Dizziness When Standing

Feeling dizzy or lightheaded when standing up from a sitting or lying down position is a common occurrence that most people will experience at some point in their lives. However, frequent or severe dizziness upon standing may be a sign of an underlying condition that should be evaluated by a medical professional.

In this article, we will explain orthostatic hypotension - one of the most common reasons for dizziness upon standing - as well as other factors that can contribute to lightheadedness, including medication side effects, dehydration, and medical conditions.

Let’s take a look at how balance therapy in McKinney, TX and other treatment options can help you prevent dizziness when standing.

Understanding Orthostatic Hypotension

Orthostatic hypotension specifically refers to a drop in systolic blood pressure - the first and higher of the two numbers that make up a blood pressure reading - of at least 20 millimetres mercury (mm Hg) or a drop in diastolic blood pressure, the second lower number, of at least 10 mm Hg within three minutes of standing. 

This abrupt lowering of blood pressure on changing position leads to inadequate blood flow to the heart and brain, causing temporary deficits in oxygen and symptoms of dizziness or lightheadedness as the body struggles to compensate.

Normally, when moving from a seated to standing position, receptors that determine changes in blood pressure and volume send signals to areas in the nervous system that control heart rate and blood vessel constriction. This prompts a natural tightening of blood vessels and an increase in heart rate intended to stop excessive blood from pooling in the legs due to gravity when standing up.

Common Causes of Dizziness When Standing

While orthostatic hypotension is one of the most prevalent causes of feeling faint or dizzy when standing up, other factors can also sometimes provoke lightheadedness when changing position. Understanding different reasons for instability when standing helps identify any appropriate remedies or lifestyle changes.

Dehydration and Mineral Deficiencies

Blood volume essentially represents how much fluid is circulating to carry oxygen and nutrients to tissues. When the body lacks sufficient fluids, less blood reaches the brain when standing, precipitating weakness or dizziness. Vomiting, diarrhea, intense exercise, and insufficient fluid intake can all lead to dehydration.

Certain essential minerals like potassium and sodium also help regulate fluid balance in and outside cells. Deficiencies through restricted diets, chronic vomiting, or frequent diarrhea disrupt electrolyte levels. 

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

While not as common as basic orthostatic hypotension, POTS also frequently causes dizziness upon standing. Instead of experiencing an overt drop in blood pressure, though, people with POTS develop a rapid increase in heart rate of over 30 beats per minute when standing up.

This excessive acceleration of heart rate aims to pump more blood upward to the brain against gravity's pull. But the chaotic cardiac response instead reduces effective blood flow, provoking similar lightheaded sensations. People with POTS may also report increased fatigue, headache, anxiety, nausea, and exercise intolerance.

Anemia and Nutritional Deficiencies

Healthy red blood cell counts ensure sufficient oxygen reaches the brain and body tissues. When the blood lacks enough red cells, or they function abnormally, tissues can become easily deprived of oxygen. 

Iron deficiency anaemia is especially common in women and often causes symptoms of weakness, fatigue, and lightheadedness. Vegetarians, athletes, pregnant women, and those with menorrhagia or ulcers tend to have an increased risk for iron deficiency.

Medications

A wide variety of prescription and over-the-counter medications also list dizziness as a potential side effect. 

Antihypertensives, diuretics, antidepressants, opioid pain relievers, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, radiation cancer drugs, and antifungals like terbinafine all influence fluid regulation, heart rate variables, or blood vessel function to some degree. 

This alters complex blood pressure modulation processes, especially posture changes.

Age-Related Changes

While people of all ages may experience brief dizziness when standing up too quickly, more persistent or severe symptoms affect adults over age 60 more commonly. Age intrinsically stiffens blood vessel walls and slows reflexive responses to position changes. 

Loss of lean muscle mass also means less vascular tissue to trap blood volume. Underlying illnesses often requiring medications also accumulate later in life.

Symptoms and Warning Signs

Recognizing common signs of pending lightheadedness or faintness allows people to take preventive measures before falling or losing consciousness when standing up. While no organ damage results from a single fainting spell, injury risks mean those prone to dizziness rising should educate themselves on characteristic warning manifestations.

Typical initial symptoms signaling blood pressure or oxygenation drops not yet severe enough to cause actual fainting include:

• Lightheadedness, fuzzy thinking, or dizziness
• Visual dimming, blurring at the periphery, or outright vision darkening/loss
• Tinnitus, muffled hearing
• Yawning inexplicably
• Sweating or chills indicating a sympathetic stress response
• Weakness or knee buckling sensation
• Headaches
• Feeling overly warm or cool

These manifestations tend to strike rapidly, within seconds to minutes of standing but may fade fairly quickly if laying back down or hydrating electrolytes. Their episodic nature provides a warning to sit or lie down before consciousness fully fails.

Treatment and Management

Those experiencing occasional or relatively mild dizziness when standing can implement self-care strategies at home for symptom relief. 

However, recurrent fainting episodes or indications of progressive blood pressure dysfunction should prompt medical assessment for prescription interventions alongside management advice.

Initial Measures for Orthostatic Hypotension

Mayo Clinic recommendations for minimizing bothersome orthostatic hypotension symptoms include:

• Rising slowly through multiple stages - long-lying to sitting, sitting to standing with deliberate pauses between position changes better allows blood vessels to gradually adapt.
• Increasing salt and fluid intake expands blood volume so it more successfully reaches the brain against gravity.
• Avoiding precipitating factors like hot showers, alcohol, and heavy meals redirects blood from digestive processes to the brain. Scheduling demands after these hypotensive influences subside minimizes fainting risks.
• Checking for problematic medications reducing blood volume or relaxing veins; timing doses for the greatest effect before bed reduces daytime faintness.
• Donning abdominal compression garments prevents blood pooling in the legs, so sufficient supply travels to the head when upright.
• Practicing balance rehabilitation routines through physical therapy in McKinney TX trains muscles to better control blood flow despite position shifts.

Pursuing such conservative recommendations prevents injury from tripping or falling during abrupt drops in pressure down the track. Keeping a symptom diary also helps identify personal triggers influencing blood pressure volatility.

Medical Management Approaches

If at-home methods prove insufficient for managing recurring signs like weakness and faintness when standing, various medical options help stabilize blood pressure function. 

Initial testing like active stand tests, echocardiograms, or tilt-table evaluations helps doctors discern causes and severity so appropriate interventions can be applied.

Prescribing fludrocortisone introduces more mineralocorticoid hormones to help kidneys retain fluids, thereby expanding plasma volume. Similarly, desmopressin and erythropoietin drugs assist in regulating body water balance and red blood cell production, respectively.

Conclusion

Dizziness upon standing signals complex blood pressure regulatory systems are struggling to appropriately perfuse the brain against gravity's downward drag. Orthostatic hypotension frequently underlies such symptoms due to inadequate vascular constriction and cardiac acceleration when moving from sitting or lying to upright. 

However, various conditions influencing hydration levels, heart function, neurological communication, nutrition, and medications also contribute to lightheadedness upon standing up. If you are not sure about the possible causes of your dizziness, you can contact FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers - McKinney Coit.