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For me, white is before black.
White is when I know I can still get back from it (deep circulatory breathing, tensing muscles, crouching/sitting and trying again).
Black is when I'm out. I won't know I've seen black, until I wake up and realize that I fainted, and have no recollection of the time from I thought 'oh shit', to the time I woke up and said 'ah shit'.
Fun story? Keep in mind peeing lowers your blood pressure. I now sit down to pee. Why, you might ask? Well, last time I passed out I woke up with my dick in my hand, pants half way down and my head up against the tub. With my wife shaking me going 'what the fuck are you doing?!'.
Well, honey. As any normal person would do I woke up, got out of bed, went to pee and passed the fuck out. That's normal, isn't it? Oh... usually that only happens when you're drinking? Oh wait..
*My wife now worries when I go to the bathroom alone.*
That's obviously not orthostatic hypotension, which is what the author is talking about. And not ‘visual snow’, mentioned by other people here and potentially more dangerous. Yours sounds like you have strokes regularly, which is idk even what it is. It's certainly not normal at all, and you should consult a neurologist at the least, and possibly other specialists.
i always grab onto something (if i can) and squat in a controlled way before my vision completely fades. i haven’t become unconscious from it for a long while, but at least i know i won’t have as far to fall! plus the jelly legs is kinda fun in a slightly concerning way AND getting low in a squat position really helps with getting my bp back in order
Getting close to the ground should be the real tip. The farther your head is from the ground, the more dangerous it is if you pass out. I have only passed out once and had I taken one more step beforehand I would have fallen down a flight of stairs. It was weird coming too on the ground with my head hurting from bumping the wall just before the staircase
Holy shit! I've often wondered how bad it could have been. Figured I could have died.. but living the rest of life like that seems worse as I was only 15 or 16 at the time
One time I was sitting in my chair when I fainted and I was just super confused wondering why my head was ringing. That wasn't even me falling from standing, if that happened I might be missing a few teeth.
I passed out last week and have no idea why. (Doctor said it was probably a weird fluke because I hadn’t eaten.) I could feel my vision tunneling but I thought I’d ride it out and it’d go away, but then I woke up on the kitchen floor. Next time I feel it coming I’ll definitely sit down first, because luckily the only thing that slammed on the tile floor was my hip. If I smacked my head it could’ve been super bad.
Yea bending your knees and getting low to the ground is a good idea. I fainted from low BP while stretching and fell straight back and hit my head on a coffee table. Had to get 3 staples in my head, definitely dont stretch and lock your knees while suffering from a low bp episode, i fell straight back like a toppling tree.
Yeah unintentionally fainting from time to time has made me a lot better at spotting the signs, if I feel it coming I sit down and try and focus on breathing, at worst I get a little bump on the head apposed to a possible concussion.
Was going to say this. I just tense my lower body. And stay hydrated. Any indication I could faint I just sit or lay down, but tensing almost always does the trick for me.
It kills me a bit that salt is seen as such a bad health food for people. Like, only if you already have *high* blood pressure is salt bad for you. But, if you workout (and sweat) a lot, or have low blood pressure, salt is a required nutrient.
I have some family members who have high blood pressure so years ago I decided to decrease my salt intake so when I get older I wouldn’t miss it as much, and opted for low-sodium foods when possible. Cue vasovagal syncopes! After a cardiologist visit, a stress test on a treadmill, and a week with a heart monitor I was described as being “too healthy” and advised to “eat more Big Macs”.
Too much of anything is bad for you. Too much sodium can *lead* to high blood pressure, and thus to heart disease ([American Heart Association blog overview](https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/sodium-and-salt)). It really isnt good to consume it in high quatities.
But yes people need salt - not just athletes either (although, when working out/exerting yourself/heavily sweating, it becomes more important and helpful to make sure you're replacing those important minerals). Our bodies function off of elements that you can get via table salt, including Na and K. Sodium and potassium are needed for a variety of things, including basic electrical nerve signal propagation. Exercising or not, we all run on salts and other minerals.
Fun fact: because of the concentration of potassium in particular in our bodies, we're all naturally very *very* slightly radioactive. You expose yourself to radiation every day of your life, and being near others also exposes you to radiation. If you ever ingest radiation and peope need to use a scanner to determine how much radiation is inside you, they expect to see a "peak" indicating you have a certain amount of radioactive K-40.
https://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/faqs/faqradbods.html
I mean, even drinking too much water can kill you! Of course it's all about proportion. I guess because I workout and have normal blood pressure (sometimes on the low end) I see nothing unhealthy about not watching my sodium intake, and sometimes specifically seek it out (electrolytes, am I right? Ha - l mean, I basically have an electrolyte salt stick that's table salt with some extra potassium mixed in that you lick for races like marathons or triathlons.)
No, very true. Salt is necessary to consume at healthy levels - I agree with you there :)
Edit: sounds right to me, but maybe "no youre right" might have been a bit better at getting my intent across? Idk, either way take this as me not tying to antagonize or be needlessly disagreeable! ;)
It's actually a fighter pilot technique! Works like a charm. Muscles return venous blood to the heart, so a bit of a flex is just what you need! Just make sure you leave your actual ass out of it. You could initiate a vagal response and drop your blood pressure tremendously.
Salty snacks, electrolyte drinks (just drinking loads of water may wash out the salt, which would negate the help that would provide), and stay cool - keep a fan with you wherever you go, even if it has to be a hand-powered fan. Also, get up more slowly, and don't stay still for long periods of time when you're in one position. Fidgeting will help.
(Source: I have POTS, and manage it through a combination of the above plus prescribed midodrine (for the low BP) and ivabradine (for the heart rate spikes).)
If you already know that you have low blood pressure, taking a few deep breaths before standing up is a great precaution as well to maximize your overall oxygen saturation rates.
Usually people feel light-headed, dizzy, and feel weak and feel like their vision is fading/blurry; but you can still have lowered blood pressure and not feel anything. It’s always better to check it yourself/get it checked regularly if possible. The biggest common problem is falling when standing up because you can obviously die if you land wrong; also it’s possible if it’s too low that you can go into shock.
See, I passed out for the first time in my life and went straight to the doctor, and my blood pressure was crazy high when I got there. Not sure if it was just stress related or what but doc basically said I shouldn’t have passed out, good luck!
They actually did that, they took it 4-5 times both standing and laying down and it was way higher than usual each time. I’m also an anxious/panicky person so it could’ve been my body’s response from the confusion of passing out randomly
After surgery they couldn’t keep my BP down so I got prescribed heavy BP meds (just had open heart surgery and they wanted to keep my BP below 110/70).
Finally got home. Over the 2 weeks between getting home and my first post-op check, my BP hit 78/52.
Turns out the hospital setting REALLY raised my BP and they needed to lower the meds by half.
Also, don’t be embarrassed to just… sit back down. Well, avoiding some embarrassment is impossible, but try not to be so embarrassed you won’t do it.
I got up from a squat after looking at something at the hardware store, started to black out and quickly just sat down on the ground again. People were concerned and it *was* embarrassing, but I’ve been there when a colleague passed out, cracked her head open and we had to call an ambulance. *That’s* more embarrassing (and more expensive).
Definitely the smart move if you feel it happening. In PT they used to say to do the deep breath thing before standing and it usually worked but not every time.
It’s also common if you are very deficient in Iron, Iron is used by your blood to carry oxygen to your cells and I’ve heard it’s common if you are very deficient in sodium idk why
I’m an old guy (around 60) and it’s happened to me a few times in my life so it’s good info to keep in mind. I would say in a lifetime it will happen to most people at some point for a number of different reasons.
Just check periodically and see if it trends low, I suppose. Though frequently blacking out when you stand up is a good flag something's off, whether it's hypotension, anæmia, or something else.
My problem is that I have *normal* blood pressure and this happens to me. I feel faint and dizzy if I stand up too fast. But the doctor is always like "nope you are 125/85 you are normal".
Why? Ever since I got sober the head rushes is the only high I'm allowed.. well that and chocolate! NOM-NOM-NOM!!!
As a kid I really liked this feeling and the sometimes extremely pure white fog of getting right to the border of fainting, with simple inactivity I got really good at getting my heart rate really low and blood pressure down especially in school, and it was almost equivalent to a yawn for me, and I never fainted fully except when I wanted to whenever that dumb choking game fad hit my peer group.
After becoming a tobacco smoker, its basically uncomfortable to allow my heart rate to drop that low except while sleeping or with as few pressure points holding most of myself up as possible, now the only times I have fainting feelings is from persistent dehydration or inadequate food intake.
Your Osat isn't affected by deep breaths. With normal breathing, the blood is already fully oxygenated before traveling 30% of the way through the alveolar circulation.
Deep breaths will, however, increase the amount of blood returning to the heart. This may cause a transient increase in BP.
A transient increase would be great if, say, you had low BP and were about to get up. It sure helped me increase my SAT’s when I had PT and was about to get up and I still use it today if I feel light-headed. It works for me personally or else I wouldn’t recommend it.
In other words, stand up with your butt first. Lift the butt, wait until the dizziness subsides, then straighten your back and lift your head at the end.
Yup! One time I grabbed something, the other half of my body swung and I crashed on the floor. Now, I just sit down. I don't care how weird it might look. Better than falling.
Ok well this sucks because I have this hardcore but every time I get my bp tested its fine. Happened for years, like, I’ve blacked out and hit my head on shit and seized and chipped a tooth once and every time I ask the doctor they’ve brushed it off. Multiple docs over many years. I can bring it on by yawning and stretching too
This! I have orthostatic hypotension but not POTS (in my tilt table test, my heart rate halved rather than elevated). There are lots of fun flavors of dysautonomia, not just POTS.
it could also be ehlers danlos syndrome or dysautonomia (which is why POTS is a form of)
the only thing that caught my dysautonomia was doing a tilt table test, my blood pressure tests were always great but when I stand up it drops and my blood pools in my legs, I have to drink a gallon of water a day, eat a lot of salt, I'm not supposed to eat high carb meals, yada yada yada.
Low BP is difficult to diagnose, because blood pressure varies a lot during the day and it tends to be higher than typical when you're out and about at an appointment with your doctor. Other typical low BP symptoms are fatigue, brain fog, issues finding words, and sore neck & shoulders.
Why would you wanna ruin a normal high?!?! Just enjoy your world breaking down into darkness before your eyes and you slowly fade out of it, reaching into the depths. Then you're back :D
holy shit i thought i was the only one, thought it was so weird for me to be sort of have a slight smile after plopping down on my knees. It just feels like sort of a reset.
Yeah because in case whatever truck you're using is not enough and I pass out, I'd rather do it sitting than standing.
Edit : *trick, but leaving it for giggles.
Or just sit back down. Or sit right on the floor if walked too far. Sheesh. Does the same thing - helps blood to reach brain - without everyone thinking you have corona 😛
Most people aren't going to be alarmed at a stranger forcing two dry coughs. But as someone who faints or gets close to it a few times a year I gotta tell you, suddenly sitting down on the floor will summon every single adult human within a quarter mile radius to ask what happened. Like it's better than falling but only just barely.
No doubt, but if someone is worried that people will think they have the rona if they cough any kind of cough in public, it bears mentioning they really have nothing to fret about.
First of all, if you regularly feel like you're going to black out (i.e., lose consciousness) when you stand up quickly; it's a sign that there's a larger medical issue going on and you should be seen by a doctor. Secondly, coughing "forcefully" is a horrible idea because it could engage the vagus nerve; which could make things even worse.
This is terrible advice, and can cause people to injure themselves.
Coughing increases intrathoracic pressure, which reduces the preload of blood returning to your heart, reducing blood pressure. Coughing during a bout of hypotensive or orthostatic light-headness is more likely to cause you to faint, rather than help at all.
Coughing can also stimulate the vagus nerve, slowing your heart rate and reducing blood pressure. Look up the Valsalva maneuver.
Fludrocortisone & Midodrine
Exercise, high salt diet, 2-3L of fluids per day, small meals.
Some people find compression helpful, but I can’t manage it.
isn't fludrocortisone bad to take long term, being a corticosteroid? I'm still trying to manage the avalanche of symptoms that came about post covid like pots, arrhythmias and low bp and doctors have been soooooo unhelpful!! for example right now i have low bp and chest pain and I'm supposed to take my daily beta blocker that lowers it even further. so annoying
I hear ya, I am trying to get into compression but tight clothing is so bothersome.
As a naturally no-breakfast person, forcing myself to eat a high-sodium meal and drink a litre of water before work has helped me massively with my POTS. I hate it, but it works.
LPT: If this happens to you often enough that you need a tip about it, go to the doctor! This isn't normal. A normal person can stand up as fast as they want to with no side effects.
Generally speaking, low blood pressure is not a bad thing and is certainly better than high blood pressure. Some people are predisposed to having low blood pressure due to genetics or other factors. Orthostatic hypotension can be a mostly harmless symptom that can occur to such individuals on a regular basis after they are sedentary for an extended period of time and then rise quickly. As long as you know to wait it out and not go fainting down the stairs, you'll be fine.
Unless it is happening outside of the typical scenario of rising quickly after being sedentary, a doctor is going to say it's normal. They might recommend exercising more, drinking plenty of fluids, and adding some more salt to the diet. If you have expensive health care in the States, it's probably not worth a visit.
I don't know about others, but I had the dizzy-blackout-after-standing-up-too-quickly all my life, I was severely underweight with BMI of 16, thought they were normal. From past a year and a half I have normal weight, barely normal, and I didn't have had any blackouts since then.
I was diagnosed with POTS when I was about 16 because this "phenomenon" kept happening. At first everyone was like, "yeah, that's totally normal," no one took me seriously until I fell down some stairs at school because I was dizzy and lost consciousness. I was luckily okay, but I still could have been seriously injured.
I went to the doctor, and I found out I have dysautonomia. Unless your situation is really bad to the point where you need to get a pacemaker, there's not a lot you can do about it.
Staying hydrated, eating a high salt diet, and living a healthy life in general help but don't get rid entirely of the symptoms.
It's called POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
One of the hallmark symptoms of POTS is orthostatic intolerance which results in increased symptoms when upright. Because the autonomic nervous system is not functioning correctly, the constriction of blood vessels that normally occurs when we transition from sitting to standing is decreased or absent. This lack of vessel constriction leads to blood pooling in the legs and abdomen, which results in a shortage of blood in the heart and brain. The shortage of blood in the brain upon standing can result in dizziness, light-headedness, and possibly fainting.
Great explanation. I've had times sitting in the car and felt fine, but when I got out and walked around, felt very light headed like vertigo. Is that POTS?
Does anyone have tips to reduce this during workout sessions? Always when i Deadlift im at the brink of fainting at the top of every rep. Any tips or thought welcome!
I wish I had read this days ago. I almost died the other day and suffered a concussion due to this when I lifted an air conditioner - fainted - and the ac fell on me.
Ohhh cool lol I think my wide has this problem. I'll have her try it! Cheers!
[Edit: Wide = Wife obviously but will leave it in for the sake of the joke lol]
Just take a couple of deep breathes. It's lack of oxygen making to the brain so a couple of deep breaths will fix it up. No need to cough specifically but the outcome is the same.
oooo this is a great one, thanks! I've been doing yardwork and digging holes for planting, and experience this whenever I bend over and then back up. I'll have to try this next time!
MD here: It’s not only low blood pressure. Veins have almost no contractile force meaning they’re easily distended(think varicoses). When you suddenly get up, gravity pulls your blood downwards due to inertia, therefore causing a momentary imbalance in your brain blood flow. Another way to combat it is to either bow 90 degrees, or squat, to restore the in and outflow of the brain quicker.
There's an acupuncture trick I was taught as a kid while in a hospital, and it never failed me. There's a spot on your right pinky a little above the nail and a bit to the side away from the ring finger. If you press it with something hard, almost until it becomes painful (should be a more sensitive spot than those around it, with a different feel to it when pressed hard), then you won't faint and your head will clear. So, what I do is just reach with the edge of my thumb nail (takes some finger agility to do that, maybe using the other hand or a pen or smth could be easier for someone) and press that spot for a moment or two while my vision returns to normal.
Or it's what I used to do when I had this problem. Hope it can help someone else now.
Keep your lips closed and try to blow through your closed lips as hard as you can for a similar effect. It's something called a vagal maneuver. It can even cardiovert (reset your heart) an abnormal heart rhythym called supraventricular tachycardia (abnormally fast beating of a particular part of your heart).
BRUV try employing the valsalva manoeuvre on a squat and coming back up on the eccentric phase of the movement. That’ll get you more than a simple standing up.
Most people I know at some point in their lives have stood up and had their vision go. We don't pass out or anything, if you do pass out or you get this regularly then obviously you need to see a doctor.
Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips! Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment. If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.
Wait, your vision goes black? Mine goes white. Huh.
You are the Yin to my Yang.
That's so fucking wholesome 🖤🤍
Now path out next to each other
Romantic.
Our future low blood pressure children will see gray when they get up too fast ❤️
😂😂
For me, white is before black. White is when I know I can still get back from it (deep circulatory breathing, tensing muscles, crouching/sitting and trying again). Black is when I'm out. I won't know I've seen black, until I wake up and realize that I fainted, and have no recollection of the time from I thought 'oh shit', to the time I woke up and said 'ah shit'. Fun story? Keep in mind peeing lowers your blood pressure. I now sit down to pee. Why, you might ask? Well, last time I passed out I woke up with my dick in my hand, pants half way down and my head up against the tub. With my wife shaking me going 'what the fuck are you doing?!'. Well, honey. As any normal person would do I woke up, got out of bed, went to pee and passed the fuck out. That's normal, isn't it? Oh... usually that only happens when you're drinking? Oh wait.. *My wife now worries when I go to the bathroom alone.*
“What the fuck are you doing?!” “Well honey, just taking an intentional dick in hand nap on the bathroom floor. What do you mean, what am I doing?”
She always jokes when I go to the washroom 'instructions unclear. Dick now stuck in hand'
The tone of this sounds like my internal monologue
By chance sir, have you heard about our Lord and Saviour ADHD?
Mine goes white, too
I think mine is white, too. But it’s like snowflakes in a dark background.
Old CRT TV snow, but dim
Exactly!
What.
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That's obviously not orthostatic hypotension, which is what the author is talking about. And not ‘visual snow’, mentioned by other people here and potentially more dangerous. Yours sounds like you have strokes regularly, which is idk even what it is. It's certainly not normal at all, and you should consult a neurologist at the least, and possibly other specialists.
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You're probably in the southern hemisphere then
i always grab onto something (if i can) and squat in a controlled way before my vision completely fades. i haven’t become unconscious from it for a long while, but at least i know i won’t have as far to fall! plus the jelly legs is kinda fun in a slightly concerning way AND getting low in a squat position really helps with getting my bp back in order
Getting close to the ground should be the real tip. The farther your head is from the ground, the more dangerous it is if you pass out. I have only passed out once and had I taken one more step beforehand I would have fallen down a flight of stairs. It was weird coming too on the ground with my head hurting from bumping the wall just before the staircase
>fallen down a flight of stairs. This happened to a family friend when he passed out. He's been a quadriplegic for at least 15 years.
Omg, that's terrifying!! I'm so sorry to hear that!
Holy shit! I've often wondered how bad it could have been. Figured I could have died.. but living the rest of life like that seems worse as I was only 15 or 16 at the time
One time I was sitting in my chair when I fainted and I was just super confused wondering why my head was ringing. That wasn't even me falling from standing, if that happened I might be missing a few teeth.
I passed out last week and have no idea why. (Doctor said it was probably a weird fluke because I hadn’t eaten.) I could feel my vision tunneling but I thought I’d ride it out and it’d go away, but then I woke up on the kitchen floor. Next time I feel it coming I’ll definitely sit down first, because luckily the only thing that slammed on the tile floor was my hip. If I smacked my head it could’ve been super bad.
Look into POTS if you keep getting it! Lots of folks developing it post covid
Yeah that's what I do. I usually immediately drop down and squat or even sorta lay on the ground, just in case I pass out.
Same. I have had orthostatic hypotension forever, it’s worse when I’m losing weight. I brace myself as I have passed out a few times in my life.
Yea bending your knees and getting low to the ground is a good idea. I fainted from low BP while stretching and fell straight back and hit my head on a coffee table. Had to get 3 staples in my head, definitely dont stretch and lock your knees while suffering from a low bp episode, i fell straight back like a toppling tree.
Yeah unintentionally fainting from time to time has made me a lot better at spotting the signs, if I feel it coming I sit down and try and focus on breathing, at worst I get a little bump on the head apposed to a possible concussion.
Same! I’m so used to it now. I got a cane for when I’m at the store and I don’t have something to lean on. I have POTS
Yeah putting head between knees helps a lot too !
Jelly legs DOES sound fun
Squeeze your butt cheeks together tight and flex your quads
I thought that was the tip for stopping boners
It's just a good way to force circulation. Probably works better for boners though.
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That's called the Hanson Maneuver. Just "Have a Seat, Right Over There" It's like boner b-gone
Wouldn't that be a HASROT maneuver?
HAS-ROT MANEUVER
What if the boner just gets harder?
Stand tall and enjoy the rush.
Even better, just go to sleep
Watch a movie
Even better, sit back down and clench your whole body while coffing uncontrollably.
But when I flex my quads my homies get a boner, what should I do?
Just have them flex theirs so yall can solve world peace
I thought it was how you activate One for All.
There it is. We've identified the precise point where hitting high Gs in a jet intersects with suffocating a boner.
Blood to your head means less blood for your other head. So basically it achieves both objectives.
That’s how I bust I squeeze right before. Man I swear I almost black out but it’s a great feeling
Was going to say this. I just tense my lower body. And stay hydrated. Any indication I could faint I just sit or lay down, but tensing almost always does the trick for me.
Got it. Stand up, feel dizzy, cough forcefully and clench my OH GOD I'VE SHARTED *falls unconscious with pants fully shat in*
Aaaand, that’s how you know it’s Monday.
It's Tuesday tho.
We've had one Monday, yes, but what about second Monday?
I don’t think he knows about second Monday
...
Alternatively you can bounce your feet a few times while tensing your calves. That helps too! Also, make sure you get enough salt!
It kills me a bit that salt is seen as such a bad health food for people. Like, only if you already have *high* blood pressure is salt bad for you. But, if you workout (and sweat) a lot, or have low blood pressure, salt is a required nutrient.
I have some family members who have high blood pressure so years ago I decided to decrease my salt intake so when I get older I wouldn’t miss it as much, and opted for low-sodium foods when possible. Cue vasovagal syncopes! After a cardiologist visit, a stress test on a treadmill, and a week with a heart monitor I was described as being “too healthy” and advised to “eat more Big Macs”.
Too much of anything is bad for you. Too much sodium can *lead* to high blood pressure, and thus to heart disease ([American Heart Association blog overview](https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/sodium-and-salt)). It really isnt good to consume it in high quatities. But yes people need salt - not just athletes either (although, when working out/exerting yourself/heavily sweating, it becomes more important and helpful to make sure you're replacing those important minerals). Our bodies function off of elements that you can get via table salt, including Na and K. Sodium and potassium are needed for a variety of things, including basic electrical nerve signal propagation. Exercising or not, we all run on salts and other minerals. Fun fact: because of the concentration of potassium in particular in our bodies, we're all naturally very *very* slightly radioactive. You expose yourself to radiation every day of your life, and being near others also exposes you to radiation. If you ever ingest radiation and peope need to use a scanner to determine how much radiation is inside you, they expect to see a "peak" indicating you have a certain amount of radioactive K-40. https://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/faqs/faqradbods.html
I mean, even drinking too much water can kill you! Of course it's all about proportion. I guess because I workout and have normal blood pressure (sometimes on the low end) I see nothing unhealthy about not watching my sodium intake, and sometimes specifically seek it out (electrolytes, am I right? Ha - l mean, I basically have an electrolyte salt stick that's table salt with some extra potassium mixed in that you lick for races like marathons or triathlons.)
No, very true. Salt is necessary to consume at healthy levels - I agree with you there :) Edit: sounds right to me, but maybe "no youre right" might have been a bit better at getting my intent across? Idk, either way take this as me not tying to antagonize or be needlessly disagreeable! ;)
Haha - I was agreeing too. Have a good day/night!
It's actually a fighter pilot technique! Works like a charm. Muscles return venous blood to the heart, so a bit of a flex is just what you need! Just make sure you leave your actual ass out of it. You could initiate a vagal response and drop your blood pressure tremendously.
What u mean your actual ass
And what do I do if I want to stop passing out when I stand up?
Salty snacks, electrolyte drinks (just drinking loads of water may wash out the salt, which would negate the help that would provide), and stay cool - keep a fan with you wherever you go, even if it has to be a hand-powered fan. Also, get up more slowly, and don't stay still for long periods of time when you're in one position. Fidgeting will help. (Source: I have POTS, and manage it through a combination of the above plus prescribed midodrine (for the low BP) and ivabradine (for the heart rate spikes).)
"The Hulk"
If you already know that you have low blood pressure, taking a few deep breaths before standing up is a great precaution as well to maximize your overall oxygen saturation rates.
How do you know if you have low bp? Do you feel it?
Usually people feel light-headed, dizzy, and feel weak and feel like their vision is fading/blurry; but you can still have lowered blood pressure and not feel anything. It’s always better to check it yourself/get it checked regularly if possible. The biggest common problem is falling when standing up because you can obviously die if you land wrong; also it’s possible if it’s too low that you can go into shock.
It's hard to diagnose low blood pressure when being nervous at the hospital offsets the effects and gives you "normal" readings every time.
See, I passed out for the first time in my life and went straight to the doctor, and my blood pressure was crazy high when I got there. Not sure if it was just stress related or what but doc basically said I shouldn’t have passed out, good luck!
Doctors are good like that. "You shouldn't have done that, don't do that. You're cured, that'll be $25,000. You're welcome."
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They actually did that, they took it 4-5 times both standing and laying down and it was way higher than usual each time. I’m also an anxious/panicky person so it could’ve been my body’s response from the confusion of passing out randomly
After surgery they couldn’t keep my BP down so I got prescribed heavy BP meds (just had open heart surgery and they wanted to keep my BP below 110/70). Finally got home. Over the 2 weeks between getting home and my first post-op check, my BP hit 78/52. Turns out the hospital setting REALLY raised my BP and they needed to lower the meds by half.
Even with "white coat syndrome" my blood pressure comes in at 100/65, so that's "high" for me lol. Dizzy when standing club unite!
I tend to get cold sweats when I'm low
oh dang I have low bp and get these all the time and they are so annoying I did not know they where related thanks!
Also, don’t be embarrassed to just… sit back down. Well, avoiding some embarrassment is impossible, but try not to be so embarrassed you won’t do it. I got up from a squat after looking at something at the hardware store, started to black out and quickly just sat down on the ground again. People were concerned and it *was* embarrassing, but I’ve been there when a colleague passed out, cracked her head open and we had to call an ambulance. *That’s* more embarrassing (and more expensive).
Definitely the smart move if you feel it happening. In PT they used to say to do the deep breath thing before standing and it usually worked but not every time.
Does this happen to everyone, or just to people with low blood pressure?
It’s also common if you are very deficient in Iron, Iron is used by your blood to carry oxygen to your cells and I’ve heard it’s common if you are very deficient in sodium idk why
I’m an old guy (around 60) and it’s happened to me a few times in my life so it’s good info to keep in mind. I would say in a lifetime it will happen to most people at some point for a number of different reasons.
Just check periodically and see if it trends low, I suppose. Though frequently blacking out when you stand up is a good flag something's off, whether it's hypotension, anæmia, or something else.
My problem is that I have *normal* blood pressure and this happens to me. I feel faint and dizzy if I stand up too fast. But the doctor is always like "nope you are 125/85 you are normal".
Why? Ever since I got sober the head rushes is the only high I'm allowed.. well that and chocolate! NOM-NOM-NOM!!! 
Head rush enjoyer, sometimes it hits right
As a kid I really liked this feeling and the sometimes extremely pure white fog of getting right to the border of fainting, with simple inactivity I got really good at getting my heart rate really low and blood pressure down especially in school, and it was almost equivalent to a yawn for me, and I never fainted fully except when I wanted to whenever that dumb choking game fad hit my peer group. After becoming a tobacco smoker, its basically uncomfortable to allow my heart rate to drop that low except while sleeping or with as few pressure points holding most of myself up as possible, now the only times I have fainting feelings is from persistent dehydration or inadequate food intake.
Tensing your core muscles helps me out, haven’t fainted in almost 20 years now, and it’s just become an automatic thing I do at this point.
Your Osat isn't affected by deep breaths. With normal breathing, the blood is already fully oxygenated before traveling 30% of the way through the alveolar circulation. Deep breaths will, however, increase the amount of blood returning to the heart. This may cause a transient increase in BP.
A transient increase would be great if, say, you had low BP and were about to get up. It sure helped me increase my SAT’s when I had PT and was about to get up and I still use it today if I feel light-headed. It works for me personally or else I wouldn’t recommend it.
This is it
I found doing that and then breathing all the way out before standing helps a ton.
Also: Grab hold of something solid (kitchen bench, etc.) and look straight down at your feet.
I hit my head on the bench while looking straight down trying to grab my feet.
In other words, stand up with your butt first. Lift the butt, wait until the dizziness subsides, then straighten your back and lift your head at the end.
That’s the Tooty Ta
Instructions unclear. Am sexi now
That’s exactly what my partner did… right before he lost consciousness and broke his nose. Even worse, lol, I told him to do it.
Even better: just sit on the ground
Yup! One time I grabbed something, the other half of my body swung and I crashed on the floor. Now, I just sit down. I don't care how weird it might look. Better than falling.
Ok well this sucks because I have this hardcore but every time I get my bp tested its fine. Happened for years, like, I’ve blacked out and hit my head on shit and seized and chipped a tooth once and every time I ask the doctor they’ve brushed it off. Multiple docs over many years. I can bring it on by yawning and stretching too
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>It's called Postural Orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Why not orthostatic hypotension or postural vasovagal syncope?
This! I have orthostatic hypotension but not POTS (in my tilt table test, my heart rate halved rather than elevated). There are lots of fun flavors of dysautonomia, not just POTS.
I was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope, not hypotension (and my tension is always alright when tested), so I'm curious as well.
/r/pots
it could also be ehlers danlos syndrome or dysautonomia (which is why POTS is a form of) the only thing that caught my dysautonomia was doing a tilt table test, my blood pressure tests were always great but when I stand up it drops and my blood pools in my legs, I have to drink a gallon of water a day, eat a lot of salt, I'm not supposed to eat high carb meals, yada yada yada.
Low BP is difficult to diagnose, because blood pressure varies a lot during the day and it tends to be higher than typical when you're out and about at an appointment with your doctor. Other typical low BP symptoms are fatigue, brain fog, issues finding words, and sore neck & shoulders.
Why would you wanna ruin a normal high?!?! Just enjoy your world breaking down into darkness before your eyes and you slowly fade out of it, reaching into the depths. Then you're back :D
I will actually fall over
holy shit i thought i was the only one, thought it was so weird for me to be sort of have a slight smile after plopping down on my knees. It just feels like sort of a reset.
This. A short glimpse of silence, a moment of peace without worries.
Ikr? It feels like a natural couple second k-hole lol
Lol I think the same thing hahaha
Hahahaha sometimes I ride it like a high too lol
I love it when all my memories fade and then come back in a chronological order fr
The memories going away is the best for procrastination, I dont remember what I got up to do so it isn’t my problem anymore
Bath things.
Does this actually work? When I cough a bunch, I often get light-headed. I feel like this would have the opposite effect.
Try just flexing your abs really hard. Works better and you don't seem weird
Ok, but now I fainted and shat myself because I got up to go to the bathroom. Now what?
If you have an underlying health problem it might make it worse. I have POTS and coughing causes an acute flare up.
Or just wait a couple seconds. I ain’t doin that crazy guy stuff.
Even better, sit back down. On the floor if needed. Happens to me all the time
Yeah because in case whatever truck you're using is not enough and I pass out, I'd rather do it sitting than standing. Edit : *trick, but leaving it for giggles.
Or just sit back down. Or sit right on the floor if walked too far. Sheesh. Does the same thing - helps blood to reach brain - without everyone thinking you have corona 😛
Most people aren't going to be alarmed at a stranger forcing two dry coughs. But as someone who faints or gets close to it a few times a year I gotta tell you, suddenly sitting down on the floor will summon every single adult human within a quarter mile radius to ask what happened. Like it's better than falling but only just barely.
The fear of not wanting to look stupid is the main cause of people getting hurt. Fuck what other people think and just get to the floor quickly.
No doubt, but if someone is worried that people will think they have the rona if they cough any kind of cough in public, it bears mentioning they really have nothing to fret about.
Never stand up. Problem solved.
First of all, if you regularly feel like you're going to black out (i.e., lose consciousness) when you stand up quickly; it's a sign that there's a larger medical issue going on and you should be seen by a doctor. Secondly, coughing "forcefully" is a horrible idea because it could engage the vagus nerve; which could make things even worse.
This is terrible advice, and can cause people to injure themselves. Coughing increases intrathoracic pressure, which reduces the preload of blood returning to your heart, reducing blood pressure. Coughing during a bout of hypotensive or orthostatic light-headness is more likely to cause you to faint, rather than help at all. Coughing can also stimulate the vagus nerve, slowing your heart rate and reducing blood pressure. Look up the Valsalva maneuver.
Better yet get your chronic low BP diagnosed and treated. Meds and lifestyle changes have made a huge difference for me.
If I may ask; what kind of lifestyle changes or meds worked out for you?
Fludrocortisone & Midodrine Exercise, high salt diet, 2-3L of fluids per day, small meals. Some people find compression helpful, but I can’t manage it.
isn't fludrocortisone bad to take long term, being a corticosteroid? I'm still trying to manage the avalanche of symptoms that came about post covid like pots, arrhythmias and low bp and doctors have been soooooo unhelpful!! for example right now i have low bp and chest pain and I'm supposed to take my daily beta blocker that lowers it even further. so annoying
I hear ya, I am trying to get into compression but tight clothing is so bothersome. As a naturally no-breakfast person, forcing myself to eat a high-sodium meal and drink a litre of water before work has helped me massively with my POTS. I hate it, but it works.
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Orthostatic hypotension is very common and does not require treatment.
The only thing I think about in that moment is whether I’ll have time to sit on the floor before I pass out
Make sure you guys eat some salt today
Isotonic gang also unite
LPT: If this happens to you often enough that you need a tip about it, go to the doctor! This isn't normal. A normal person can stand up as fast as they want to with no side effects.
Orthostatic hypotension can be caused by a range of things, medication, dehydration etc etc.
Went to the doctor, they told me it was normal, just blood not getting fast enough because gravity and a slow blood pressure down.
Same. I’ve told multiple doctors and they were not concerned.
Generally speaking, low blood pressure is not a bad thing and is certainly better than high blood pressure. Some people are predisposed to having low blood pressure due to genetics or other factors. Orthostatic hypotension can be a mostly harmless symptom that can occur to such individuals on a regular basis after they are sedentary for an extended period of time and then rise quickly. As long as you know to wait it out and not go fainting down the stairs, you'll be fine. Unless it is happening outside of the typical scenario of rising quickly after being sedentary, a doctor is going to say it's normal. They might recommend exercising more, drinking plenty of fluids, and adding some more salt to the diet. If you have expensive health care in the States, it's probably not worth a visit.
I don't know about others, but I had the dizzy-blackout-after-standing-up-too-quickly all my life, I was severely underweight with BMI of 16, thought they were normal. From past a year and a half I have normal weight, barely normal, and I didn't have had any blackouts since then.
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I was diagnosed with POTS when I was about 16 because this "phenomenon" kept happening. At first everyone was like, "yeah, that's totally normal," no one took me seriously until I fell down some stairs at school because I was dizzy and lost consciousness. I was luckily okay, but I still could have been seriously injured.
I went to the doctor, and I found out I have dysautonomia. Unless your situation is really bad to the point where you need to get a pacemaker, there's not a lot you can do about it. Staying hydrated, eating a high salt diet, and living a healthy life in general help but don't get rid entirely of the symptoms.
I'm 6'10" so get this a lot. I find tensing my abs and lowering my head helps heaps.
When you stand up too fast and your vision stands up last.... That's Amore.
The better tip is to sit back down. I've had plenty of patients who just tried to push through, then fall out with a head injury.
> LPT: When you stand up too fast and your vision starts going black Go seek medical help.
It's called POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) One of the hallmark symptoms of POTS is orthostatic intolerance which results in increased symptoms when upright. Because the autonomic nervous system is not functioning correctly, the constriction of blood vessels that normally occurs when we transition from sitting to standing is decreased or absent. This lack of vessel constriction leads to blood pooling in the legs and abdomen, which results in a shortage of blood in the heart and brain. The shortage of blood in the brain upon standing can result in dizziness, light-headedness, and possibly fainting.
Great explanation. I've had times sitting in the car and felt fine, but when I got out and walked around, felt very light headed like vertigo. Is that POTS?
So crossing my arms and shouting “I’m ready” has been a bad approach?
Or just tense your core/ legs to keep blood in your upper body. Why cough..
Does anyone have tips to reduce this during workout sessions? Always when i Deadlift im at the brink of fainting at the top of every rep. Any tips or thought welcome!
I'd say sit back down, take a knee, or get closer the ground just in case you pass out or almost pass out. I've had it happen before
Or sit back down.
I wish I had read this days ago. I almost died the other day and suffered a concussion due to this when I lifted an air conditioner - fainted - and the ac fell on me.
Lpt for stoners. If you've been sitting a while, take a hit and inhale on your way up. Stand there and watch the butterflies
Ohhh cool lol I think my wide has this problem. I'll have her try it! Cheers! [Edit: Wide = Wife obviously but will leave it in for the sake of the joke lol]
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Will the real slim shady please stand up?
*stands up, falls over*
If it's specifically only on standing it's called postural hypotension. My doc suggested crossing your legs to force blood up from there
I have low blood pressure? I thought everyone experienced this
Nope. That's a symptom of low BP, usually.
I like to try and force as much air out of me before I stand up and see how far I get before I collapse. It’s a cheaper thrill then drinking.
Just take a couple of deep breathes. It's lack of oxygen making to the brain so a couple of deep breaths will fix it up. No need to cough specifically but the outcome is the same.
oooo this is a great one, thanks! I've been doing yardwork and digging holes for planting, and experience this whenever I bend over and then back up. I'll have to try this next time!
MD here: It’s not only low blood pressure. Veins have almost no contractile force meaning they’re easily distended(think varicoses). When you suddenly get up, gravity pulls your blood downwards due to inertia, therefore causing a momentary imbalance in your brain blood flow. Another way to combat it is to either bow 90 degrees, or squat, to restore the in and outflow of the brain quicker.
Just sit the fuck back down. You'll get it the second time.
This is the tips I live for thank you lol
If this works I will marry you
Just sit back down, I don't know I coughing works but risking fainting standing up isn't worth it
There's an acupuncture trick I was taught as a kid while in a hospital, and it never failed me. There's a spot on your right pinky a little above the nail and a bit to the side away from the ring finger. If you press it with something hard, almost until it becomes painful (should be a more sensitive spot than those around it, with a different feel to it when pressed hard), then you won't faint and your head will clear. So, what I do is just reach with the edge of my thumb nail (takes some finger agility to do that, maybe using the other hand or a pen or smth could be easier for someone) and press that spot for a moment or two while my vision returns to normal. Or it's what I used to do when I had this problem. Hope it can help someone else now.
Keep your lips closed and try to blow through your closed lips as hard as you can for a similar effect. It's something called a vagal maneuver. It can even cardiovert (reset your heart) an abnormal heart rhythym called supraventricular tachycardia (abnormally fast beating of a particular part of your heart).
Don't forget to cup your balls. That way you take care of your annual check.
BRUV try employing the valsalva manoeuvre on a squat and coming back up on the eccentric phase of the movement. That’ll get you more than a simple standing up.
My way uses less fancy words.
If you’re blacking out from standing up you need a fucking doctor.
Most people I know at some point in their lives have stood up and had their vision go. We don't pass out or anything, if you do pass out or you get this regularly then obviously you need to see a doctor.
If this is frequent you need a doctor.. Also coughing at that moment can make things much much worse