Sudden Drop In Blood Pressure On Standing? Know What It Means

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Remember school assemblies?

When the morning prayer would sometimes drag a bit longer, a few kids would suddenly collapse. Everyone thought they must be hungry or just tired.

But the actual reason was orthostatic hypotension. Meaning, when you stand up, your blood pressure suddenly drops.

And it’s not just from standing too long, sometimes it happens after exercise, or when you get up suddenly after sitting or lying down.

There are many other reasons for this, and in this blog, we’ll explain why this sudden dip in blood pressure happens, how to recognise it, how to manage it, and when it’s important to seek medical care.

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What Is Orthostatic Hypotension?

Orthostatic hypotension, aka postural hypotension, is essentially a form of low blood pressure, which indicates that your vital organs may not be getting enough blood flow.

Normally, when you stand up from a seated or prone (lying down) position, your blood vessels narrow down to prevent your blood pressure from falling. This happens naturally in response to gravityso that your blood doesn’t pool down in your legs and a steady supply of oxygenated blood is maintained in your brain.

But when this system becomes slow or weak, and your blood vessels do not tighten or constrict, blood naturally rushes to your legs, causing low blood pressure. You may experience symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, or even fainting.

At some time, everyone is likely to experience a mild form of postural hypotension, the lightheaded feeling you get when you leap out of bed too fast.

If the phenomenon occurs just once in a while, then it isn’t a serious problem. But if you’re experiencing these sensations on a regular basis, especially after exercise or when skipping breakfast, you shouldn’t ignore them.

Symptoms of Orthostatic Hypotension

Feeling dizzy or lightheaded (especially when you get up from bed or a chair)
Blurry vision
Feeling like you’re about to fall or actually falling
Rapid heartbeat (palpitations)
Brain fog or feeling a bit confused
Weakness or fatigue without any clear reason

These symptoms usually last a few seconds to a minute or two. But if you can’t stand without support repeatedly, or if it leads to fainting, then better consult your family doctor.

Why Does This Sudden Blood Pressure Drop Happen?

When you get up from a sitting or lying position, gravity has a significant impact on blood flow. In fact, on average, approximately 800 ml of blood is temporarily collected in your leg veins. Usually, special sensors called baroreceptors near your heart and neck arteries sense this sudden drop in blood pressure.

If you are a healthy person, your system quickly reacts, your heart starts beating faster for a few minutes, directing blood vessels in the legs and abdomen to tighten, keeping blood moving back up to your heart and brain.

But if you have orthostatic hypotension, this compensatory mechanism doesn’t happen properly, or it happens too slowly. As a result, your blood pressure stays low, which triggers symptoms. Usually, things get better when you sit or lie down again, but how quickly you recover depends on what’s causing the problem in the first place.

Most commonly, this problem affects older individuals. This is because in old age, your heart and blood vessel cells that keep your blood pressure steady don’t respond as quickly as they used to.

Also, diabetes or heart disease medication can play a big role here because most older adults are on them.

There are many other causes that may interrupt your body’s process of dealing with the low blood pressure, including:

Dehydration or low blood volume

Loss of fluid in the body due to fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, not drinking enough fluids, and strenuous exercise with a lot of sweating and the use of medication, such as diuretics or water pills, could be one of the reasons.

Also, low blood volume, such as in patients with anaemia, can lead to a sudden dip in blood pressure.

Heart Problems and Other Conditions

People with heart disease or other health issues often face more trouble with low blood pressure. That’s because your heart plays a key role in keeping blood flowing properly, especially when you stand up. So, if you have problems like extremely low heart rate (bradycardia), heart attack, heart valve problems, and heart failure, then a sudden dip in blood pressure can happen.

Apart from heart conditions, other health problems like Parkinson’s disease, thyroid disorders, or issues with your adrenal glands can also cause problems related to your blood pressure.

Medications

Some medicines, like those for blood pressure, antidepressants, can also trigger symptoms linked to orthostatic hypotension.

Eating meals: Eating a big meal can also cause dizziness, especially in older adults. In fact, up to one-third of seniors may feel lightheaded after eating. That’s because your digestive system needs extra blood to break down food. When more blood is sent to your gut, there’s less available for the rest of your body.

Read more about: Best Diet For Low Blood Pressure Patients

If your body isn’t able to adjust quickly, like tightening blood vessels or speeding up the heartbeat, your blood pressure can drop. This sudden dip may make you feel dizzy, weak, or even cause a fall. This condition is known as postprandial hypotension (which simply means low blood pressure after eating).

Prolonged bed rest: Lying down or inactivity for a long time weakens your body’s blood pressure control.

When Can It Be Dangerous?

One of the biggest risks with orthostatic hypotension is falling due to sudden dizziness or even fainting. If you lose consciousness and fall, it can lead to serious injuries or fractures, especially in older adults.

Another concern is that these symptoms, like lightheadedness or blacking out, can also mask more serious conditions such as heart failure, irregular heart rhythms, or other cardiovascular problems

The sudden dip in blood pressure can also affect your brain. When your brain doesn’t get enough blood flow, it increases the risk of a stroke over time.

Tips to Prevent Sudden Drop In Blood Pressure on Standing

There are many simple ways to manage or even prevent orthostatic hypotension, and most don’t require medication.

First, keep yourself well-hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, and if you’ve had vomiting or diarrhoea, be sure to replace those lost fluids quickly. Try to avoid or limit alcohol, as it can make the condition worse.

Sometimes, a little extra salt helps raise blood pressure, but always check with your doctor first, especially if you have heart or kidney issues.

On hot days, avoid heavy exercise, as heat can make your blood pressure drop further.

When you get out of bed, don’t stand up too quickly. Sit on the side of the bed for a while and then get up.

Sleeping with your head slightly elevated can also help your body adjust blood pressure more smoothly.

Wearing compression stockings is another useful trick. These special stockings prevent blood from pooling in the legs and help keep blood pressure stable.

In more severe cases, your doctor may prescribe medication to help raise your blood pressure and keep symptoms under control.

Takeaway

If this problem happens once in a while, like feeling a bit dizzy after standing too long or getting up too quickly, then there’s no need to panic. But if it keeps happening, it can be a flag for more serious medical conditions. So, make sure to consult your doctor if you suffer from orthostatic hypotension on a regular basis.