![]() “The older someone is, the more sensitive they are to the lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain,” says Diana Heiman, MD, associate professor of family medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. Also, aging brains are more susceptible to the effects of lower blood pressure. Age Is One of the Biggest Risk Factors for Orthostatic HypotensionĪs people age, the cardiovascular reflexes responsible for vasoconstriction with standing become less able to react quickly. “It is something that can be quite scary and concerning, especially if you pass out,” says Martha Gulati, MD, associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. The emotional aftermath, however, can have a significant and lasting effect. If you’re experiencing orthostatic hypotension symptoms and you sit or lie back down, relief should be almost instantaneous as gravity’s interference lessens. ![]() ![]() In the vast majority cases, the cardiovascular system belatedly adjusts, adequate blood flow to the brain resumes, and symptoms disappear. Most episodes of dizziness from orthostatic hypotension last only seconds. Orthostatic Hypotension Usually Resolves Quickly The brain is extremely sensitive to low oxygen levels, and that leads to dizziness and other symptoms. If this compensation fails to occur rapidly enough or strongly enough, blood flow to your brain can decrease and become briefly starved of oxygen. “Normally, blood vessels in the lower body constrict when we stand up - also known as vasoconstriction - to prevent the blood pressure from dropping too much as we change position,” explains Guy Mayeda, MD, a cardiologist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. When you stand up, gravity causes blood to pool in your legs. What causes orthostatic hypotension? When you’re lying down, your blood is evenly distributed throughout your body. “While the blood pressure criteria for a diagnosis of orthostatic hypotension are frequently met in clinical practice, only a small portion of patients with this condition complains of symptoms,” says Umberto Campia, MD, director of vascular medicine at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute in Washington, D.C. But your blood pressure can drop without resulting in any symptoms at all. How does your doctor check for orthostatic hypotension? The technical definition is that you have a 20-point drop in the systolic, or higher, number of a blood pressure reading, or a 10-point fall in the lower, or diastolic, number, within three minutes of standing. Most Episodes of Orthostatic Hypotension Go Unnoticed Here are 10 essential facts about orthostatic hypotension: 1. It becomes even more prevalent as people age, with up to half of elderly people living in institutions, such as nursing homes, meeting the definition for orthostatic hypotension, according to a 2013 position paper in Journal of Clinical Hypertension.ĭoes orthostatic hypotension go away? Typically, yes, an episode of hypotension ends quickly once you sit or lie down, symptoms disappear. The biggest risk for most people who have orthostatic hypotension is injury from a fall. But if you have chronic or recurrent orthostatic hypotension, it may indicate a more serious underlying condition. ![]() Who can have orthostatic hypotension? It is very common, especially among older people, affecting approximately 18 percent of those over 65, notes a 2011 review in American Family Physician. These are symptoms of a condition called orthostatic hypotension, which results when blood pressure drops excessively due to a change in position. Rarely, you could lose consciousness or faint. Less commonly, you could have dull pain across the back of your neck and shoulders. To add to this already frightening experience, you may also feel confusion and dizziness. Your vision may dim or blur or you could have tunnel vision. Maybe this has happened to you: You’re getting out of bed or rising from a chair and unexpectedly feel dizzy or lightheaded.
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