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Dizziness When Standing Up May Not Just Be Anemia

You've probably experienced your vision spinning and staggering whenever you stand up from a sitting position for no particular reason. It's easy to dismiss it as "being tired" or "just simple anemia," but if these symptoms repeat, it could be a signal that an important control system in our body has a problem. Especially even if there are no special abnormalities in tests, symptoms of "vision spinning when standing up" that cause great discomfort in daily life should not be overlooked. This is because there is a high possibility that it is a warning light sent by autonomic nervous system imbalance beyond just simple dizziness.

💡 [Key Answer] The 3 most common causes of dizziness when standing up: ① Orthostatic hypotension / ② Autonomic dysfunction / ③ Vasovagal syncope Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic resolves the root cause of symptoms with treatment that helps regain the balance of the autonomic nervous system so that the brain and body maintain normal homeostasis.

When we suddenly stand up from a sitting position, our body responds to changes in gravity by adjusting heart rate and blood pressure to maintain a constant blood supply to the brain. At this time, it is the 'autonomic nervous system' that is responsible for this adjustment function. The autonomic nervous system, composed of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, regulates essential functions for maintaining life such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, and digestion regardless of our will.

If the balance of this autonomic nervous system is broken, it cannot prevent blood from pooling downward when standing up or cannot send enough blood to the brain, leading to a temporary decrease in brain blood flow. This causes symptoms such as vision going dark or spinning dizziness and vertigo, which is called 'orthostatic hypotension.' According to a study conducted in Korea in 2004, 12.3% of adults aged 40-69 were found to experience orthostatic hypotension, where systolic blood pressure decreases by 20 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure decreases by 10 mmHg or more upon standing. This showed a trend of increasing prevalence as age increases.

In addition, excessive tension in the sympathetic nervous system due to stress or overwork can harden neck and shoulder muscles and interfere with brain blood circulation, or vasovagal syncope, where blood pressure and heart rate drop sharply due to excessive activation of the vagus nerve, can also be a major cause of dizziness when standing up.

Many people feel frustrated after hearing "there's nothing wrong" even after undergoing intensive tests such as MRI, CT, and blood tests at various hospitals for dizziness. However, just because test results are normal doesn't mean there is no problem with the body. Rather, it is highly likely a symptom caused by functional imbalance of our body, namely autonomic dysfunction.

In a study published in the journal Clinical Neurophysiology in 2014 by a research team at Keimyung University School of Medicine, autonomic function tests were conducted on 217 patients with orthostatic dizziness (OD), and at least one type of autonomic dysfunction was found in about 83% of patients. In particular, overall decreases in sympathetic adrenergic function and parasympathetic cardiovagal function were the most common patterns. This study suggests that orthostatic dizziness is associated with very broad autonomic dysfunction and emphasizes the importance of a thorough evaluation of the autonomic nervous system when looking for the cause of dizziness.

Also, in another study published in the journal Neurology in the same year, about 80% showed autonomic dysfunction in autonomic function tests conducted on 18 patients with chronic persistent dizziness. This study revealed that autonomic dysfunction can be a cause of not only orthostatic dizziness but also persistent dizziness, and that both sympathetic hypofunction or hyperactivation can cause dizziness.

These research results show that if dizziness persists even without specific findings in tests, autonomic nervous system imbalance should be suspected and appropriate diagnosis and treatment are needed. At Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic, an Incheon dizziness clinic, we focus on supplementing these limitations of modern medicine and regaining the balance of the autonomic nervous system, the root of the symptoms.

At Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch, we do not see dizziness when standing up simply as a blood pressure problem. We diagnose it as a problem that occurs when our brain cannot rest and is placed in a continuous state of tension like an 'overheated engine' as the balance of the autonomic nervous system, which acts as a 'circuit breaker switch' for our body, is broken.

Autonomic stabilization treatment focuses on stabilizing this overheated autonomic nervous system and creating an environment where the brain can sufficiently rest. In Korean medicine, this is also expressed as 'Suseunghwagang (水昇火降),' a treatment that balances the circulation of the entire body by lowering the heat in the head and raising the energy of the lower body. This is connected to the process of strengthening the function of the autonomic nervous system so that it can quickly constrict blood vessels and adjust heart rate to sufficiently supply blood to the brain when blood pools in the lower body due to gravity.

In a "Case Study of a Patient with Dizziness Accompanied by Orthostatic Hypotension Improved by Korean Medical Treatment" published in the Journal of Internal Korean Medicine in 2019, herbal medicine (Bojungikki-tang gamibang), acupuncture, and moxibustion treatment were administered for 29 days to a patient complaining of orthostatic hypotension and dizziness. As a result, the patient's dizziness and dysesthesia symptoms subjectively improved, and the decrease in blood pressure according to posture changes was reduced, confirming improvement in orthostatic hypotension. In particular, in the later stage of inpatient treatment, results were reported where blood pressure upon standing recovered to the normal range. This shows that Korean medical treatment can have a meaningful effect on symptoms such as orthostatic dizziness through improvement of autonomic regulation function. Based on these data, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic aims to fundamentally resolve dizziness by helping the recovery of the autonomic nervous system through combined various Korean medical treatments such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and pharmaco-acupuncture along with customized herbal medicine prescriptions considering each patient's constitution and symptom patterns.

Check how many of the following items apply to you. If you are experiencing related diseases such as headaches, chronic fatigue, indigestion, and tinnitus in addition to the symptom of vision spinning when standing up, you need to look more carefully.

• My vision goes white or spins when I suddenly stand up.
• My heart often pounds and feels frustrated, and I feel anxiety.
• My head hurts often for no particular reason.
• Fatigue is not relieved and my body always feels heavy.
• Indigestion is frequent or gas often fills my stomach.
• It's hard to fall asleep or I don't feel like I've slept even if I did.
• There are symptoms of cold and numb hands and feet.
• I am sensitive and irritable, and my mood swings are severe.
• There is chronic stiffness in the back of the neck and shoulders.

Judgment Criteria:

• 3 or more apply: Suspect autonomic imbalance → Review combined Korean medicine treatment
• 5 or more apply: Immediate visit and precise diagnosis recommended

Q. How long does the symptom of vision spinning when standing up take? A. The recovery period can vary depending on the cause and severity of symptoms and individual constitution. Recovery of the autonomic nervous system is more effective when accompanied by consistent treatment and lifestyle improvements, and usually several months or more of time may be needed.

Q. How is simple anemia different from orthostatic hypotension? A. Simple anemia occurs due to a lack of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood, whereas orthostatic hypotension occurs due to abnormalities in the blood pressure regulation function of the autonomic nervous system during posture changes. Of course, anemia can worsen orthostatic hypotension, but the two have different mechanisms.

Q. Is it dangerous if dizziness becomes severe? A. Yes, if balance sense drops due to dizziness, the risk of falling increases and the quality of daily life can be significantly lowered. Especially in the elderly, it can lead to serious complications such as fractures, so active treatment is important.

Q. What kind of tests are done at the Incheon dizziness clinic? A. At Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch, in addition to patient symptom inquiry, we objectively evaluate the balance state of the entire body and autonomic nervous system activity through pulse wave tests, heart rate variability (HRV) tests, and body composition analysis. Based on this, we establish a customized treatment plan.

Dizziness when standing up is not a problem solved by just enduring. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach it in the right direction, your body will react faster than you think. Bring your current symptoms as they are. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic will find the cause together.

The place where life blooms. Herbal medicine is, of course, Dalimchae Clinic. Check your similar symptoms through AI consultation on the Dalimchae Clinic website first!

This health information was compiled by the Dalimchae medical team based on questions actually received in the consultation room. Medical Supervision | Brain and Autonomic Nervous System Treatment Standards, Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch Hanui Doctor Min Jihong (Dizziness Column)