Dizziness when standing up can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'life-threatening'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose dizziness when standing up, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Hyponatremia / Salt Intake Need | 93% | Confirm |
Adrenal Fatigue | 26% | Unlikely |
Carcinoid Cancer | 12% | Unlikely |
Dehydration | 3% | Ruled out |
Stomach Ulcers | 0% | Ruled out |
Ectopic Pregnancy | 0% | Ruled out |
Stress | 0% | Ruled out |
Mitral Valve Prolapse | 0% | Ruled out |
Do you ever feel dizzy / faint / lightheaded when standing up or sitting up suddenly?
Possible responses:
→ Don't know→ Never / very rarely → Occasionally - several times per year → Often - several times per month → Always or almost always |
When the body is dehydrated it is less able to control blood pressure. When blood pressure is too low, the brain may not receive sufficient amounts of oxygen, leading to dizziness. If blood pressure falls further due to suddenly standing up from a lying or sitting position (this is called Orthostatic Hypotension), dizziness can worsen.
If the ectopic pregnancy has ruptured, profuse bleeding will occur. This may lead to excess blood loss and symptoms of hypovolemic shock (hemorrhagic shock), including dizziness upon standing.
Patients with a bleeding ulcer may report a sense of passing out upon standing called orthostatic syncope.