Today you will discover the main Symptoms and Causes of Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)
Blood pressure happens to be one of the most vital ways of manifestation for the body.
It is basically the force applied to the blood vessel walls by the blood during the contraction and relaxation of the heart muscle.
BP or blood pressure measures the pressure in the arteries which are nothing but the vessels that carry the blood away from the heart.
Advertisement
The blood pressure is determined by the responsiveness of the arteries to the flow of the blood.
Now you must be intrigued to know when low blood pressure occurs or what it is. Low blood pressure is the inadequate blood flow and therefore inadequate delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the brain, heart and kidneys and other organs.
This can turn out to be damaging and can cause permanent harm.
Symptoms of Low Blood Pressure
For some people, as the pressure drops suddenly it signals an underlying problem. It is usually
accompanied by the symptoms like:
- Lack of concentration
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Blurred Vision
- Fainting (synocope)
- Light-headedness or Dizziness
In extreme cases of low blood pressure, there can also be life-threatening conditions. The signs and the symptoms include –
- Clammy, cold and pale skin
- Confusion especially among the older people
- Weak and rapid pulse
- Rapid, shallow breathing
Causes of Low Blood Pressure
Medical conditions that cause low blood pressure can include the following:
Heart Problems – Some of the most severe heart problems can lead to low blood pressure. These may include extremely low heart rate (bradycardia), heart failure, heart valve issues, and heart attack
Pregnancy – Blood pressure is likely to drop as the circulatory system expands rapidly during pregnancy. There is nothing abnormal with it and usually it returns to your pre-pregnancy level after you have given birth
Dehydration – If your body loses more water than it intakes, it can cause fatigue, dizziness and weakness. Vomiting, fever, overuse of diuretics, strenuous exercise as well as severe diarrhoea can lead to dehydration
Endocrine Problems –Various conditions of the thyroid gland such as adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease), parathyroid disease, low blood sugar (hypoglycoma and also diabetes in some cases can also trigger low blood pressure).
Severe Infection (Septicemia) – At the time when an infection enters the body and ventures into the blood stream it can cause a life-threatening drop in the blood pressure level. This is what is called septic shock(1) .
Blood Loss – Lack of Nutrients in the Diet – A lack of Vitamin B-12 and folate can prevent your body from producing sufficient red blood cells leading to anaemia and low blood pressure
Severe Allergic Reaction (Anaphylaxis) –There are several triggers to this potentially life-threatening reaction which include certain medications, food, latex and insect venoms. Anaphylaxis can cause the hives, breathing problems, itching, swollen throat and a dangerous blood pressure drop
Causes of Sudden Drop in Blood Pressure
Sudden drop in blood pressure can have life-threatening consequences. Causes of this type of hypotension includes :
- Low Body Temperature
- Bleeding Leading to Blood Loss
- High Body Temperature
- Heart Failure due to Heart Muscle Disease
- Severe Dehydration from Diarrhoea, Vomiting and Fever
- A Severe Allergic Reaction called Sepsis
- Irregular Heart Beat Caused by Anaphylaxis or a severe allergic reaction
Treatment of Low Blood Pressure
This goes without saying that low blood pressure does not need to be treated unless it is causing symptoms such as recurrent falls or dizziness. Your physician will probe in to see whether these symptoms can be treated. The low blood pressure symptoms can be controlled by the following.
- Ensuring you are well-hydrated
- Avoiding to stand for long periods of time
- Putting on support stockings
- Eating small meals more often
- Augmenting the amount of salt in your diet
The above are some of the major symptoms, causes and the way you can put some check on the problem of low blood pressure. Once you are diagnosed by it you should make sure that you undergo regular health check-ups and follow the medication prescribed by your physician.
You should also make sure that you are purchasing the genuine drugs from a reputed and registered
online medical store in India so that there is no chance of taking the wrong or expired
medication.
Comments are closed.