 Show It's a common phenomenon with an uncommon name: orthostatic hypotension. It just means that when you shift from lying down or sitting to standing, your blood pressure drops and you momentarily feel a little woozy. That's because blood pools in your legs temporarily when you stand up, and it takes the body a moment to compensate by squeezing blood out of the large veins in your legs and revving up the heart a bit. The dizziness may strike after you eat a meal, because digestion diverts blood flow and may lower your blood pressure. Up to 20% of people over 65 experience some degree of orthostatic hypotension. "If it's occasional or mild, this doesn't need to be aggressively treated," says Dr. Christian Ruff, a cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "But if you feel you could fall or that it's impairing your quality of life, then you should be evaluated." How to ward off woozinessIf lightheadedness when changing position is mild or occasional, you can take some practical steps to prevent it: Check medications. A variety of medications can lower blood pressure. "That contributes to a remarkable number of cases that I see," Dr. Ruff says. It can help to lower doses or stop taking medications that you don't absolutely need—after consulting with your doctor, of course. Get adequate fluids. Another common trigger is dehydration. Your blood is mostly water, and the volume in your system can drop overnight and lower your blood pressure. This helps explain why dizziness upon rising from bed is so common. Drinking a lot of water before bedtime is not the best solution, since it can send you racing to the bathroom at night. Wait until you are up and around to start taking fluids, and get enough throughout the day. Rise slowly. After sleeping, sitting for an extended period, or eating a full meal, take your time rising to a standing position. It may help to clench your leg muscles before standing to push the pooled blood into your system. Change your eating habits. If dizziness strikes after meals, try eating smaller but more frequent meals. It may also help to limit how many rapidly digested carbohydrates you eat in one sitting, such as white bread and other foods made with highly refined flour, white rice, potatoes, and sugary beverages. Get moving. A bit of light exercise in the morning can also help to get the blood moving and your blood pressure up. Also, avoid standing in place or sitting for too long, because this increases pooling of blood in the legs. Don't take risks when risingIf you ever lose consciousness when standing up—even for a moment—or if you fall, tell your doctor right away. Medications are available to treat orthostatic hypotension if necessary. But try the easy stuff first. "It's often a lot of little things, and often if you make small changes in a couple of areas you make it better so you don't need to use medication," Dr. Ruff says. Image: fizkes/Getty Images Topic Resources In some people, particularly older people, blood pressure drops excessively when they sit or stand up (a condition called orthostatic or postural hypotension). Symptoms of faintness, light-headedness, dizziness, confusion, or blurred vision occur within seconds to a few minutes of standing (particularly
after lying in bed or sitting for a long time) and resolve rapidly when the person lies down. However, some people fall, faint, or very rarely have a brief seizure. Symptoms are often more common and worse after people exercise, have consumed alcohol and/or a heavy meal, or are deficient in fluids
(dehydration Dehydration Dehydration is a
deficiency of water in the body. Vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sweating, burns, kidney failure, and use of diuretics may cause dehydration. People feel thirsty, and as dehydration... read more ). Some younger people experience similar symptoms upon standing but without having a drop in blood pressure. Often, their heart rate increases (tachycardia) more than normal upon standing, so this condition is called postural orthostatic tachycardia
syndrome (POTS). The reason why such people feel dizzy despite having normal blood pressure is not clear. Many disorders can cause problems with blood pressure regulation and lead to dizziness when standing up. Categories of causes include
Causes differ depending on whether symptoms are new or have been present for some time. The most common causes of new dizziness when standing up include
The most common causes of dizziness when standing up that has been present for a long time (chronic) include
People who become dizzy or light-headed when standing up often recover quickly when they sit down and then slowly stand again. However, it is usually important to determine what is causing the dizziness. The following information can help people decide when to see a doctor and help them know what to expect during the evaluation. In people who become dizzy or light-headed when standing up, certain symptoms and characteristics are cause for concern. They include
People who have warning signs should seek emergency department care right away. Other people who have frequent or ongoing episodes of dizziness upon standing should see a doctor when practical. Typically a delay of a week or so is not harmful. People who have only an occasional episode of dizziness upon standing should call their doctor. The doctor will decide whether and how quickly to see the person depending on the other symptoms and medical history. The doctor first asks questions about the person's symptoms and medical history. Doctors then do a physical examination. What they find during the history and physical examination often suggests a cause of the dizziness and the tests that may need to be done. Doctors ask
The doctor then does a physical examination. The person lies down for 5 minutes, and then the doctor measures the blood pressure and heart rate. Blood pressure and heart rate are measured again after the person stands or sits up for 1 minute and again after standing or sitting for 3 minutes. The doctor may do a digital rectal examination to see whether the person might have some bleeding in the digestive tract. A neurologic examination to test strength, sensation, reflexes, balance, and gait is important. If doctors suspect a drug is causing the dizziness, they may ask the person to stop taking the drug and observe whether the dizziness also stops, thus confirming the cause. Any causes are treated when possible, including changing or stopping any causative drugs. However, many causes cannot be cured, and people must take measures to decrease their symptoms. Measures include lifestyle changes and drugs. People requiring prolonged bed rest should sit up each day and exercise in bed when possible. People who are lying down or sitting should rise slowly and carefully. In general, it is helpful to consume adequate fluids, limit or avoid alcohol, and exercise regularly when feasible. Regular exercise of modest intensity increases the muscle tone in blood vessel walls, which reduces pooling of blood in the legs. Sleeping with the head of the bed raised may help relieve symptoms. For some people, increasing salt intake may increase water retention and lessen symptoms. Doctors may recommend that people increase their salt intake by liberally salting food or taking sodium chloride tablets. However, increasing salt intake may not be recommended for people with heart disorders. Doctors may give fludrocortisone, a drug that helps the body retain salt and water and thus prevent blood pressure from dropping when a person stands. However, this drug may cause high blood pressure when people are lying down, heart failure, and low levels of potassium in the blood. Sometimes doctors combine propranolol or another beta-blocker with fludrocortisone. Midodrine is a drug that narrows both arteries and veins, helping prevent blood pooling. Side effects include tingling or numbness and itching. This drug is not recommended for people with coronary artery or peripheral arterial disease. Other drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), droxidopa, pyridostigmine and octreotide may help in some cases. Dizziness or light-headedness when standing occurs in about 20% of older people. It is more common among people with coexisting disorders, especially high blood pressure, and among residents of long-term care facilities. Many falls may result from dizziness when standing. Older people should avoid prolonged standing. The increased incidence in older people is due to decreases in the responsiveness of the receptors that manage blood pressure plus increases in arterial wall stiffness, which make it more difficult for arteries to move more blood to increase blood pressure. Decreases in receptor responsiveness delay the normal heart and blood vessel responses to standing. Paradoxically, high blood pressure, which is more common among older people, may contribute to poor receptor sensitivity, increasing vulnerability to dizziness when standing.
CLICK HERE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL VERSION Copyright © 2022 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. All rights reserved. How do I stop getting dizzy when I stand up?After sleeping, sitting for an extended period, or eating a full meal, take your time rising to a standing position. It may help to clench your leg muscles before standing to push the pooled blood into your system. Change your eating habits. If dizziness strikes after meals, try eating smaller but more frequent meals.
Why do I get dizzy when I bend over and stand up?Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) makes you dizzy when you change your head or body position (like bending over). It usually only lasts a few seconds or minutes. This harmless condition happens when calcium crystals in your inner ear move out of place.
How do you know if dizziness is serious?Get emergency medical care if you experience new, severe dizziness or vertigo along with any of the following:. Sudden, severe headache.. Chest pain.. Difficulty breathing.. Numbness or paralysis of arms or legs.. Fainting.. Double vision.. Rapid or irregular heartbeat.. Confusion or slurred speech.. What is the most common cause of dizziness?Sudden drop in blood pressure: Sudden low blood pressure may be caused by various medical conditions or even from standing up (orthostatic hypotension). It can lead to dizziness and falling, especially in older adults.
|
What causes dizziness when standing up or bending over
Copyright © 2024 en.frojeostern Inc.
