low blood pressure in the upright position. This leads to a decrease in blood supply to the brain. The condition usually causes a person to feel dizzy or lightheaded. Sometimes, orthostatic hypotension can cause a person to faint.
Other symptoms of orthostatic hypotension include fatigue, particularly on exertion; vision problems; soreness in the back of the neck and shoulders, sometimes called “coat hanger” pain; or shortness of breath.
Symptoms are worse when people stand up and improve when they sit or lie down. Common causes of orthostatic hypotension include dehydration, hot environments, or standing for long periods of time. Most people feel better with hydration and rest.
Many people occasionally feel dizzy or lightheaded after standing. However, for those who feel lightheaded or lose consciousness every time they stand up, it could be a sign of an autonomic disorder.
Orthostatic hypotension can cause complications—especially in older adults—such as falling down as a result of fainting. People with the condition are at risk for bone fractures, stroke due to the reduced blood supply to the brain, or cardiovascular conditions such as chest pain or heart failure.
Postprandial Hypotension
Postprandial hypotension is a sudden drop in blood pressure after a meal, caused by blood pressure changes while you’re digesting food. Symptoms include dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting about 15 to 90 minutes after eating. The condition is common in adults over the age of 60 and people with other disorders of the autonomic nervous system.
During digestion, extra blood is diverted to the stomach and small intestine, causing the heart to beat faster and harder while blood vessels far from the digestive system narrow. These actions maintain blood pressure and blood flow throughout the body. However, in people with postprandial hypotension, the heart rate doesn’t beat as fast as needed and the blood vessels don’t constrict as they should, so blood pressure drops.
Multiple System Atrophy
Multiple system atrophy is a rare autonomic disorder that typically affects men and women in their 50s and advances rapidly over the course of 5 to 10 years. The condition causes a progressive loss of motor function and, eventually, the need to use a wheelchair.
There are two different types of this condition: the cerebellar type and the Parkinsonian type. How a person is diagnosed depends on the most prominent symptoms at the time he or she is evaluated.
People with the Parkinsonian type have symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, such as moving slowly, stiffness, tremors, and problems with balance and coordination.
Those with the cerebellar type have loss of coordination, difficulty swallowing, speech problems or a quivering voice, and unusual eye movements.
This condition tends to progress more rapidly than Parkinson’s disease, and most people eventually require an aid for walking, such as a cane, walker, or wheelchair, within a few years of the onset of symptoms.
Pure Autonomic Failure
Pure autonomic failure is a rare degenerative disorder that causes orthostatic hypotension, sexual dysfunction, a decreased ability to sweat, elevated blood pressure when lying down, and changes in gastrointestinal and urinary habits. The condition affects men slightly more often than women, and is often found in middle-aged to older adults.
Since this ordeal, Solange has continues to put out content via her own BlackPlanet channel, here.