Signs and Symptoms
When orthostatic hypotension is present, the following symptoms can occur after sudden standing or stretching (after standing):
- Dizziness
- Euphoria or dysphoria
- Bodily dissociation
- Distortions in hearing
- Lightheadedness
- Nausea
- Headache
- Blurred or dimmed vision (possibly to the point of momentary blindness)
- Generalized (or extremity) numbness/tingling and fainting
- Coat hanger pain (pain centered in the neck and shoulders)
- And in rare, extreme cases, vasovagal syncope (a specific type of fainting).
They are consequences of insufficient blood pressure and cerebral perfusion (blood supply). Occasionally, there may be a feeling of warmth in the head and shoulders for a few seconds after the dizziness subsides. The drop in blood pressure may cause a vasovagal episode to occur.
Read more about this topic: Orthostatic Hypotension
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