Navigating the summer heat with a new sense of control
By Nolynn Palmer, science and partnership lead, EmaEQ and Heather Ritchie, COO, Embr Labs
Summer is reminiscent of many things: the smell of sunscreen, longer evenings, dedicated family time, vacations finally on the calendar, maybe even a wardrobe refresh.
There’s a particular kind of joy that settles in this time of year, a collective breath of excitement.
But for people living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), summer’s signature feature, heat, can turn that joy and excitement into something much harder to navigate.
POTS is a form of dysautonomia that disrupts the body’s ability to regulate blood flow when moving from lying down to standing.
Temperature dysregulation and heat intolerance are core symptoms in POTS.
Heat makes symptoms worse: blood vessels dilate, blood pressure drops, and symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, and heart palpitations intensify. What feels like a beautiful day to most can feel like an obstacle course to someone with POTS.
POTS affects an estimated 0.2 per cent to 1 per cent of the North American population, according to a 2020 NIH study; a figure that’s almost certainly undercounted, and one many researchers believe has grown significantly in the wake of COVID-19.
Roughly 75 per cent to 85 per cent of POTS diagnoses are female, and the average time from symptom onset to formal diagnosis is four to six years.
These individuals spend years researching their symptoms, becoming fluent in their own condition long before receiving a diagnosis.
Since launching its first-generation Embr Wave device, Embr has consistently heard from those with POTS looking for a solution for temperature intolerance and the symptoms that result.
Embr Wave’s temperature delivery system, providing immediate wearable cooling relief, maps directly to one of POTS’s most consistent symptoms, heat intolerance.
Embr’s implementation of Tempura, Embr’s app-based AI Assistant, has provided Embr with even more clarity on the impact Embr Wave can have in this statistically small population.
In the last 90 days, nearly 3 per cent of conversations with Tempura have touched on POTS. Relative to population prevalence, that’s a significant overrepresentation, confirming that individuals with POTS are actively seeking tools that are designed for their symptoms.
Embr Wave provides a model for how designing products for one use case, menopausal women managing hot flashes, can be found to have tremendous benefits for other populations.
The influx of advocacy by those with POTS led to a research study published this year that measured the improvement in Quality of Life factors when supported by thermoregulation wearables.
The product design by its nature, and how customers are using and talking about it, has had a snowball effect in the POTS community, amplifying awareness of a safe, always-available solution for this unmet need.
For someone with POTS, temperature isn’t a minor variable but a sizable trigger. Giving someone a way to manage temperature response hands them back a measure of control they didn’t have before.
Those in the Embr community living with POTS describe using their Wave devices both proactively and in-the-moment: some turn on their Wave’s cool-down signals before leaving the house or entering a crowded event, knowing what’s ahead.
Others use it reactively, when they feel their body beginning to respond poorly, and bring themselves back in balance.
Either way, Embr Wave provides its users with a sense of control around something they cannot control, their environment, allowing one to focus on and enjoy the moment.
No one should have to skip the places or events they love because their body can’t handle the heat. The goal is to help people stay in their lives fully, with less friction and more confidence in what their bodies can handle.
Nolynn Palmer holds a Masters of Global Public Health & Policy with a focus in Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights. As the Science & Partnership Lead at EmaEQ, she leverages her knowledge of health policy and clinical science to advance AI safety and accuracy across the healthcare industry.
Heather Ritchie has a decades-long background in product management, launching enterprise and consumer solutions that improve health and wellness management. At Embr Labs, she serves as COO and leads the user design and market launch of Embr Wave (2nd Gen).
