If you are taking medication, and your GP suspects that it may be causing low blood pressure, they will probably recommend a change of medication or alter your dose.
Your blood pressure will be monitored while you are taking medication and any changes will be noted by your GP or practice nurse. If you are experiencing side effects from taking medication, you should discuss this with your GP. If your GP suspects that a disorder - such as a heart condition, adrenal gland failure or a nerve condition - is causing your low blood pressure, you may be referred to hospital for further tests and treatment.
If adrenal gland failure is found to be causing your low blood pressure, your GP may prescribe fludrocortisone to replace the missing hormone, aldosterone. This will usually be in tablet form and will need to be taken for life.
If a nerve condition is causing your low blood pressure, it can be more difficult to treat. You may be prescribed medication in order to help stimulate your nervous system. Dehydration — when the water and salt content of your body is reduced - can cause low blood pressure. Increasing your fluid and salt intake can easily treat this. Ensuring that you drink enough fluid - at least eight glasses a day - will help with hypotension. This is because more fluids will increase the volume of your blood, and having more blood in your arteries will increase your blood pressure.
While people who have high blood pressure are usually advised to restrict their salt intake, if you have low blood pressure, you may be advised to include more salt in your diet. Your GP will be able to advise you about how much additional salt you need, and whether you can add salt to your usual food, or if you need to take salt tablets.
The following general advice will help to limit your symptoms of your hypotension, particularly postural or orthostatic hypotension. Very few people are prescribed medication for hypotension. The symptoms of hypotension can be usually be treated by making these small changes to your lifestyle and, in particular, by increasing your fluid and salt intake.
If medication is necessary, it will usually be medicines to expand the volume of your blood, or to constrict narrow your arteries.
By increasing your blood, or decreasing your arteries, your blood pressure will increase, as there will be more blood flowing through a smaller space. Home Illnesses and conditions Heart and blood vessels Conditions Low blood pressure hypotension.
Low blood pressure hypotension See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About low blood pressure 2. Symptoms of low blood pressure 3. Causes of low blood pressure 4. Diagnosing low blood pressure 5. Treating low blood pressure. About low blood pressure Low blood pressure - sometimes referred to as hypotension - is a condition where the arterial blood pressure is abnormally low.
The heart The heart is a muscle that is designed to pump a constant supply of blood around the body. Blood pressure Blood pressure is a measure of the force of the blood on the walls of the arteries as the blood flows through them. At this stage, the pressure in your arteries is at its highest.
At this stage, the pressure in your arteries is at its lowest Your blood pressure reading will be given as two numbers, with your systolic reading first, followed by your diastolic reading. Symptoms of low blood pressure On its own, low blood pressure hypotension does not always cause symptoms.
As a result, you may experience some of the following symptoms: dizziness fainting a sudden, temporary loss of consciousness light-headedness blurred vision palpitations a rapid or irregular heartbeat confusion nausea feeling like you are going to be sick general weakness If you experience the symptoms of hypotension after changing positions for example, standing up , it is known as postural - or orthostatic - hypotension.
Postural or orthostatic hypotension Postural or orthostatic hypotension occurs when your blood pressure falls after a sudden movement. Postprandial hypotension Your blood pressure can sometimes decrease fall after eating, causing dizziness, light-headedness, fainting and falls. Causes of low blood pressure Throughout the day, your blood pressure can vary by between mmHg both systolic and diastolic depending on what you are doing.
Everyday causes Many factors have a daily, or sometimes even hourly, effect on your heart and circulation. The time of day - your blood pressure falls overnight so it will be low in the morning.
Your age - typically, blood pressure rises as you get older, although postural, or orthostatic, and postprandial hypotension are also more likely in the elderly. How stressed or relaxed you are - if you are stressed, your heart will beat faster and your blood pressure will increase, and the opposite if you are relaxed. How much exercise you do - initially, exercise will raise your blood pressure, but if you are healthy and exercise regularly, your blood pressure will be low when you are resting.
Your temperature - if you are cold, your heartbeat will slow down, and your blood pressure will fall. If you have recently eaten - blood will be used for digesting food in your stomach, so the blood pressure elsewhere in your body will fall. Underlying causes If your blood pressure is still considered low after taking into account everyday factors such as those listed above, there may be another cause.
Medication Some medication may cause hypotension as a side effect. Examples of medication that can cause hypotension include: beta-blockers - these may be prescribed after a problem with your heart or hypertension high blood pressure alpha-blockers - these are prescribed to lower blood pressure for people with hypertension some antidepressants Your GP will discuss any possible side effects with you when prescribing medication.
Serious illnesses or conditions If you have an acute short-term illness, your blood pressure will be measured regularly because it is a good indicator of the severity of your illness. Autonomic disorders Autonomic disorders affect your autonomic nervous system and they can cause hypotension. Adrenal glands The adrenal glands are two small glands that are located just above your kidneys. Serious injuries and shock Low blood pressure can also be caused by serious injuries or burns, particularly if you have lost a lot of blood.
Other kinds of shock are described below. Septic shock and toxic shock syndrome Septic shock and toxic shock syndrome are caused by bacterial infections. Anaphylactic shock Anaphylactic shock, or anaphylaxis, is caused by an allergic reaction to something - for example, a wasp sting or a peanut.
Cardiogenic shock Cardiogenic shock occurs when your heart cannot supply enough blood to your body, so your blood pressure drops. Other causes Other possible causes of low blood pressure are: Rare nerve conditions - if the nerves in your legs are affected, you may experience a severe drop in blood pressure when you stand up postural or orthostatic hypotension. Increasing age - as you get older, your arteries can become stiffer.
If they do not constrict get smaller , your blood pressure may drop, particularly when you stand up. Pregnancy - during the early to mid stages of pregnancy, low blood pressure is fairly common. Prolonged bed rest - low blood pressure may possibly occur as a result of moving less and having overall less nervous system activity.
Dehydration - low blood pressure may occur following particularly severe dehydration from vomiting and diarrhoea because the lack of water and salt in your body will reduce the volume of your blood. Your genes - some research has suggested that low blood pressure is genetic. If your parents have low blood pressure, it is possible that you could inherit it from them.
This is known as the diastolic pressure. Both your systolic and diastolic pressures are measured in terms of millimetres of mercury mmHg. Throughout the day, your blood pressure can vary by between mmHg both systolic and diastolic depending on what you are doing.
When you are asleep or relaxed your blood pressure will be at its lowest. When you exercise, or you are stressed or anxious, your blood pressure will increase. Therefore, each time you have your blood pressure measured, it is important that the test is carried out under similar conditions so that the results are consistent. If your blood pressure is high, your GP may give you advice about how to lower it by making some simple lifestyle changes, such as altering your diet, giving up smoking, and taking regular exercise.
Alternatively, you may be prescribed drugs that will help to reduce your blood pressure. If you have low blood pressure, you have to a certain degree some protection against factors that increase blood pressure, such as eating too much salt, not eating enough fruit and vegetables, or being overweight. However, some people who have low blood pressure may experience symptoms, and there may be an underlying cause.
On its own, low blood pressure does not always cause symptoms. If you have low blood pressure, and do not have any symptoms, you do not require treatment. However, sometimes if your blood pressure is too low, there may not be enough blood flowing to your brain and other vital organs. As a result, you may experience symptoms such as dizziness and fainting. If you do, your GP will try to find out whether there is an underlying cause for your symptoms. You may feel dizzy, or faint, after changing posture - for example, when you sit up from a lying position, or stand up from a sitting position.
However, the fall in blood pressure usually only lasts for a few minutes as it adjusts to your new posture. This is known as postural, or orthostatic hypotension, and can affect you more as you get older.
Similar symptoms may also occur after exercise. Dizziness, light-headedness, faintness and falls are symptoms that can sometimes occur after eating, as a result of low blood pressure. This condition, known as postprandial hypotension, tends to occur more often in older people, particularly in those who have high blood pressure, or a condition such as Parkinsons disease or diabetes. After a meal, the intestines need a large amount of blood for digestion, and so the heart rate increases, and the blood vessels in other parts of the body constrict narrow to help maintain blood pressure.
However, the heart rate of some elderly people may not increase enough, and their blood vessels may not constrict enough to maintain blood pressure. As a result, their blood pressure falls.
Lying down after eating, and eating frequent, small, low-carbohydrate meals may help to reduce the effects of postprandial hypotension. Nowadays, most blood pressure lowering medicines do not cause a drop in blood pressure when you stand up. Alpha-blockers, such as doxazosin, are the only type of medicine that may cause a decrease in your standing blood pressure.
You should have your standing blood pressure checked if you are taking doxazosin and you feel dizzy or faint when you stand up. In the past, it was thought that low blood pressure could cause tiredness, depression and anxiety. However, recent studies have found no strong evidence to suggest that low blood pressure causes these symptoms. The adrenal glands are two small glands that are located just above your kidneys.
They produce a number of hormones, including aldosterone, which controls the amount of salt in your body. Your body is generally quite good at making adjustments and keeping your blood pressure in range. However, the symptoms of low blood pressure are more important than the numbers. Low blood pressure, known as hypotension, can cause lightheaded spells or fainting syncope.
Fainting can lead to serious injury, broken bones, head trauma, etc. Low blood pressure needs to treated if it is causing symptoms. Your health care team needs to look for the cause and try to correct it.
The most common problem is "orthostatic hypotension", meaning your blood pressure goes down when you stand up. If this is the reason, then drinking more fluid or adjusting your medication should help.
Some have a problem with their body's ability to regulate the blood pressure. There are strategies, and several medications, that can be used to ameliorate the severity and symptoms of low pressure in these people. Keeping your blood pressure in range is an important determinant of long term health. If yours is out of range, either too high or too low, talk to your health care professional. Related Questions.
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