Orthostatic hypotension when sitting to standing

When you stand, gravity draws some blood toward your legs. The heart and blood vessels normally adjust quickly to keep blood reaching the brain. With orthostatic hypotension, that adjustment is delayed or insufficient. You may feel dizzy, weak, faint, nauseated, or see spots within moments of rising. Long periods of sitting, dehydration, fever, heat, and some medicines can make the response harder for the body to manage.

Before standing, flex your ankles, tighten your leg muscles, and take a moment to notice how you feel. Rise slowly with a hand on a secure support. If symptoms begin, sit back down or lie flat; do not try to walk through them. Keep fluids consistent when appropriate for your health, and avoid standing still for long periods. Note the time, position, symptoms, meals, heat exposure, and medicines so a clinician can identify a pattern.

Contact a GP when the problem is new, frequent, or affecting work, exercise, or personal safety. Get urgent help if you faint during exertion, have chest discomfort, severe breathing difficulty, one-sided weakness, trouble speaking, or a significant fall. Recurrent dizziness should be checked because blood-pressure changes can overlap with heart, blood, medication, or neurological problems.

Ask whether your blood pressure should be checked lying and standing, whether any medicine needs review, and which fluid or salt advice fits your medical history. Ask how to reduce fall risk at home.