There are approximately 70 percent of people with fibromyalgia who have problems with dizziness. When you go from sitting to standing or lying down do you find yourself on the never ending spin ride of dizziness, or do you often feel the roar of the ocean when you change positions? Are you often lightheaded without any other explanation? You are not alone. Today let’s discuss the easy way to stop the dizzy ride of fibro.
Dizzy is defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary as having a whirling sensation in the head with a tendency to fall. Oftentimes when you rise from a seated or lying position you find that your head is whirling or you feel like you might fall. Over time one may think this has to do with blood sugar or blood pressure, but today we talk about where this sensation is rooted.
To Stop the Dizzy Ride You Need to Know How it Starts
Research suggest that dizziness stems from the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and is called Dysautonomia. The ANS is involved with critical functions including heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, body temperature, metabolism and digestion. Dizziness resulting from dysautonomia is orthostatic intolerance, neurally mediated hypotension or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Essentially, these things mean that the heart and brain aren’t communicating properly with one another.
What should happen in our bodies is that when you stand up from a lying or sitting position, the ANS increases your blood pressure in order to fight gravity and keep a sufficient supply of blood in your brain. With Dysautonomia, this doesn’t happen as it should. Instead, the blood pressure can actually drop when you stand, and the result is dizziness or light-headedness. In POTS, the heart rate speeds up as blood pressure drops.
The Dizzy Ride Pause Button in POTS
Can you easily stop the dizzy ride? You can pause the symptoms of POTS by making three changes. The first improvement to make is physical exercise. Aerobic activity for 20-30 minutes 5 days a week improves ones cardiovascular health. The second way to pause the dizzy ride is to stay hydrated. Drinking water regularly throughout the day helps to prevent dehydration. It is recommended by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine for men to drink 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day, and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids for women. Increasing your salt intake helps manage the blood pressure, and is the third way you can help manage the dizzy ride.
More extreme cases of POTS require IV fluids, blood pressure medication with a beta blocker and/or a steroid, and compression stockings to help prevent blood clots and swelling. A doctor can help you manage the symptoms and treatment for POTS.
The Dizzying Ride of Dysautonomia
Dysautonomia can be mild to serious in severity. It can be present at birth or appear gradually at any age. Dysautonomia can occur as its own disorder, without the presence of other diseases. This is called primary dysautonomia. It can also occur as a condition of another diseases such as diabetes, parkinson’s disease, muscular sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, Chiari malformation, Guillian-Barre syndrome, HIV, lyme disease, among others. This is called secondary dysautonomia.
Dysautonomia can affect ANS functions including blood pressure, breathing, digestion, heart rate, kidney function, pupil dilation and constriction in the eyes, sexual function, and body/skin temperature control. A common sign of dysautonomia is orthostatic intolerance, which means you can not stand up for long without feeling faint or dizzy. Other symptoms that you may experience are balance problems, noise/light sensitivity, shortness of breath, chest pain/discomfort, dizziness/lightheadedness/vertigo, swings in body and skin temperature, ongoing tiredness, difficulty swallowing, nausea and vomiting, constipation, fast or slow heart rate, heart palpitations, brain-fog, weakness, mood swings, sweat less than normal, sleeping problems, migraines, dehydration, frequent urination or incontinence, erectile dysfuntion, low blood sugar, exercise intolerance.
Symptom Management for Dysautonomia
One can manage the symptoms of dysautonomia by simple lifestyle changes. Do not smoke or drink alcoholic beverages. One needs to eat a healthy diet, and drink a lot of water. Carry water with you at all times. Add extra salt to your diet or keep salty snacks with you. Get plenty of sleep. Maintain a healthy weight and blood sugar levels, and listen to what your body is telling you that it needs. If you feel dizzy then sit or lie down, and try to stand up slowly from a seated or prostrate position. Wear compressions socks/stockings or support garments. Avoid sitting or standing for a long period of time. Avoid extreme heat. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking over the counter medication, and ask them if you can eat or drink caffeinated foods and beverages. When do you call the doctor? If you find that dizzy spells are frequent or you are fainting then you should consult your physican.
The Easy Way to Stop the Dizzy Ride in Fibro
Today we discussed two things which may be contributing to the dizzy ride that a fibro patient is experiencing. Dysautonomia and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. These two things you can control by lifestyle changes that are simple like adding more water to your diet, listening to you body, eating healthier food choices, avoiding caffeine, sleeping good, and exercise. These changes in lifestyle are an easy way to get off of the dizzying ride found in fibromylgia.