What is the signs of low blood pressure?

We hear a lot about blood pressure but what are the signs of low blood pressure, let’s take a closer look at the causes, symptoms and what can be done about low blood pressure.

Low blood pressure may not seem dangerous, and for some people, it causes no problems.

However, for many people, abnormally low blood pressure (hypotension) can cause dizziness and fainting.

In a severe case, low blood pressure can be life-threatening. Discover what is the signs of low blood pressure.

A blood pressure reading lower than 90 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg) for the top number (systolic) or 60 mm HG for the bottom number (diastolic) is generally considered low blood pressure.

The readings for normal blood pressure are 120/80 mm HG, high blood pressure is also very dangerous.

The causes of low blood pressure vary in range, from serious medical or surgical disorders to dehydration. Knowing the cause of your low blood pressure is important so that the appropriate treatment can begin. Know what are signs of low blood pressure.

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Symptoms

Low blood pressure could signal an underlying issue, particularly if it drops suddenly or is accompanied by signs & symptoms like:

• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Fainting (syncope)
• Blurred vision
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Lack of concentration
• Extreme Hypotension

Extreme hypotension can result in this life-threatening condition. Signs and symptoms include:

• Confusion, especially in older people
• Cold, clammy, pale skin
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Weak and rapid pulse

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When to see a doctor

If you’ve got indications of shock, seek emergency medical help.

If you’ve got systematically low-pressure level readings however you feel fine, your doctor is likely just to monitor you during routine exams.

Even occasional symptoms or light-headedness or a lack of energy — your body may be dehydrated from an excessive amount of time in the sun or you feel dizzy. You are prone to fainting.

.Still, it’s important to see your doctor if you have signs or symptoms of hypotension because they can point to more-serious problems. It is useful to keep a record of your symptoms, when they occur and what you’re doing at the time. Look for what are the signs low blood pressure

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What is blood pressure?

Blood pressure could be a measure of the pressure in your arteries throughout the active and resting phases of every heartbeat.

Systolic pressure. The top number during a pressure level reading is the quantity of pressure your heart generates when pumping blood through your arteries to the remainder of your body.

Diastolic pressure. The bottom number in a pressure level reading refers to the quantity of pressure in your arteries once your heart is at rest between beats.

Current guidelines identify normal blood pressure as lower than 120/80 mm Hg.

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Throughout the day, blood pressure varies, depending on body position, breathing rhythm, stress level, physical condition, medications you take, what you eat and drink, and time of day. Blood pressure is sometimes lowest at the hours of darkness and rises sharply on waking.

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How low can blood pressure go?

Doctors will say that low blood pressure is only a problem if you have symptoms, what is considered low for you may be normal for another person. The blood pressure experts have established that a reading lower than 90 MMHG Systolic or 60 MMHG Diastolic is low blood pressure. 

If any of your two measurements are under those numbers then your blood pressure is lower than normal.

A sudden drop in blood pressure

Even an unforeseen drop of 20 MM HG in your readings could be unsafe in the sense that it may cause dizziness and fainting because the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, there may also be other big changes such as uncontrollable bleeding, allergic reactions or severe infections, these can be a threat to life.

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Medical conditions that may cause low blood pressure

Endocrine issues: Such as diabetes, low blood sugar, adrenal insufficiency and thyroid conditions like parathyroid diseases may provoke low blood pressure

Heart issues: Certain heart issues like a very low heart rate, heart attack, heart failure and problems with a heart valve can lead to lower blood pressure.

Pregnancy: Women during pregnancy have reported a drop-in blood pressure this is because of an expansion of the circulatory system. It doesn’t last and normally after the birth blood pressure returns to normal.

Loss of blood: A dramatic loss of blood for example after a bad accident or some bleeding internally will cause a dramatic drop in blood pressure

Septicaemia: If an infection enters the body through the bloodstream, it may be a threat to life because of a major drop in blood pressure known as a septic shock.

Dehydration: Our bodies get rid of fluid each day, if we don’t replace what is going out it may lead to weakness, fatigue and dizziness.

A lack of nutrition: We need to take in vitamins B-12 and folate to keep our bodies making enough red cells so a lack of these nutrients can cause low blood pressure.

Anaphylaxis: Or severe allergic reaction triggered by certain meds, latex and insect venoms, this condition can affect breathing and cause itchiness, other symptoms include an inflamed throat plus an unsafe drop in blood pressure

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Medications that can cause low blood pressure

Some medications can cause low blood pressure, including:

Water pills (diuretics), such as furosemide (Lasix) and hydrochlorothiazide (Maxzide, Microzide, others)

Alpha blockers, such as prazosin (Minipress)

Beta blockers, such as atenolol (Tenormin) and propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL, others)

Drugs for brain disease, such as pramipexole (Mirapex) or those containing levodopa

Certain forms of antidepressants (tricyclic antidepressants), as well as Adapin (Silenor) and tricyclic antidepressant (Tofranil)

Drugs for erectile dysfunction, including sildenafil (Revatio, Viagra) or tadalafil (Adcirca, Cialis), particularly when taken with the heart medication nitro-glycerine.

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Types of low blood pressure

Doctors usually break down low pressure level (hypotension) into classes, depending on the causes and other factors. Some types of low blood pressure include:

Low blood pressure standing up (hypotension, orthostatic, or postural). This is a sudden drop in pressure level once you arise from a sitting position or when lying down.

Gravity causes blood to pool in your legs when you stand. Ordinarily, your body compensates by increasing your heart rate and constricting blood vessels, thereby ensuring that enough blood returns to your brain.

In patients with hypotension, this compensating mechanism fails and blood pressure falls, leading to dizziness, light-headedness, blurred vision and even fainting.

Some people believe that magnetic therapy helps with low and high blood pressure

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The reasons for Orthostatic hypotension, include dehydration, prolonged bed rest, pregnancy, diabetes, heart problems, burns, excessive heat, large varicose veins and certain neurological disorders.

Several medications also can cause orthostatic hypotension, particularly drugs used to treat high blood pressure — diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors — as well as antidepressants and drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease and erectile dysfunction.

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Orthostatic hypertension

Orthostatic hypotension is very common in older adults, but it also affects young, otherwise healthy people who stand up suddenly after sitting with their legs crossed for long periods or after squatting for a time.

It’s also possible to have delayed orthostatic hypotension, with signs and symptoms developing 5 to 10 minutes after a change in posture. This might be a milder form of the condition, or it could be an early stage of it.

Low blood pressure after eating (postprandial hypotension). This abrupt drop in pressure level after consumption affects principally older adults.

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Digestive tract

Blood flows to your digestive tract after you eat. Ordinarily, your body will increase your pulse rate and constricts the blood vessels to assist/maintain a normal pressure level. But in some folks these mechanisms fail, leading to dizziness, faintness and falls.

Postprandial cardiovascular disease is and high blood pressure to influence folks with high pressure level or involuntary system disorders like brain disorder.

Lowering the dose of pressure medication and intake tiny, low-carbohydrate meals may facilitate to cut back symptoms.

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Low blood pressure risk factors

Hypotension or low blood pressure can happen to anybody, although some types of low blood pressure are more commonplace, but it depends on age and other factors.

Age: A drop in blood pressure in people over 65 can happen after eating or standing up for a period

Specific diseases: Diabetes, Parkinson’s and certain heart conditions increase your risk of progressing to low blood pressure.

Medications: High blood pressure medications for example alpha blockers can increase your risk of low blood pressure.

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Low blood pressure difficulties

I have already covered the symptoms of low blood pressure, such as dizziness, fainting, weakness and the risk of an injury if you were to fall, one other difficulty may occur if blood pressure were to go extremely low the body may not be able to cope with the reduction in oxygen.

Our bodies need an adequate supply of oxygen to carry on functioning, a lack of oxygen may lead to heart and brain damage.

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Low blood pressure treatment

If there are none or only mild symptoms from low blood pressure then treatment isn’t needed, on the other hand if you have more than mild symptoms caused by an underlying condition like medication then treatment will involve cutting back on the dosage or stopping to altogether.

If you don’t know the cause of your low blood pressure depending on your age there are ways to raise your blood pressure.

Drink more fluids: An excellent way to prevent dehydration and increase blood volume is to drink more healthy water.

Salt: Salt contains sodium, experts say that sodium may increase blood pressure, ask your doctor’s advice first before you add more salt to your diet.

Medications: Your doctor will guide you on the best medications to raise your blood pressure.

Compression socks: These elasticated socks are used to relieve varicose vein pain; they also help to control the gathering of too much blood in the legs.

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Lifestyle changes

Very often our lifestyle has something to do with a condition, by changing your lifestyle you may be able to lessen the symptoms or even stop them.

A few points

Eat healthy food, exercise and drink plenty of water, eating good nutrients, fruit, vegetables, grains, lean meat, chicken and fish will be a good starting point in helping to lower you blood pressure.

Try not to sit with crossed legs, when standing up do it slowly, take some deep breaths in the morning for a few minutes, try using a bigger pillow to raise your head.

Talk to your doctor before you drink caffeine, coffee is a very popular beverage, it has been associated with high blood pressure,eat smaller low carbohydrate meals but eat more frequently otherwise you may feel dizzy.

Some people believe that magnetic therapy helps with low and high blood pressure.