Over the last few weeks, every time I bend over such as to tie a shoe or pick something up, blood rushes to my head, making my face, eyes, and neck strain from the pressure, and when I stand up, I get lightheaded for a few seconds. I also feel like my throat is constricted. Even when not bending over, I feel like my face is somewhat bloated--my cheeks are puffy, my eyelids are droopy, and I have bags under my eyes. I also tend to have an urge to cough when I stand up, but it's a dry cough. Sometimes just coughing makes me a little lightheaded. My blood pressure is normal. My doctor is stumped. He ordered an EKG and a chest x-ray, did a blood test for thyroid function, an orthostatic test, and all is normal. He has no idea what can be causing this. I think it feels like blood flows freely into my head, but is constricted coming back out like something is constricting in my neck, but he dismisses this for lack of any explanation for it. Any ideas?
It might be POTS. A condition where your pulse and blood pressure change with stress or position changes. Talk to your doctor. There may be things you can do to help.
One thing that comes to mind is possibly thoracic outlet syndrome. Discuss with your doctor about this possibility and have him or her refer you to the right specialists.