Low Blood Pressure Causes

Low blood pressure and its consequences.

What is low blood pressure? Low blood pressure causes many problems, such as Dehydration, Pregnancy, Heart Problems, Blood loss, lack of nutrients, etc. Both low blood pressure can occur to anyone. Low blood pressure for the majority of the cases is caused by the heart. A vast number of low blood pressure caused by Dehydration has also been found in many cases. Most doctors consider low blood pressure is nothing much to worry about unless it shows symptoms.

If the readings are lower than 90 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) systolic or 60 mm Hg diastolic, experts consider it more down than usual. The first (systolic pressure) is the pressure in the arteries when the heartbeats, and the second (diastolic pressure) is the pressure of the heart when it rests between a beat.

Low blood pressure may cause some significant organs to get inadequate blood circulation. Insufficient blood circulation may cause the skin to become Cold, Clammy & pale. The risk of both high and low blood pressure changes with age. About 10% to 20% of People who are in their 60s have low blood pressure problems.

What causes low blood pressure?

The risk of low blood pressure changes with age. Low blood pressure can be caused by:

• Heart Problems
• Pregnancy
• Severe infection
• Lack of nutrients 
• Blood loss
• Dehydration 

Heart problems: (Bradycardia) Abnormally low heart rates, Problems with the heart vessels, Previously had heart attacks/failures may cause low blood pressure.

Pregnancy: Nausea, Fatigue, Shortness of breath, Lack of Oxygen to the blood, Ruptured Veins can also cause low blood pressure issues during pregnancy.

Severe infection: (Septicaemia) When an infection enters the body and into the bloodstream, it can trail to a life-menacing drop in blood pressure (septic shock).

Lack of nutrients: when the heart doesn’t get enough nutrients, such as Omega 3, the heart can fall weak and lead to a drop in blood pressure.

Blood loss: A severe loss of blood from trauma or internal bleeding can lead to a decrease in blood pressure.

Dehydration: The body getting inadequate water can also make the heart weak, therefore, a decrease in blood pressure.

Symptoms of low blood pressure.

Low blood pressure causes many symptoms such as:

• Dizziness 
• Nausea
• Blurred vision
• Cold, Clammy & Pale skin
• Shortness of breath

Dizziness: Normally, your body, would increase your adrenalin and constrict some blood vessels. But in some cases, this mechanism fails to lead to dizziness.

Nausea: (Neurally mediated low blood pressure) This disorder causes blood pressure to be down after standing for long periods, leading to Nausea.

Blurred vision: Standing for extended periods gathers a lot of blood in your legs. But for some people (with orthostatic hypotension), the heart fails to increase the adrenalin leading to blurred vision.

Cold, Clammy & Pale skin: Cold, Clammy & Pale skin usually occurs from a drop of blood flow from shock or fainting.

Shortness of Breath: You might feel shortness of breath when the brain is not getting enough blood. This, in turn, can lead to feeling weak.

Low blood pressure cause prevention

Low blood pressure can be easily prevented just by living a healthy lifestyle. Taking more water can help the body maintain a proper flow of blood pressure. Drinking alcohol can dehydrate you and make the body unable to maintain blood pressure. Limiting high-carb meals and eating less but several times a day can keep helping low blood pressure. Your blood pressure is likely to decrease even more after a high-carb meal.

Drinking coffee can help your adrenalin to rise because of the caffeine in the coffee. Drinking coffee can also make you more aware of your surroundings and increase your concentration. Exercising will also help maintain your blood pressure. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes daily as it strengthens your heart and circulates blood to your entire body. Exercising will also raise your blood pressure. Having salt-based diets can also help maintain low blood pressure. If low blood pressure causes too many problems, you should consult a medical expert.

Common types of low blood pressure.

There are many types of low blood pressure. (Orthostatic hypotension), this type of hypotension decreases the blood pressure after standing for long periods. Standing for extended periods creates a pool of blood in your legs. Usually, the heart rate rises and balances the blood circulation. But for some people, this mechanism fails, and a decrease in blood pressure takes place.

Low blood pressure after having meals (Postprandial hypotension) mostly occurs in older people. Generally speaking, blood flows to your digestive organs after you have a meal. Typically, your heart rate increases and constricts some blood arteries to maintain blood pressure. 

But for some people, this process fails and leads to low blood pressure. Low blood pressure by incorrect brain signals (neurally mediated hypotension), Mostly occurs in young children. This disorder lowers the blood pressure by standing for long periods & it happens because of miscommunication of the heart and brain.

Easing low blood pressure symptoms.

Getting up slowly from sitting to standing can prevent the light-headed, Dizzy, Blackout feeling. When standing up fast, the blood pooled in your lower body doesn’t get circulated fast enough to your brain thus, causing dizziness.

You may also do the same when getting up from the bed. It starts from lying down to sitting to standing slowly.

You can also try to add extra pillows near your head. Leveling your head above your heart is a great trick to overcome low blood pressure symptoms. You can raise your head about 15 cm and drink more water as it hydrates your body. Start low-carb diets and eat small but several meals. You should not drink too much alcohol, and you should also not drink coffee at night as it would ruin your sleep. You should also not stand or sit for long periods as it would pool blood in your lower body.

Can low blood pressure be fatal?

For many people, it causes no problems other than dizziness and lightheadedness. But for some rare severe cases, if the low blood pressure prevents some organs from getting enough blood circulation, then some of those organs could fail. It may also cause kidney failure, heart failure & bowel ischemia. Though this is very rare, in the U.S. alone, 100,000 people die from low blood pressure.

A blood pressure number reading lower than 90/60 mm Hg is generally considered low blood pressure. A particular flow of blood is needed for the brain to maintain stability in the body. Blood Pressure is deemed to be expected if it is anything below 120/80. Prehypertension is known as a reading of systolic 120-129 and diastolic of lower than 80. Hypertension is known as a blood pressure of 130/80 or greater.

Frequently asked questions. (FAQs)

How do they measure blood pressure?

They measure your blood pressure by a unique device strapped into your arm. It tightens around your arm and shows two numbers. The top one (systolic) and the Bottom one (Diastolic).

What are the symptoms?

Low blood pressure causes many symptoms may include dizziness, lightheadedness enough to almost make you faint, fast and shortness of breath, blurry vision, weight on the chest, chest pain, pale skin, and if your low blood pressure is caused by not drinking enough water (Dehydration) you may feel unusually thirsty.

Is feeling dizziness after standing up quickly a sign of low blood pressure?

Standing up fast is not always a sign of low blood pressure. But this happens in most people with blood pressure throughout the world. When standing up fast, the blood pooled in your lower body doesn’t get enough time to circulate to your brain thus, making you dizzy.

Why does standing for long periods make you dizzy?

Standing for extended periods can create a pool of blood in your legs. And if your brain doesn’t tell your heart to pump enough blood to the upper half of your body, you might feel dizzy. But don’t worry about the dizziness as it passes away with in a few days. 

How much blood pressure is low blood pressure?

A blood pressure measuring lower than 90 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) Systolic and 60 mm Hg Diastolic is defined as low blood pressure. The regular blood pressure reading is between 90/60 mm Hg and 120/80 mm Hg.

Why is Blood pressure significant?

Low blood pressure causes many health risks. Blood pressure is essential because it is the force of the blood to flow around the body. If the blood pressure drops, it may cause other organs some problems as it may starve other organs.

If I have diabetes, will I need to be more cautious?

Yes, as diabetes itself has risks of heart diseases, low blood pressure can increase the risk even more. Just be sure to exercise every once in a while, and hopefully you will stay safe. 

How can I lower the risk of developing low blood pressure?

Firstly you should keep your weight and diet under control. Adding a bit more salt to your diet can help. Controlling your weight is a major part of controlling blood pressure; the more the weight is in control, the more your weight is under control.

Who gets low blood pressure?

Low blood pressure causes harm mainly to elderly people through the predictions are never accurate. Low blood pressure is most common in people who are in their late 60s, as their body becomes weaker. However, elderly people with good fitness can avoid this problem with a good diet and regular exercise.

Low blood pressure has health hazards, and it can be fatal.

Low blood pressure causes serious health consequences. Lower blood pressures may look admirable, but it has some serious health hazards. We gave everything in the above annotation. You should never ignore low blood pressure, as it can, in some cases, be fatal. Low blood pressure can be so deadly that it can cause kidney failure, heart failure, etc. It’s a widespread disease and can happen to anyone, no matter the age. We should seek medical advice if it affects everyday life.

Exercising every day and physical activities can help your low blood pressure to be balanced. Having a balanced diet and controlling your weight can get your blood pressure to stay controlled. Low blood pressure mainly would occur when people compromise their health against a specific disease. Many medicated drugs can also lower the risks of low blood pressure. Then again, we should exercise daily, as it would help the heart to make it stronger. So, we should be cautious about low blood pressure. And if anyone asks, is low blood pressure has health hazards? You will answer yes, it has health hazards and can be fatal. We will always help those people to stay cautious about low blood pressure.