why it drops in POTS and post-viral illness, and how to read it without obsessing. hrv pots basics https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/find-your-triggers-symptom-journal/ https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/find-your-triggers-symptom-journal/ Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Scattered logs rarely reveal what sets off a crash. Here is how to keep a symptom journal that turns daily notes into cause-and-effect, including the delayed reactions that make triggers so hard to spot. recovery app https://autonomic.care/insights/pots/exercise-for-pots-levine-protocol/ https://autonomic.care/insights/pots/exercise-for-pots-levine-protocol/ Sat, 23 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Upright exercise often backfires early in POTS. The recumbent-first approach (the Levine and CHOP protocols) trains your heart lying down first, then works toward standing over months. Here is how to start without crashing. pots recovery https://autonomic.care/insights/pots/the-orthostatic-stand-test-at-home/ https://autonomic.care/insights/pots/the-orthostatic-stand-test-at-home/ Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth The lying-to-standing heart rate test is the single most useful at-home measurement for POTS. Here is how to run it consistently and how to read the rise and recovery. pots basics https://autonomic.care/insights/postviral/post-exertional-malaise-explained/ https://autonomic.care/insights/postviral/post-exertional-malaise-explained/ Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Post-exertional malaise is the delayed, disproportionate crash after exertion that defines ME/CFS and shadows long COVID. Here is why the delay makes it dangerous, why pushing through backfires, and how to see it coming. postviral recovery https://autonomic.care/insights/postviral/long-covid-dysautonomia-symptoms/ https://autonomic.care/insights/postviral/long-covid-dysautonomia-symptoms/ Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Racing heart on standing, dizziness, brain fog, exertion crashes and temperature swings after COVID often share one root: a dysregulated autonomic nervous system. Here is how to recognize the pattern and what to do next. postviral pots https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/turn-your-data-into-a-doctor-conversation/ https://autonomic.care/insights/recovery/turn-your-data-into-a-doctor-conversation/ Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Appointments are short and symptoms are hard to describe from memory. Here is how to use your own tracked data to walk in with a clear, specific summary your clinician can act on. recovery basics app https://autonomic.care/insights/app/why-autonomic-is-offline-first/ https://autonomic.care/insights/app/why-autonomic-is-offline-first/ Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth Health data is some of the most sensitive information you own, yet most apps ship it to the cloud. Autonomic keeps everything on your iPhone. Here is why that is a design choice, not a settings toggle. app https://autonomic.care/insights/pots/how-pots-is-diagnosed/ https://autonomic.care/insights/pots/how-pots-is-diagnosed/ Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Austin Spaeth POTS is diagnosed by a sustained heart-rate rise on standing without a big blood-pressure drop, symptoms lasting months, and other causes ruled out. Here is what the criteria mean and what the tests feel like. pots basics