What should you know about diagnosing orthostatic hypotension?

Orthostatic hypotension is a drop in blood pressure after moving upright. It can cause light-headedness, blurred vision, weakness, nausea or fainting. Symptoms may be brief and may not happen every time, so describe the position change and how quickly symptoms start.

During assessment, a clinician measures vital signs at rest and repeats them after you stand. They may review dehydration, recent illness, heart problems, nerve conditions and medicines that lower blood pressure. Further tests are guided by the history and examination.

Keep a brief record of when symptoms occur, what you were doing, how long they last and whether you actually fainted. Mention vomiting, diarrhoea, poor intake, bleeding, new medicines and alcohol use. Rise slowly and sit or lie down as soon as light-headedness begins.

Do not change prescribed blood-pressure medicine on your own. A GP can decide whether a dose, timing, fluid plan or another cause needs review, and can advise on safer activity while the assessment continues.

Seek urgent care after fainting with chest pain, breathlessness, a racing or irregular heartbeat, severe headache, injury, confusion or one-sided weakness. Prompt review is also needed for repeated falls, persistent vomiting or symptoms that occur without standing. Call emergency services for collapse with no quick recovery or severe breathing difficulty.

Ask whether your blood pressure changes meet the definition of orthostatic hypotension, which medicines or illnesses could contribute, whether heart testing is needed, how to reduce falls, and when you should return for reassessment.