What makes you feel dizzy when standing up?

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Why is your head dizzy when you stand up? Why does dizziness appear at such a moment? Could this be a symptom of some disease developing? Should dizziness alarm you? The question is answered by the drug. Katarzyna Darecka.

Why does dizziness appear when standing up?

Hello, I’m 25 years old and have a problem from time to time. Namely, when getting up, you get dizzy. Most often, dizziness occurs when I wake up too quickly and want to get up right away. Then I have to stop for a moment, sometimes lie down again, chase away the nausea and spinning sensation, and then stand up. This problem is not very common, but it does occur, and I don’t know what makes you feel dizzy when standing up.

I have had it since I was a child the problem with the labyrinth – visits to the amusement park are completely out of the question, because I feel uncomfortable with the slightest shake of my head. Now dizziness and a feeling of nausea when standing up. What might make you feel dizzy when standing up? Could this be something disturbing? I would like to emphasize that the problem only arises when getting up and does not arise during the day. I never lost consciousness because of this. I just have a feeling of dizziness when standing up that will pass by itself. Please let me know what can cause this type of dizziness. Thank you in advance for your help.

The doctor indicates the causes of dizziness when standing up

Most likely, the cause of the symptoms you are experiencing is the phenomenon of orthostatic hypotension, i.e. a decrease in blood pressure after changing the body position from lying to standing.

Changing from a lying position to a standing position causes the displacement of 500-1000 ml of blood to the lower limbs, which initiates a certain sequence – the amount of blood returning to the heart through the veins decreases, which reduces the blood filling of the heart chambers, thus reducing the amount of blood pumped by the heart to the circuit and drop in blood pressure. Pressure drop causes the stimulation of baroreceptors in arterial vessels, causing a physiological reflex, resulting in enhanced effects of the sympathetic over the parasympathetic system.

For this reason, the pressure rises again to the correct values. All of these things happen for a few seconds. This is the time when not enough blood is supplied to the vessels that supply the blood to the head due to decreased cardiac output and blood pressure – causing dizziness, and some people have spots in front of their eyes and may even faint.

The phenomenon of orthostatic hypotension it most often affects the elderly, as it affects as much as 20% of people over 65, but it may occur earlier and appear at every act of getting up, also from a chair.

In about 40% of people with known orthostatic hypotension, no apparent cause of the hypotension can be found. 27% have pathology of the autonomic system. In 35% of cases it is caused by neuropathy of the autonomic system caused by chronic diseases such as diabetes or paraneoplastic syndrome. Autonomic pathologies can be a symptom of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia, Shy-Drager syndrome, Bradbury-Eggleston syndrome.

The symptoms of orthostatic hypotension can also be aggravated by drugs and stimulants, e.g. alcohol, antihypertensive drugs, anti-depressants, levodopa, antipsychotics, beta-blockers, diuretics, sildenafil or morphine.

In the event that the symptoms occurring once a day, with a slight intensity, disappear spontaneously within a few seconds – they are a symptom of a properly functioning baroreceptor reflex and do not require further diagnostics. If the dizziness gets worse, occurs more often or other disturbing symptoms appear – see your GP as soon as possible.

– Lek. Katarzyna Darecka

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