I've noticed that a lot recently I have been getting random fainting spells, if that's the correct term to use. I can be wide awake, and as soon as I stand up to go do something I will suddenly become very tired and want to immediately fall asleep, but a few seconds to a minute later I'll be awake and normal again. This is slightly annoying me, as, it is happen a lot. I'm not sure if it is from my constant use of the computer and being lazy, or how long I sleep every day, or the lack of sleep I have been getting thanks to school. I also noticed that like right now, my head is randomly hurting a little bit. It's not bad or to the point I need to go to the hospital, but it's noticeable. You guys have any suggestions as to what this could be?

http://symptoms.webmd.com/symptomchecker

Edit: http://www.google.com/search?q=symptom+checker

Getting up really fast. Thats all it is or at least thats what you really make it sound like. It's the blood moving around in weird ways because you are getting up too fast. I wouldn't worry about it. Carry on.

You need physical excersize. Standing up should not be so much of a toll on your body that you get dizzy and faint.

Take some time every day to get your heart rate up.

This is your problem.

Some examples for Vrael's suggestions: frequent strolls in the moonlight, working out, walking or biking instead of taking the car, etc.

Hiking is good for your heart too.

I can see this being the problem. A lot of times when I'm sitting on the couch for a long time, if I get up and immediately start walking, I'll get incredibly dizzy and almost fall over. I think it's just the lack of blood flow that causes it.

Yeah it makes sense, thanks guys. I DO need to be more active, just always have so much crap goin' on while I'm on the comp I feel as if I can never get up unless I'm forced to. Will work on that.

if you ever feel this way when hot or just standing up, make sure you sit the fuck down and get your feet up. You aren't getting enough blood to your brain. when you stand up, you're temporarily increasing the pressure on the blood in your body by your upward velocity. I did some calculations in transport phenomena with the heart as a pump. The human body can only withstand a certain amount of pressure before it can't pump blood up into your brain (I think it's like 7-10 atmospheres). If you don't get enough oxygen up there, you'll pass out.

If you heart is weak, you can withstand less, and you'll pass out faster and easier. Generally the stars you see are accompanied by grayed vision and tunnel vision too. You might even see patterns. Then of course you fall down, hit your head and break your teeth. I've fainted 3-4 times, one of those was on purpose (breath fast, cross your arms, hold your breath, get someone to press on your chest--don't do this, it causes brain damage), the other two were on really hot days and I had my knees locked. I'm getting queezy thinking about it.

Well I've never actually fainted. I just feel extremely sleepy and my vision is slightly clouded for about a minute or so, or even less most of the time, and then I'm perfectly fine again. And by clouded, I mean like how when you go into a dark room and your eyes suddenly stat adjusting and there is like a black static everywhere you look. It's basically that, but not very noticeable.

Low blood sugar makes people tired, too. That can be fixed by eating better (or, you may need to check for diabetes)

Well I don't really eat bad, and, I stopped drinking a bunch of soda awhile back. Now I reach for the chocolate milk, or some tea. (Yes, cause tea is epic.) As well as apple juice, and the occasional water. My eating patterns.. I'll usually make something that is reachable. (Like the other morning, I made myself a toast-and-scrambled-eggs sandwhich.) Or sometimes a bagel if we've got any. Just depends on what is around the house. So, it couldn't be diabetes, cause I don't drink energy drinks anymore either thanks to my teeth.

Might be dehydration. Drink more water. Lactose causes you to create more mucus and can dehydrate you, and tea contains caffeine which isn't the best for blood flow. Diabetes isn't always caused by excess sugar. It could be genetic - even if it skipped a generation. I wouldn't say a lot of bread is healthy, either (not that I'm one to talk, I don't cook or eat well myself, but bread is carb heavy). Also, juice does have sugar in it. Quite a bit. Its actually given to diabetics when they are low.

Carbs aren't bad for you. Just like lots of calories aren't bad for you. The part that is bad for you comes from not having the physical activity to help your body process all that stuff. If you don't run around and shit, your body takes the food you eat and sticks it in storage, instead of using it to build muscle and fix tissue and improve your cardiovascular system and all that good stuff that comes from exercise. There are probably (almost literally here) 1000 good benefits to exercise. All it takes is say, 1 mile jog a day. That'll get your heart rate up, which increases bloodflow everywhere in your body. As your body runs low on oxygen it will start burning lactic acid, which prompts your body to work on increasing oxygen efficiency because it likes burning oxygen more than burning lactic acid. As you run, your leg muscles get use, your heart has to work harder, which means your body will start converting body fat into useful materials for strengthening your heart and legs. A stronger heart means you'll be getting more blood to your brain, and standing up won't be such a chore for it.

If you can't run 1 mile a day, start by walking 1 mile a day. If you can't walk 1 mile a day, do 100 jumping jacks every day until you can do 200 jumping jacks every day, or 300 or something, then you'll be able to walk 1 mile every day. Then you can walk 1 mile every day till you can run 1 mile a day. Even if you can run 3 miles right now its irrelevant, because the important part isn't that you can, but that you actually do it. Because all those beneficial effects don't occur unless you actually do it.

Too many carbs are bad for you. You said so yourself. I never said that carbs are bad, but too many are.

I am not entirely lazy, I do try to walk my dog every day around the block, however I could use a LOT more exercise. I'm not really fat and overweight either, I only weigh about 162 and my family traits make that very normal for me. I think exercise should do it though.. as I am pretty damn lazy. I have some kind of exercise machine in my garage I can use which will simulate the jogging/walking.

That would do the trick. 10, 20 minutes on that thing a day and you'll be golden. The important thing is to get your heart going for at least 5 minutes or so. You don't need to spend hours on it or anything though, that's almost definitely overkill, unless maybe you have a marathon in your sights. Even skinny normal-weight people will feel the benefits from exercise though, like you said even if you're not overweight it'll probably still help, and like I said, the important thing isn't that you can do it, but that you actually do it.

And stop being so picky Kame, I'm not arguing against you in every thread we post in, you're always getting so defensive on me. There's enough nonsense out there about "don't eat this, don't eat that cause it has sugar/carbs/w.e else" those kind of diets to make a perfectly normal person believe carbs are the problem. I just wanted to make sure you didn't accidentally lead him down that path with your negative connotation that you gave carbs. Of course you're right though, if you eat 160 loaves of bread in one sitting all those carbs probably will be harmful

Did a workout today on that machine thing. Easily went for 25 minutes with no breaks, at, what I would assume to be a fast-walk/jog pace.

Edit-inb4admin gets deleting: No really, excerise is good for you. If everyone atleast made a concious effort to get 10 to 20 minutes of solid excersise a day, the world would be a better place.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypotension#Signs_and_symptoms

kthxbai.

This comes to mind also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea

But unless you're feeling sleepy all the time, and find yourself falling asleep briefly, then apnea is unlikely to be it.