What is causing dizziness after gardening? (From Lancashire Telegraph)

What is causing dizziness after gardening?

5:22pm Thursday 5th February 2009 in Health By Doctor Tom Smith

Q. After I have been gardening I get dizzy. Is it to do with bending over, or am I putting my blood pressure up? How can I avoid it?

A. There are two possibilities. One is that your circulation is being affected by the way you are turning your neck: this is called positional vertigo, and is to do with stiffening in the arteries in your neck with age. The other is a sudden drop in blood flow (and pressure) to the brain due to your bending down and straightening up again. That is ‘orthostatic hypotension’ and is the opposite to putting your pressure up. Talk to your doctor, who will examine you to test both possibilities, and help you to manage and prevent your dizziness.