Orthostatic Phenomenon

Orthostatic hypotension is a fairly rare phenomenon; it occurs when suddenly rising from a lying position to a standing position. This condition occurs as a result of a sharp drop in venous return of blood to the heart caused by arteriovenous shunting. Normally, blood from the right half of the heart is pumped through the pulmonary circulation to the left. To ensure normal blood supply to the left ventricle, the heart pumps at least 52% of the circulating blood into it. However, with orthostatic phenomenon, the pressure decreases so much that it is impossible to provide the necessary blood circulation. During an attack, your health may worsen due to increased heart rate and increased perspiration in the neck and face. If you do not respond to the symptoms of orthostatic hypotension in time, you may develop hypothermia and disrupt brain activity.

Orthostatic phenomenon is an interesting phenomenon that occurs in many people. However, in order to understand what it is, you need to understand the basic concepts.

The first step is to understand what kind of “phenomenon” we are talking about and why it is called that way. Orthostatic is translated from Greek as “standing on our feet,” which emphasizes our need for an upright position during our lives. Such conditions have been known since antiquity. Even then, people could observe them in themselves or others. That is why it is customary to call them “orthostatic phenomenon”. Each person experiences orthostatic reaction to varying degrees, but most suffer from it periodically. These manifestations intensify due to the activity of the muscles of the lower extremities during changes in body position. What then causes orthostatic symptoms? Let's begin to consider this issue. The main provoking factors for the occurrence of orthostatic phenomenon are various diseases and lack of microelements in the body.