Combat Fainting

Feeling dizzy or fainting when you sit or stand up too fast is often due to orthostatic hypotension. When you get up too quickly, the blood rushes away from the head and into the feet due to gravity. Usually the body has a reflex to constrict blood vessels and adjust heart pressure and heart rate to prevent the blood from leaving the brain. This reflex is compromised when someone restricts too much. Another common cause is eating a large meal because a lot of blood is directed to the stomach and intestines.

There are several ways to prevent getting dizzy or fainting and potentially hurting yourself by landing on something bad:

1. Compression Socks. These socks put pressure on your legs, preventing the blood from pooling in them. I've not tried these myself, so I do not know how effective they are.
   
2. Be Well Hydrated. Good hydration means you have good blood volume. When you have enough blood volume, the natural reflex is more effective.
   
3. Have more sodium. Sodium helps regulate blood volume, too. Be careful with this one since there's a link with lots of sodium with elevated risk of hypertension.
   
4. Elevated head. Keep your head elevated when you lie down or sleep. It keeps that reflex engaged more, so standing or sitting up has less of an effect.
   
5. Move your legs. When you stand, don't lock your knees. Shift your weight. Flex your leg muscles. Moving them "pumps" the blood out of them.
   
6. Deep breaths. Before you get up, take 4-10 deep breaths. It helps raise your heart rate and prepare your body for moving around.
   

If you are feeling faint or dizzy, sit down. Lay on your back and put your legs up in the air if possible so gravity moves blood out of them and towards your head. Take deep breaths. This technique also works if you feel dizzy or nauseous while exercising.

If your faintness, nausea, and dizziness happens after you eat a large meal:

1. Eat a few smaller meals. Spreading out your food intake throughout the day in several smaller meals means your body doesn't have to direct a ton of energy to digestion (and away from your other muscles and organs, including brain).
   
2. Eat fewer rapidly digesting carbs. They release a energy too quickly, creating a huge surge followed by a big drop in energy.
   
3. Rest. Take it easy 30-60 minutes after eating. Like I said before, your body will be directing blood and energy towards digestion. If you rest after eating, you're less likely to get in a situation where you faint.
   

THIS. Thank you ~~~

Great advice. 

I'm constantly weebling and wobbling. It's a mess.