Why Do I Get Dizzy When I Stand Up?

Many have experienced it – you’re sitting or lying down when you remember something you need to do. You stand up, but your body isn’t quite ready to be as productive as you, and you experience lightheadedness or dizziness.

It’s a common occurrence that’s actually called orthostatic hypotension. When you get up and shift your body’s position so drastically, your blood pressure can drop; this causes you to feel woozy and even like you are about to blackout.

This process happens because blood naturally rushes downwards to your legs when you stand up. Your body then has to pump blood harder, causing a heart rate increase for a few minutes.

What Causes These Dizzy Spells?

These bouts of dizziness may occur after you eat a meal because digestion diverts blood flow and can also reduce your blood pressure. Because less blood is in other parts of your body, you are more likely to get lightheaded.

Another big reason why you might feel lightheaded when you stand up is because you haven’t drank enough water. When you’re dehydrated, your body cannot control your blood pressure as easily. Any ENT doctor will tell you that you need more water than you realize. Your urine should always be a straw yellow color, indicating that you have enough water in your system.

Getting dizzy when you stand up is something that becomes more common as you age. Older cells in your heart and arteries become slower and are less quick to respond to stimuli. Certain medications that are more common among the elderly are diabetes and heart disease pills, and these can also affect your sense of dizziness.

Any doctor will tell you that this is a completely normal thing to experience and the most important part is to make sure you don’t pass out or fall down. The best way to do this is to get up slowly and to have something nearby to lean on if necessary.

You could also up your intake of water and eat smaller meals, as these can help your body’s flow of blood.

If you need additional advice or feel that your dizziness is worse than what’s detailed above, contact our office. We have multiple skilled and experienced doctors who can offer you multiple methods of lightheadedness treatment.