Other causes of dizziness when getting up
As a rule, dizziness on getting up is idiopathic, i.e. it occurs without a known cause. It affects primarily young women and slim people with thin and long limbs. However, dizziness when getting up can also be caused by various underlying diseases.
- Venous valve insufficiency
- Diabetes
- Decrease of circulating blood (hypovolaemia)
- Side effects of medication
- Orthostatic Dysregulation
- Cardiovascular diseases
Venous valves in the veins, which ensure that the blood flows back towards the heart against gravity, can be damaged by varicose veins (varices) or an expired thrombosis. Due to this damage, they can no longer counteract the blood in the veins of the legs and the return flow of blood to the heart is no longer as efficient. Diabetes mellitus can also cause dizziness due to nerve damage (neuropathy), since the nerve damage means that the body’s reaction to the blood clogging no longer has any effect.
Dizziness is often a side effect of drugs such as water tablets (diuretics), antihypertensive drugs (antihypertensives) and vasodilating drugs (vasodilatants). The two most important clinical pictures associated with dizziness when standing up are benign positional vertigo and so-called orthostatic dysregulation. The latter is the consequence of getting up too quickly from a lying or sitting position.
As a result, almost half a liter of blood accumulates in the veins of the legs. Normally, this is compensated by a narrowing of the blood vessels and an increase in heart rate. Orthostatic dysregulation, however, is a regulation disorder of the blood pressure, so that the brain is not supplied with sufficient blood for a short moment.
This then manifests itself in the form of dizziness. The benign positional vertigo, on the other hand, is caused by the fluid-filled archways of the inner ear. These are equipped with membranes on which microscopically small crystals (otoliths) are located.
If parts of these crystals come loose, they can block the arcade and thus trigger a dizziness symptom, or more precisely, a vertigo. This typically occurs in attacks of sudden head movements, for example when turning in bed, and lasts for about 30 seconds. It can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
Sometimes there may also be iron deficiency behind a dizziness when getting up. Those affected often feel tired, exhausted and suffer from headaches. Young women are typically affected.
Especially if the dizziness after getting up is very common, a doctor should clarify whether there is an iron deficiency. Iron is necessary for the oxygen transport in the red blood cells. A deficiency causes the number of red blood cells in the body to drop and not enough oxygen is available. This leads to an oxygen deficiency in the brain, which is particularly noticeable when getting up quickly with a drop in blood pressure.
