Apples for Health- Blood Pressure Treatment Eases Fainting

Blood Pressure Treatment Eases Fainting

U.S. researchers said a new drug treatment works well for a common form of impaired nerve transmission that causes dizziness and fainting.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic said the condition causes these symptoms when patients change position from lying down to standing up.

A recent study of the treatment found it satisfied patients because other drug treatments currently used to treat the dizziness and fainting related to the condition -- called orthostatic hypotension -- are not free of side effects.

The most dangerous side effect is increased risk of stroke from high blood pressure when the patient is lying down.

The drug, pyridostigmine, is commonly used to treat myasthenia gravis, a nerve disorder resulting in fatigue and muscle weakness.

Pyridostigmine does not put extra stress on the heart when patients lie down, making it a safe treatment for orthostatic hypotension.