symptoms of heart and blood vessel disorders
heart and blood vessel disorders
Dizziness or Light Headedness When Standing Up
People who become dizzy or light-headed when standing up often recover quickly when they sit down and then slowly stand again. However, it is usually important to determine what is causing the dizziness. The following information can help people decide when to see a doctor and help them know what to expect during the evaluation. In people who become dizzy or light-headed when standing up, certain symptoms and characteristics are cause for concern. They include Blood in the stool or black, tarry stool Nervous system symptoms such as difficulty walking and/or poor coordination or balance Falling or fainting (passing out) Chest pain or discomfort People who have warning signs should seek emergency department care right away. Other people who have frequent or ongoing episodes of dizziness upon standing should see a doctor when practical. Typically a delay of a week or so is not harmful. People who have only an occasional episode of dizziness upon standing should call their doctor. The doctor will decide whether and how quickly to see the person depending on the other symptoms and medical history. The doctor first asks questions about the person's symptoms and medical history. Doctors then do a physical examination. What they find during the history and physical examination often suggests a cause of the dizziness and the tests that may need to be done. Doctors ask How long the dizziness has been occurring Whether the person has fainted or fallen during an episode of dizziness Whether the person has experienced conditions that are known to cause dizziness (such as bed rest or fluid loss) Whether the person has a disorder (such as diabetes, Parkinson disease, or a cancer) that may cause dizziness Whether the person is taking a drug (for example, an antihypertensive) that may cause dizziness The doctor then does a physical examination. The person lies down for 5 minutes, and then the doctor measures the blood pressure and heart rate. Blood pressure and heart rate are measured again after the person stands or sits up for 1 minute and again after standing or sitting for 3 minutes. The doctor may do a digital rectal examination to see whether the person might have some bleeding in the digestive tract. A neurologic examination to test strength, sensation, reflexes, balance, and gait is important. The most common causes of sudden dizziness—drugs, bed rest, and decreased blood volume—are usually obvious. In people with long-term symptoms, findings such as movement problems may indicate Parkinson Disease (PD) . Numbness, tingling, or weakness may indicate a nervous system disorder. Unless the cause is obvious (for example, bed rest), testing is usually needed. The doctor usually does Electrocardiography (ECG), a complete blood count, and other blood tests (for example, measuring levels of electrolytes). Other tests are done based on what doctors find during the examination, especially if the person's symptoms suggest a heart or nerve problem. If doctors suspect a drug is causing the dizziness, they may ask the person to stop taking the drug and observe whether the dizziness also stops, thus confirming the cause. Tilt Table Testing None 