Many people experience a dizzy spell when they stand up after sitting or lying down for some time. This happens due to a sudden drop in the blood pressure and is known as orthostatic or postural hypotension. It takes about five to ten minutes for the blood pressure to lower. In rare cases, the blood pressure may take a while to lower after the change in the posture. This is called delayed orthostatic hypotension.

Know It All About Orthostatic Hypotension

This problem is usually found in adults although young people can also suffer from it. A person is said to have orthostatic hypotension if his systolic pressure drops by 20 mm Hg and diastolic by 10 mm Hg with in five minutes of postural change.

According to some latest researches, it is believed that in 60% cases the most common cause of this type of hypotension is related to problems in the autonomic nervous system.
Some other causes are multiple system atrophy, lewy body syndromes and general dysautonomia. Orthostatic hypotension can also develop in people due to disturbances in the heart or the inability of body’s blood pressure sensors to perform and decrease in blood volume. However, these are very rare reasons for postural hypotension.

Whatever the cause, its effect remains the same in every individual and that is the hampering in the functioning of autonomic nervous system which is responsible for controlling blood pressure and breathing.

The treatment for this health problem depends mainly upon the cause of the disease in the patient. Hence, there is no single treatment for orthostatic hypotension. The doctor may prescribe medicines like fludrocortisone, phenylephrine, or midodrine to correct blood pressure and its effect on the nervous system. Some patients may be advised to stop using certain kinds of medicines that are adversely influencing the nervous system. In addition to these, patients are also suggested to change their postures slowly.

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