Dizzy after standing up? Devon Firestone, health and wellness writer based in Houston, Texas, provides a comprehensive analysis of the seven reasons to this phenomenon at insider.com, and suggests ways to address it. This article is worth reading if you suffer from hypertension, as the author ties each situation to blood pressure. Below is the article’s brief summary. We highly recommend to read the full story.
Standing up can make you feel dizzy. It is generally caused by orthostatic hypotension, a type of low blood pressure caused by a change in posture. As blood vessels weaken with age, people over 65 are more likely to experience dizziness when standing. If your blood vessels are weak, your brain cells don’t get enough oxygen, resulting in lightheadedness and fainting spells.
There are seven reasons to a sudden dizziness after standing up:
There are seven reason to a sudden dizzyness after standing up:
- Standing up too fast
In order to maintain homeostasis, a state of balance that allows your body’s many systems to work smoothly, your blood pressure naturally changes based on your position. By momentarily depriving your brain of blood, shifting positions can shock your body. - Overheating and dehydration
Dehydration and overheating can easily occur if you don’t drink enough water, especially during hot weather. It is natural for your blood pressure to decrease when the temperature of your environment increases, resulting in dizziness and lightheadedness.
Low blood pressure can be caused by dehydration in the short term. By constricting blood vessels, dehydration can cause high blood pressure over time. - Alcohol consumption
Blood vessels can be damaged and narrowed by alcohol, reducing blood flow and making your body work harder to regulate blood pressure. You may feel dizzy after drinking a few drinks, so you may feel dizzy when standing.
Standing up or lying down can make you dizzy because a sudden change in position already affects blood pressure. - Vigorous exercise
During exercise, your muscles stimulate blood flow to your heart. The blood in your extremities tends to rush back when you are resting. After exercising, you may feel dizzy due to the rush of blood and the exertion on your lungs.
Intense or extreme exercise, in particular, can lower your blood pressure and cause dizziness - Medications
When standing up, certain medications may cause dizziness because they alter your blood pressure. Here are some examples:
– Diuretics, beta blockers, and ACE inhibitors are medications that work specifically on blood pressure.
– Prozac, for example, can cause low blood pressure as a side effect.
– Tamsulosin (Flomax) is a medication that treats urinary retention.
– Diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax) are benzodiazepines.
– Inhibitors of monoamine oxidase (MAOIs) or tricyclic antidepressants. - Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
POTS is a more severe form of orthostatic intolerance, which causes dizziness and fainting while standing.
It is possible to experience lingering dizziness if you have POTS, as your body is unable to regulate your blood pressure automatically. - Current health conditions: When standing up, vertigo and dizziness can be caused by health conditions other than blood pressure, such as gastrointestinal (GI) problems, inner ear problems, and hormonal changes.
Dizziness may also be caused by other health problems involving a drop in blood pressure when you stand up. The following are examples of these conditions:
- Heart problems
- Thyroid conditions such as hypothyroidism
- Type 2 diabetes
- Neurologic conditions, such as Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease
- Anemia
