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Has anyone felt dizzy or faint when starting to eat?
For the past three days, I would feel dizzy and faint when I begin to eat especially when I'm hungry. Could it be that my head is tilted down towards my food plate that triggers a vertigo? But I'd feel normal again after a few seconds. I hope someone here could share his or her similar experience and how he/she had managed it. I had just been to my cardio last week for my regular check-up and I won't be back for another checkup in 3 months. Thank you for reading my message. Pardon me for my broken English as it is our second language. I am from the Philippines. God's blessings!
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My comment below might not be relevant to your situation but maybe it will!
My wife (Judy) would sometimes faint when she sat down to eat. Eventually she fainted at home one morning. After she soon regained consciousness, I called 911. After she was examined by the EMT's at home she was taken to the ER for examination.
She was moved near a nurses station and a Holter monitor was put on her. Her upper body was raised up almost to a sitting position. I was sitting nearby when I noticed her jaw dropped and her eyes rolled back and she had "fainted". I called the nurse who quickly came and Judy soon regained consciousness.
The nurse checked the results of the Holter monitor and said Judy's heart had stopped for 11 seconds and for a time had a pulse rate of 26 beats per minute. I don't know if the slow heart rate (bradycardia) was before or after her heart had stopped. The nurse said, "She needs a pacemaker."
Her cardiologist was called. He agreed. Late that afternoon a pacemaker was installed. She never had those fainting spells again.
Her cardiologist asked me, "Did she often have the fainting spells just after sitting down?" I thought about it and said, "Yes! In every case that I can remember!" He said, "That is very often when bradycardia occurs." I don't remember if he also said when a brief heart stoppage occurs.
Anyway, possibly it might be good to wear a Holter monitor sometime. I will be sending good thoughts your way noelbee.
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2 ReactionsI have a condition called POTS, and this happens to me regularly, but in theory it could happen to anyone. With POTS, the heart and blood vessels don’t adapt as quickly to maintain continuous blood circulation throughout the body in different circumstances.
So when I eat, it was explained I can have dizzy spells because bloodflow gets diverted to the digestive system, and it’s not efficiently getting shared with my brain.
Not sure if that helps, but at least in the situation I described, it’s not considered dangerous, though it is uncomfortable and disconcerting. My symptoms are especially bad when my blood volume is low, meaning when I’m dehydrated, so if it’s worse when you’re really hungry, it could be that you’re also dehydrated, making the symptoms more pronounced?
This happens to me on a daily basis. As soon as I eat I get a head rush and dizziness for a few seconds and it goes away. My blood work is fine and I don’t have any glucose issues. I have no idea what’s going on?
This information may not totally address your specific question, but here's some information that has been studied about this issue:
Possible causes discussed in medical literature:
1. Postprandial hypotension (drop in blood pressure after eating)
When you start eating, blood is redirected to the digestive system.
In some people, the autonomic nervous system does not compensate fast enough.
This can cause a brief drop in blood pressure, leading to:
✓Lightheadedness
✓Head rush
✓Dizziness or faint feeling
✓This can occur even if resting blood pressure is normal.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-blood-pressure/expert-answers/postprandial-hypotension/faq-20058216
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17835-postprandial-hypotension
✓2. Vagal (vasovagal) response triggered by eating.
✓Chewing, swallowing, or stomach expansion can stimulate the vagus nerve.
This may briefly lower:
✓Heart rate
✓Blood pressure
✓Symptoms usually last seconds to minutes and then resolve.
Sources:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/syncope-fainting
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470277/
3. Orthostatic intolerance or autonomic dysfunction.
Some people have subtle autonomic nervous system issues.
Eating can worsen symptoms due to blood pooling in the abdomen.
Dizziness may occur without abnormal labs.
Sources:
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/autonomic-disorders
https://www.dysautonomiainternational.org/page.php
✓4. Esophageal or gastric reflexes
Rapid swallowing or stomach stretching can briefly alter blood pressure or heart rhythm.
This is more likely if symptoms occur immediately with the first bites.
Source:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4063648/
5. Dehydration or low circulating blood volume.
Even mild dehydration can worsen post-meal blood pressure changes.
Labs can still appear “normal.”
Source:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/water-and-health.html
When doctors usually investigate further:
Medical evaluation is often recommended if symptoms are:
✓Worsening or lasting longer
✓Associated with fainting, chest pain, or shortness of breath
✓Occurring with heart disease, neurological conditions, or medication use
Tests may include:
✓Blood pressure measurements before and after meals
✓Heart rhythm monitoring
✓Autonomic testing
*The above information reflects commonly cited medical explanations from published sources and is provided for general informational purposes only; it does not constitute medical advice or a personal medical opinion.