Health. What causes dizziness when you stand up too quickly?

Specialists refer to this as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). "It is the most common of all vertigo," says the French National Authority for Health (HAS).

Which defines it as follows: it is "triggered by changes in head position, lasting less than 60 seconds, associated with nystagmus (an involuntary and jerky movement of the eyes, editor's note) ".

All this, without any neurological connection.

Feeling dizzy

Concretely, they can therefore manifest themselves when we lie down, get up, or when we turn our head quickly or raise it.

These dizzinesses positioning "are often violent, brief (less than thirty seconds), and give the impression of a rotational movement or falling into a hole," adds the Health Insurance.

Misinterpretation of the brain

The cause is believed to be located in the upper part of the inner ear. For various reasons (trauma, infection, etc.), small crystals located within the vestibule detach and are deposited in the nearby posterior semicircular canal.

Under the effect of gravity, the position adopted would cause the inclination of a part of this canal, which would have become in some way too heavy with the weight of the crystals.

The brain then interprets this information as a sudden rotation of the head, causing vertigo. This turns out to be benign.

But generally speaking, if you experience dizziness very regularly and/or if it is accompanied by nausea or vomiting, do not hesitate to seek the advice of your doctor. For further investigation.

Source : HAS, Health Insurance Dictionary of the National Academy of Medicine, sites consulted on July 17, 2025