ask: I Have Fainting Spells Almost Every Time I Stand Up.

Hi, Jessica:

Have you consulted your doctor about this? I would question whether you're eating well enough to sustain your physical exertion. What is your diet like? Have you been diagnosed with any particular health conditions?

Hello Jessica! Thank you so much for posting your question. I had a friend who was a distance runner and if he missed a meal due to being sick or too busy to eat he would also sometimes pass out. I think it was due to his having like 2% body fat or something and his strenuous workouts combined with lack of food.

I agree with alysiak and her thoughts about your diet and nutrition. I was wondering too if you are eating enough before you work out.

I'd definitely make an appointment with your doctor as soon as you can to discuss this. It might be just a matter of eating more/better before you work out, or it might be a low blood sugar issue or an inner ear issue too. The fact that your ears hurt when you work out makes me wonder if you do have something going on in your ears that would explain both the near-fainting and the pain.

Please post again and let us know what your physician says. Best in health to you, M

Hi Jessica-

As others have stated, not consuming enough calories at the appropriate time is most likely one of the reasons you are feeling faint.

However, another main component may be breathing incorrectly. When I first started resistance training, I would subconsciously hold my breath instead of breathing at my normal pace. This caused both avoidable faint and headaches. I learned my lesson quickly.

Make sure you are breathing at an appropriate pace, particularly when lifting.

And, as stated above, consult with your doctor as it may be an inner ear problem, anemia, low blood sugar, or another condition.

Thank you for asking EmpowHer!

Dear Anon, I would be concern not just with your eating habits but what are you doing to replace your minerals that protect your heart from heavy work outs?

Have you even been diagnosed with "Postural hypotension"? This condition is a drop in blood pressure (hypotension) due to a change in body position (posture) when a person moves to a more vertical position, from sitting to standing or from lying down to sitting or standing. This condition is more common among older people but it can also happen to younger individuals whose bodies are not getting the necessary nutrients.

What you are experiencing during the change in position is a temporary reduction in blood flow and therefore a shortage of oxygen to the brain. This leads to lightheadedness and, sometimes, a "black out" episode, a loss of consciousness. The ringing in your ears may be also a way your body is telling you that you are pushing too hard or you are lacking nutrients (fuel) to keep going.

If indeed what you are experiencing is postural hypotension, I suggest you exercise caution and slow the process of changing positions from lying to sitting to standing and consult a doctor as soon as possible to make sure it is not something more serious. Make sure you are replacing minerals after your workouts too.

Jessica,
I had similar problems. I had no headache, no stomach pain, just my head was turning, so I can’t keep balance. In few minutes, I was OK.
It took about two months until I end up in ER with severe stomach pain. First they treated me for food poisoning. X-Ray didn’t show any problem. However, exploratory surgery found out that I had twisted and perforated small intestine. Afterward I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. It is 14 years since that. I am in perfect health, until I accidentally ingest any small amount of gluten. It make me sick for couple of days; so I have to be very careful.

It really sounds like low blood sugar to me, or a bad drop in blood sugar even from high to normal readings. I would suggest seeing a doctor and perhaps tracking your blood sugar for a month. I did that and it showed my hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and every time I had symptoms that were odd and unexplainable it corresponded to this decrease in blood sugar. See if it goes away if you eat some carbs (not eating sugar, but carbs - bread or something)

Wow!! I'm so glad you wrote this. I have had the exact same problem. I almost always come near to passing out when i work out and my ears hurt, almost like i need to clear them ( like you do when you dive). I know i need to get to the doctor but my insurance is not very good. I have been dieting but even when i went back to eating normally it still happened. I have had to change from working out in the AM. My body absolutley won't let me.

Hi,
I'm wondering what your height and weight is...do you mind sharing? Has anyone ever commented on you being underweight?

Do you think you may be over-exercising? Are you trying to lose weight? If not, are you training for an athletic event (why are you working out 6 times a week)?

Sorry for the bombardment of questions...hope you're feeling OK!

i have the same proplem but my ears dont hurt the thing is i am only 14 and i have had it for about 4 months and my dad says he is going to take me to the doctor but he never has a chance i dont no why i have almost black outs and i really wont to find out

The same thing happens to me! It's gotten a lot worse over the years. I am only 20 but it started probably when I was 15. It would be more frequent after working out but now it just happens on the daily. I usually just get the spins and everything goes black. I just have to lean up against something until it goes away. But just the other day, I passed out pretty bad and ended up hurting my back. I have had really frequent headaches lately and occasionally, migraines. I am recently married so everyone I talk to about it is thinking I am pregnant! But I think it is just low blood sugar. I would go to the doctors to find out for sure but I don't have any insurance! So for now I just have to live with it.