Low Blood Pressure; You Need To Read This!

Low blood pressure, also called hypotension, is blood pressure low enough that the flow of blood to the organs of the body is inadequate and the low blood flow may lead the body to go into shock.  Low pressure alone, without symptoms or signs, usually is not unhealthy.

For some people, low blood pressure can signal an underlying problem, especially when it drops suddenly or is accompanied by signs and symptoms such as:

• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Lack of concentration
• Blurred vision
• Nausea
• Cold, clammy, pale skin
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Thirst

In some situations, low blood pressure isn’t serious. If you have consistently low readings but feel fine, your doctor is likely to monitor you during routine exams. Even occasional dizziness may be a relatively minor problem — the result of mild dehydration from too much time in the sun or a hot tub, for example. In these situations, it’s not a matter so much of how far, but of how quickly, your blood pressure drops. Still, it’s important to see your doctor if you experience any signs or symptoms of hypotension because they sometimes can point to more-serious problems. It can be helpful to keep a record of your symptoms, when they occur and what you were doing at the time.

Risk Factors

Low blood pressure (hypotension) can occur in anyone, though certain types of low blood pressure are more common depending on your age or other factors:

• Age

Drops in blood pressure on standing or after eating occur primarily in adults older than 65years.  Orthostatic, or postural, hypotension happens after standing up, while postprandial hypotension happens after eating a meal. Neurally mediated hypotension happens as a result of a miscommunication between the brain and heart. It primarily affects children and younger adults.

• Medications

People who take certain medications, such as high blood pressure medications like alpha blockers, have a greater risk of low blood pressure.

• Certain diseases

Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and some heart conditions put you at a greater risk of developing low blood pressure.

Causes Of Low Blood Pressure

Some medical conditions can cause low blood pressure. These include:

• Pregnancy

Because a woman’s circulatory system expands rapidly during pregnancy, blood pressure is likely to drop. This is normal, and blood pressure usually returns to your pre-pregnancy level after you’ve given birth.

• Heart problems

Some heart conditions that can lead to low blood pressure include extremely low heart rate (bradycardia), heart valve problems, heart attack and heart failure. These conditions may cause low blood pressure because they prevent your body from being able to circulate enough blood.

• Endocrine problems

Thyroid conditions — such as parathyroid disease — adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease), low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and, in some cases, diabetes can trigger low blood pressure.

• Dehydration

When you become dehydrated, your body loses more water than it takes in. Even mild dehydration can cause weakness, dizziness and fatigue. Fever, vomiting, severe diarrhea, overuse of diuretics and strenuous exercise can all lead to dehydration. Far more serious is hypovolemic shock, a life- threatening complication of dehydration. It occurs when low blood volume causes a sudden drop in blood pressure and a reduction in the amount of oxygen reaching your tissues. If untreated, severe hypovolemic shock can cause death within a few minutes or hours.

• Blood loss

Losing a lot of blood from a major injury or internal bleeding reduces the amount of blood in your body, leading to a severe drop in blood pressure.

• Severe infection (septicemia)

Septicemia can happen when an infection in the body enters the bloodstream. This condition can lead to a life- threatening drop in blood pressure called septic shock.

• Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)

Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Common triggers of anaphylaxis include foods, certain medications, insect venoms and latex. Anaphylaxis can cause breathing problems, hives, itching, a swollen throat and a drop in blood pressure.

• Lack of nutritious diet

A lack of the vitamins B-12 and folate can cause a condition in which your body doesn’t produce enough red blood cells (anemia), causing low blood pressure.

Medications that can cause low blood pressure

Some medications you may take can also cause low blood pressure, including:

• Diuretics (water pills), such as furosemide (Lasix) and hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide, Oretic)
• Alpha blockers, such as prazosin (Minipress) and labetalol
• Beta blockers, such as atenolol (Tenormin), propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL, others) and timolol
• Drugs for Parkinson’s disease, such as pramipexole (Mirapex) or those containing levodopa
• Certain types of antidepressants (tricyclic antidepressants), including doxepin (Silenor), imipramine (Tofranil), protriptyline (Vivactil) and trimipramine (Surmontil)
• Sildenafil (Viagra) or tadalafil (Cialis), particularly in combination with the heart medication nitroglycerin

Stay Healthy!!!