Management of Low Blood Pressure Problem
Normal blood pressure of a healthy human being is 120/80 mm Hg. There is no specific number at which blood pressure is taken as too low, as long as the following symptoms are present:
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Fainting sensation
- Blurred vision
- Nausea/vomit
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Fatigue/depression
- Dehydration, a potentially serious condition in which your body loses more water than your intake. Even mild dehydration (a loss of as little as 1-2% of your weight), can cause weakness, dizziness and fatigue sometimes accompanied with unusual thirst.
Most importantly, you may feel dizziness or lightheadedness or fainting sensation while trying to stand from a sitting or a lying position. To avoid any kind of injuries from a sudden fall down, slowly change your body positions such as:
- If you begin to sense lightheadedness or fainting while standing, cross your thighs in a scissors fashion and squeeze, or put one foot on a chair and lean as far forward as possible. These maneuvers encourage blood to flow from your legs to your heart preventing sudden fall down.
- In the morning, before getting out of bed take a deep breathe deeply for a few minutes and then slowly sit upright on the edge of the bed for a few minutes before standing.
Management of low blood pressure
For many people, low blood pressure problem can be effectively managed with diet and lifestyle changes.
- Eat a diet higher in salt (sodium). Since excess sodium is bad for your heart, it’s important to consult with your doctor before increasing the salt in your diet.
- Drink lots of water. 95% of our blood is made up of water. Intake of lots of water thus increases your blood volume and combat against low blood pressure problem.
- Drink more fluids in hot weather and while sick with a viral illness, such as a flu or cold.
- Say no to alcohol as it is dehydrating and can lower blood pressure, even if you drink in moderation.
- Eat a healthy diet rich in protein, fruits, veggies, dietary fiber (Foods You Should Eat Daily). Limit high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, rice, pasta and bread.
- Sometimes blood pressure drops sharply after meals. In that case, eat small portions of your meal several times a day.
- Take rest for a while after your meals.
- Avoid lifting anything that is heavier.
- Even lighter exercise such as slow walking in the room promotes blood flow through your body. So, do not sit idle always.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to hot water, such as hot showers and spas.
- Sleeping with the head of your bed slightly elevated also can help.
- Consult your doctors if the above things does not work for you and for medications.
- If needed, use elastic support (compression) stockings that cover the calf and thigh. These may help restrict blood flow to the legs, thus keeping more blood in the upper body.
Conditions that can cause it
Low blood pressure problem is commonly caused by dehydration from fever, vomiting, severe diarrhea, overuse of diuretics and strenuous exercise, hot weather, hot shower etc. In those cases, drinking lots of fluid helps ameliorate the dizziness, fatigue. However, a life-threatening complication of dehydration is hypovolemic shock that occurs when a sudden drop in blood pressure reduces the amount of oxygen reaching your tissues that if untreated can cause death within a few minutes or hours.
Other than dehydration the following medical conditions can cause low blood pressure problem:
- 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.
- 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.
- Thyroid conditions such as parathyroid disease, adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease), hypoglycemia and diabetes can trigger low blood pressure.
- 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.
- When an infection in the body enters the bloodstream, it can lead to a life-threatening drop in blood pressure called septic shock.
- Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can cause breathing problems, itching, a swollen throat and a low blood pressure. Common triggers include foods, certain medications, insect venoms and latex.
- A lack of the vitamin B-12 and folate can cause a condition in which your body doesn’t produce enough red blood cells (anemia), causing low blood pressure.
- Certain medications that can cause low blood pressure such as diuretics (water pills), alpha or beta blockers, drugs used for Parkinson’s disease, some depression medicines (tricyclic antidepressants) etc.
