Why does this happen? What can you do in these situations? Keep reading to find out! :)
It’s due to a condition called orthostatic or postural hypotension, which is when your blood pressure drops absurdly fast. It is usually caused by standing up too fast after laying down for an extended period of time.
"There was one time I had stood up too fast and thought it went away but it didn’t. By the time I had gotten upstairs I fainted and shattered a glass of water. Another time my eyes went so dark that I ran into a glass table and hit my head really hard."
WHY?
The symptoms tend to worsen after exercise, alcohol consumption, large meals, and dehydration. Symptoms of lightheadedness, dizziness, confusion, or blurred vision less severe in comparison to: falling, fainting, or even brief seizures. Younger people can experience these same symptoms but without a drop in blood pressure. That is usually due to rapid heart rate and is referred to as POTS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.
Gravity causes the blood to rush to the legs when standing up. Not having enough blood in the heart and brain is what causes dizziness and other symptoms. The most common reasons for dizziness when standing up is due to age, drugs, and malfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which is what helps regulate blood flow after standing up.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
To help minimize these symptoms it is recommended to: get up slowly, drink lots of fluids, exercise regularly, limit alcohol consumption, and even increasing sodium intake.
Works Cited
“Dizziness or Light-Headedness When Standing Up - Heart and Blood Vessel Disorders.” Merck Manuals Consumer Version, Merck Manuals, www.merckmanuals.com/home/heart-and-blood-vessel-disorders/symptoms-of-heart-and-blood-vessel-disorders/dizziness-or-light-headedness-when-standing-up.