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What Causes Dizziness When Suffering From High BP?
Question:
I am 82 years old and suffer from hi bp and enlarged prostate...I am on triamterene 75 and atenolol....When I stand up I am very dizzy.........also my blood pressure has been 98 over 70 several times.
I am 82 years old and suffer from hi bp and enlarged prostate...I am on triamterene 75 and atenolol....When I stand up I am very dizzy.........also my blood pressure has been 98 over 70 several times.
Brief Answer:
Its postural or orthostatic hypotension
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for asking.
I am Dr. Prakash HM and I will be answering your query.
Looking at your clinical history and query, my opinion is as follows:
1. You are suffering from postural hypotension or orthostatic hypotension
2. Its a condition in which there is a drop of more than 20 mm of mercury in systolic and more than 10 mm of Hg in diastolic blood pressure on position change, such as standing up from lying or sitting position. It causes dizziness in earlier stages and can progress to fainting in later stages.
3. Blood pressure needs to measured in sitting, sleeping and standing position immediately to notice the change.
4. Pooling of blood in the legs due to vasodilation and time will take for it to adjust and to vasoconstrict and additionally baroreceptors (pressure receptors, in the neck which sense position change and send signals to other parts of body to constrict or dilate blood vessels) due to age change becomes slow in reacting.
5. Conditions which complicate further are in dehydration and after meals, which can exacerbate postural hypotension.
Following can be tried:
a. Medication needs to be adjusted. You need to discuss with your doctor about reduction of dosge
b. Waking up slowly and avoiding any sudden change in movements as the baroreceptors and blood vessels will take time to adjust.
c. Compression stockings to lower limbs may be tried.
d. As you are hypertensive, increased fluids or salt intake is not advisable.
Risk of falling and being bed ridden are high. Meet your doctor at earliest for reduction of hypertension medication dosage.
Hope it helps.
Any further queries, happy to help again.
Dr. Prakash HM
Its postural or orthostatic hypotension
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for asking.
I am Dr. Prakash HM and I will be answering your query.
Looking at your clinical history and query, my opinion is as follows:
1. You are suffering from postural hypotension or orthostatic hypotension
2. Its a condition in which there is a drop of more than 20 mm of mercury in systolic and more than 10 mm of Hg in diastolic blood pressure on position change, such as standing up from lying or sitting position. It causes dizziness in earlier stages and can progress to fainting in later stages.
3. Blood pressure needs to measured in sitting, sleeping and standing position immediately to notice the change.
4. Pooling of blood in the legs due to vasodilation and time will take for it to adjust and to vasoconstrict and additionally baroreceptors (pressure receptors, in the neck which sense position change and send signals to other parts of body to constrict or dilate blood vessels) due to age change becomes slow in reacting.
5. Conditions which complicate further are in dehydration and after meals, which can exacerbate postural hypotension.
Following can be tried:
a. Medication needs to be adjusted. You need to discuss with your doctor about reduction of dosge
b. Waking up slowly and avoiding any sudden change in movements as the baroreceptors and blood vessels will take time to adjust.
c. Compression stockings to lower limbs may be tried.
d. As you are hypertensive, increased fluids or salt intake is not advisable.
Risk of falling and being bed ridden are high. Meet your doctor at earliest for reduction of hypertension medication dosage.
Hope it helps.
Any further queries, happy to help again.
Dr. Prakash HM
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
Thank you so much....You say compression stockings may help but can I use them even though I have a triple by-pass? I don't have any swelling in my legs or ankles.....
Brief Answer:
You have no heart failure.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for asking again.
At present, you do not have any heart failure. Mild Compression stockings will avoid vasodilation when you get into standing position or sleeping position as you put your limb down, thereby avoiding pooling of blood in the lower limbs.
You need not wear it during sleeping hours. Only when you are moving around or about to get up.
When moving around, it is not going to increase the cardiac load.
To avoid risk of falls, think about using a walking stick, if you are comfortable.
Any further queries, happy to help again.
If you do not have any further queries, you can close the query and rate the answer.
Dr. Prakash HM
You have no heart failure.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for asking again.
At present, you do not have any heart failure. Mild Compression stockings will avoid vasodilation when you get into standing position or sleeping position as you put your limb down, thereby avoiding pooling of blood in the lower limbs.
You need not wear it during sleeping hours. Only when you are moving around or about to get up.
When moving around, it is not going to increase the cardiac load.
To avoid risk of falls, think about using a walking stick, if you are comfortable.
Any further queries, happy to help again.
If you do not have any further queries, you can close the query and rate the answer.
Dr. Prakash HM
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
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