Causes of dizziness when getting up
Dizziness when standing up can have different causes but the situations in which it occurs are also important to consider. In the following you will find a list of the different situations and the most common causes of dizziness.
- Dizziness when bending
- One-sided dizziness
- Dizziness with closed eyes
- Dizziness in bed
- Dizziness when getting up during pregnancy
Dizziness when bending down can have various causes.
For this reason it is important to look at how exactly the dizziness manifests itself and when it occurs. If the dizziness symptomatology does not manifest itself when bending down, but when walking up, the cause may be in the cardiovascular system. To be more precise, this is a regulation disorder of the blood pressure, in which dizziness occurs when standing up or straightening up from a lying or bent position into an upright position due to a drop in blood pressure.
This drop in blood pressure occurs particularly in the area of the head, i.e. also the brain, which is then perceived as dizziness. This is known as an orthostasis reaction in medical terminology. If, on the other hand, the dizziness actually occurs when bending down, it is possible that benign positioning vertigo is present.
The archways of the inner ear play an important role in the proper functioning of our sense of balance. When the head moves, a fluid is accelerated in these canals, which then activates a membrane with microscopic crystals (otoliths). If parts of these crystals become loose, they can block the semicircular canals and cause benign positional vertigo.Typical for this are short and severe vertigo attacks, which occur mainly when turning while lying down, but also when sitting down, looking up and fast head movements in general.
Dizziness may also occur when lying down. The attacks usually last about 20 to 45 seconds and manifest themselves as dizziness of rotation; nausea and also vomiting can occur in parallel. However, other symptoms such as double vision, ringing in the ears and hearing loss do not occur.
The benign positional vertigo is diagnosed by the doctor by means of a positional sample. In this test, the patient’s head is quickly turned to the side, which makes the vertigo reproducible. Fortunately, if benign positional vertigo is present, the vertigo can be treated very well and quickly when the patient stands up.
For this purpose, the doctor performs a special positioning maneuver, through which the blasted crystal is released and the arcade is released again. Vertigo can have many causes. In order to be able to make an exact diagnosis, it is therefore important to find out the symptoms of dizziness.
An important indication is if the dizziness occurs on one side only, or if the rotation vertigo turns in a certain direction. The suspected diagnosis of a benign positioning vertigo, which is already present when standing up in the room in case of dizziness, is thus confirmed. Benign positional vertigo is caused by the archways of the inner ear, which form the organ of balance.
They contain microscopically small crystals (otoliths) which are attached to a membrane. If some of these crystals are blasted off, they can block an archway and thus cause benign positional vertigo. This occurs mainly during rapid head movements and changes in position (e.g. standing up) and can be accompanied by nausea.
The vertigo attacks usually last about 30 seconds. Treatment can be carried out quickly and quite simply by the doctor by performing a special positioning maneuver. There are various criteria for classifying dizziness when standing up.
Roughly speaking, dizziness can be divided into a systematic (directed) and an unsystematic (undirected) dizziness. ́ The latter is often caused by circulatory problems or the side effects of medication, whereas the former is usually due to diseases of the vestibular organ in the inner ear or its pathways to and in the brain. Systematic vertigo can take many different forms.
These include rotational vertigo, which feels like riding a merry-go-round, as well as vertigo such as boating, or elevator vertigo, in which the affected person has the feeling of riding an elevator. A characteristic feature of systematic dizziness is that it occurs unchanged when the eyes are closed. The most common cause of systematic vertigo is benign positional vertigo.
Other possible clinical pictures that trigger systematic dizziness are Meniere’s disease and vestibular neuritis. Diseases of the brain, such as circulatory disorders, on the other hand, are quite rarely the cause of dizziness with closed eyes. A characteristic feature of the clinical picture of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is rotational vertigo, which occurs with more or less rapid movements of the head.
This can cause dizziness when standing up from a stooped position, when straightening up from a lying position, or even a simple rotation in bed. This leads to attacks of dizziness that last between 20 and 45 seconds and can be accompanied by nausea and even vomiting. It is also typical that the person affected can name a certain direction in which the dizziness is turning.
The cause of benign positional vertigo is a blockage in one of the archways of the inner ear. These fluid-filled arches are an essential component of our sense of balance. They contain membranes to which crystals (otoliths) adhere.
If one of these crystals breaks off, it can block an archway and thus cause dizziness. As a rule, treatment can be carried out quickly and easily by an expert physician. Pregnancy can be a great strain on the body.
In addition to your own body, the child’s body must now also be supplied with nutrients and oxygen. This means that the blood circulation has to adapt to an increasingly larger circulation.Dizziness may occur when getting up due to fluctuations in blood pressure with a drop in blood pressure, which in turn may cause dizziness. Especially when getting up very quickly and suddenly.
This is rarely dangerous in itself, but can cause falls and should not be taken lightly. In order to at least partially prevent these drops in blood pressure, regular exercise can help. However, you should not do too much sport; it is especially important to plan sufficient rest periods.
Alternating baths and Kneipsche Gusses with cold water can also be helpful, as these stimulate the blood pressure. Make sure that you always drink and eat enough to prevent hypoglycemia. Take your usual activities somewhat more quietly than usual; avoid getting out of bed or sitting down too quickly.
