4. Straining During a Bowel Movement
Most of us associate straining during a bowel movement with constipation or causing hemorrhoids but the fact is, it can also be much more serious and also lead to passing out or having a heart attack. The feeling of dizziness in the bathroom is usually preceded by sweating and sometimes even slight shaking. Usually, this is due to the longest nerve coming from the brain – your vagus nerve – causing these feelings and triggering your body’s vasovagal response. ‘Vaso’ refers to the blood vessels while ‘vagal’ is anything involving the vagus nerve.
The vasovagal response is an automatic one. It is a reflex that sends your vagus nerve into action. It has potential effects on your central and peripheral nervous system, and not forgetting your cardiovascular system. When this nerve is triggered, it sends a message to your brain that may cause a rapid drop in your blood pressure and heart rate.