Why do I feel dizzy when standing up, and when should it be checked?
Dizziness on standing may involve postural low blood pressure, dehydration or medicines, with other causes including postural tachycardia. The symptom alone does not establish a diagnosis. Repeated episodes or fainting warrant review of blood pressure, pulse and medical history.
Details
Prevent a fall
Sit or lie down when symptoms begin and rise gradually after improving. Maintain fluids unless medically restricted. Do not increase salt or stop blood-pressure medicine independently; treatment depends on the cause.
What helps the assessment?
Record timing and links with meals, heat and medicines, plus palpitations, bleeding or fatigue. Pressure and pulse may be checked lying and standing, with blood tests or ECG as indicated. Postural tachycardia is not the same as postural hypotension.
When is it an emergency?
Dizziness with chest pain, breathlessness, sudden weakness or speech difficulty requires emergency care. So does fainting during exertion or failure to recover promptly. Do not drive while feeling close to losing consciousness.
Related reading: When is fainting dangerous, and what should I do?.