What is Low blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs. Blood pressure is generated by the heart pumping blood into the arteries and is regulated by the response by the arteries to the flow of blood.
By convention, an individual's blood pressure is expressed as systolic/diastolic blood pressure, for example, 120/80.The systolic blood pressure (the top number) represents the pressure in the arteries as the muscle of the heart contracts and pumps blood into them. The diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) represents the pressure in the arteries as the muscle of the heart relaxes after it contracts. Blood pressure always is higher when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxing.
Systolic blood pressure for most healthy adults falls between 90 and 120 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Normal diastolic blood pressure falls between 60 and 80 mm Hg. Current guidelines define normal blood pressure as lower than 120/80. Blood pressures over 130/80 are considered high. High blood pressure increases the risk of developing heart disease, kidney disease, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis), eye damage, and stroke.
Low blood pressure (hypotension) is pressure that is so low that it causes symptoms or signs due to the low flow of blood through the arteries and veins. When the flow of blood is too low to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidney, the organs do not function normally and may be permanently damaged.
Unlike high blood pressure, low blood pressure is defined primarily by signs and symptoms of low blood flow not by a specific blood pressure number. Some individuals may have a blood pressure of 90/50 with no symptoms of low blood pressure and therefore do not have low blood pressure. However, others who normally have high blood pressure may develop symptoms of low blood pressure if their blood pressure drops to 100/60.
What Causes Low Blood Pressure?
Understanding what causes low blood pressure.
Low blood pressure can be a problem. Yes, you heard me right. Hypotension, commonly known as low blood pressure, can cause serious health problems.
I’m Heart Healthy Henry and I’m going to help you understand what causes low blood pressure. Hypotension
Hypotension is the scientific term for low blood pressure. While it is generally best to have low blood pressure, blood pressure that is too low can lead to other problems and complications especially in older individuals. So the question is, what causes low blood pressure?
What Causes Low Blood Pressure #1 -- Blood Loss
Blood loss is one of the most common causes of low blood pressure. When the body loses too much blood, your blood pressure can drop dangerously low. When this happens, a blood transfusion may become necessary.
What Causes Low Blood Pressure #2 -- Dehydration
Dehydration is another cause of low blood pressure. This is why it is so important to keep yourself hydrated, especially during exercise and illness. If you do experience extremely low blood pressure due to dehydration, you will likely need to go to the hospital for intravenous fluid treatment.
What Causes Low Blood Pressure #3 -- Medication
Medication can also cause low blood pressure. If you are experiencing low blood pressure and you’re on prescription medications, you’ll want to check with your doctor to see if the medications you’re taking could possibly be the culprit of the condition. Why it’s Important to Treat
While it’s important to know what causes low blood pressure, it’s also important to understand why it’s so important to treat it should your begin experiencing it.
Without treatment, your low blood pressure can actually cause brain damage, coma or death. When your blood pressure is too low, your brain cannot get enough oxygen.
This is why people often faint when their blood pressure is too low. Then, when they faint and fall down their heads become even with their hearts and they regain consciousness because the heart doesn’t have to work so hard to get blood to the brain.
Now that you know what causes low blood pressure and why it’s so important to treat it should it occur, you can be sure that you’ll take the proper steps should you experience any of the signs or symptoms of the condition.
What Are the Treatments for Low Blood Pressure?
If you have an underlying medical problem that causes low blood pressure, seek treatment for the underlying condition. For many people, chronic low blood pressure can be effectively treated with diet and lifestyle changes.
Initially, your doctor may counsel you to increase your blood pressure by making these simple changes:
- Eat a diet higher in salt.
- Decrease your intake of caffeine.
- Drink lots of nonalcoholic fluids -- a minimum of 8 glasses per day. Sports drinks that are high in sodium and potassium are recommended, especially during exercise or in hot weather.
- Consume extra salt and drink more fluids during hot weather and while sick with a viral illness, such as a cold or the flu.
- Have your doctor evaluate your prescription and over-the-counter medications to identify any that may be causing your symptoms.
- Get regular exercise to promote blood flow.
- Be careful when rising from a lying down or sitting position. To improve circulation, pump your feet and ankles a few times before standing up. Then proceed slowly. When getting out of bed, sit upright on the edge of the bed for a few minutes before standing.
- Elevate the head of your bed at night by 5 to 20 degrees, by placing bricks or blocks under the head of bed.
- Avoid heavy lifting.
- Avoid straining while on the toilet.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to hot water, such as hot showers and spas. If you get dizzy, sit down. It may be helpful to keep a chair or stool in the shower in case you need to sit; to help prevent injury, use a nonslip chair or stool designed for use in showers and bath tubs.
- To avoid problems with low blood pressure and lessen episodes of dizziness after meals, try eating smaller, more frequent meals. Rest after eating. Avoid taking low blood pressure drugs before meals.
- If needed, use elastic support (compression) stockings that cover the calf and thigh. These may help restrict blood flow to the legs, thus keeping more blood in the upper body.
- If you can tolerate coffee without too many side effects, drink coffee in the morning. The amount of caffeine normally found in 2 cups of coffee (250 mg) can decrease low blood pressure in young adults and can be safely used by older adults as well.
Medications for Low Blood Pressure
If these measures don't lessen the problem, you may need medication.
The following medications have been proven effective in treating low blood pressure.
Fludrocortisone. Fludrocortisone is a mineralocorticosteroid that appears to be effective for most types of postural hypotension, or low blood pressure. It works by promoting sodium retention by the kidney, thereby causing fluid retention and some swelling, which is necessary to improve blood pressure. But this sodium retention also causes a loss of potassium. So when taking fludrocortisone, it's important to get adequate amounts of potassium each day. Fludrocortisone has none of the anti-inflammatory properties of cortisone or prednisone and is not a muscle-building agent.
Midodrine. Midodrine activates receptors on the arterioles (smallest arteries) and veins to produce an increase in blood pressure. Studies show that it's effective in improving standing blood pressure in people with postural hypotension related to nervous system dysfunction, such as those with Shy-Drager syndrome.