What is Low Blood Pressure? Low blood pressure, or hypotension, is simply when the pressure of the blood drops below normal levels. A slight drop is not a cause of concern, since our blood pressure fluctuates a bit every now and then, depending on the level of activity we are performing. A fluctuation of around 30 is considered to be OK, as long as it is not long term. But when the blood pressure falls below the reading of 90/60 mm Hg, the number 60, which is referred to as the diastolic blood pressure, is said to indicate that the person is suffering from low blood pressure. When this condition occurs, the heart is not in a position to pump the required amount of blood needed by all parts of the body.
Causes of Low Blood Pressure Low blood pressure can be caused due to various factors. The most common reasons for this condition can be any of the following - blood loss, dehydration, severe allergies, malnutrition, heart diseases, slow heart rate, inflammation near the heart, blood clot, low temperature, age, and pregnancy. While these cover more than 99% of the reasons that cause low blood pressure, there can be other rare conditions too that can be a cause. In any case, what the cause may be, an immediate visit to the doctor is imperative, so he can diagnose the problem himself and treat the patient accordingly. To get more details on the same, this causes of low blood pressure article on Buzzle would be an excellent read.
Effects of Low Blood Pressure on the Body It is important for a patient to properly understand the symptoms of low blood pressure. Low blood pressure has varied effects on the body, one important effect being that the heart rate is lower than normal. Without any delay, let us have a look at the side effects of low blood pressure, as they are important alerts that can help treat the problem itself.
* Heart/Kidney Problems: The kidney does not eliminate wastes from the body efficiently. This malfunction then results in a build-up of toxins in the body, which can lead to any related sickness. This condition also adversely affects the heart and tends to cause various heart diseases, and can ultimately also result in a heart attack.
* Brain/Nerve Damage: A lower blood pressure can lead to nerve damage. It will also damage the brain due to insufficient oxygen, thus causing a stroke.
* Dizziness: This is one of the common effects of low blood pressure that is experienced by many people. Commonly, it occurs when a person suddenly stands up, or gets out from the bed after sleeping very soon. It also tends to affects people more with advancement in age.
* Nausea: This is another very common effect that low blood pressure has on our body. This again happens due to less blood and oxygen in the brain, and is related to gastrointestinal distress. *
Organ Failure: Low blood pressure can make a person go into shock too. This happens simply due to less blood going around to certain parts of the body. This in turn can lead to single or multiple organ failure, varying from case to case.
* Common Effects: Some other common effects of low blood pressure include fainting, light-headedness, confusion, mental instability, breathing problems, chest pain, weakness, blurred vision, palpitations, etc.
Prevention/Treatment of Low Blood Pressure :There is a mix of preventive measures as well as treatment options that can be undertaken to control low blood pressure. The simplest and quickest way is to increase the intake of salt. But it should also be remembered that there are professional doctors out there who can treat us properly. The doctor needs to be visited who can get to the root cause of the problem and treat the patient accordingly. It can also happen that you are taking some drugs for some other treatment, which are also acting like blood pressure lowering drugs. This is usually the case with an alpha blocker like doxazosin. Taking care while standing up, getting out of the bed slowly, can also help lessen the symptoms. If the nerves have been affected, then the doctor will prescribe drugs that will help stimulate the nervous system. The patient may also be administered hormones that help in the retention of salt. Wearing an anti-gravity suit or elastic stockings will also help a great deal. But as mentioned earlier, the doctor knows best, so it is very important that he checks the patient, so he can treat accordingly. To be more aware about low blood pressure, this article on signs of low blood pressure would be a perfect read. As we have seen that the dangers of low blood pressure are varied and many, and they simply differ from patient to patient and case to case. As advised by the doctor, proper preventive and treatment methods need to be undertaken to control this simple problem, which can also become life-threatening. So stay informed and stay healthy.
