What is Idiopathic Postprandial Syndrome? How it affected Me-
Introduction
IPS (Idiopathic Postprandial Syndrome) is a condition of unknown type that occurs after a meal causing a person to feel dizziness. Colloquially, people confuse it with hypoglycemia due to similar signs and symptoms but the similarity is clinically incorrect. In hypoglycemia, the blood glucose level falls though it does not happen in IPS. Some people, including me, suffer from this condition often after breakfast, yet it can occur after any meal.
Root Cause
After eating, blood flow increases toward the stomach and intestines to assist digestion. It takes away the blood flow from other parts of the body. Resultantly, blood and oxygen supply to other areas of the body, including the brain, forelimbs, and hindlimbs decrease. The heartbeat speeds up to pump more blood through the body, and blood vessels also tighten. The digestion process occurs in the body of every human but why do some individuals get affected this way? The reason is not known.
Symptoms
The following IPS symptoms can occur to a person after a meal:
- Shakiness / Dizziness (the most common)
- Sweating
- Nervousness
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Sleepiness
Behavioral Swings
- The person may become irritated quickly due to mental confusion however it doesn’t prolong.
- Regardless of, IPS person has had enough sleep but may get inclined to sleepiness after a meal. This sleepiness is different from the one that occurs after a meal. Here, the dizziness is followed by sleep.
- Out of energy to do any physical activity, even of small effort.
- It may feel difficult to stand or walk.
Treatment
- Avoid large meals and break them into several smaller meals
- Consuming more of high fiber foods (green veggies, whole grains & fruits) and healthy fats (olive, mustard, avocado oil)
- Limiting starchy food intake (white rice, potato, etc.)
However, the information available about treating IPS is very sparse. The doctors or RDNs (Registered dietitian nutritionists) have not yet found any cure for IPS but can recommend dietary and lifestyle changes.
Baseline
Most people don’t know that they are suffering from this condition due to a recurring pattern of this unknown syndrome and some may consider that their blood glucose has fallen. These people may feel difficulty in eating more than a particular amount of food and are under-weight. My experienced piece of advice for such individuals is to be calm and strong with themselves mentally as this condition may disrupt daily living but is unlikely to cause long-term complications. The people around must be patient with such individuals.
For more information regarding Idiopathic Postprandial Syndrome:
https://www.healthline.com/health/idiopathic-postprandial-syndrome
