Blood pressure must remain in its optimal range to keep your body function properly. Too high or too low blood pressure may lead to several complications, often severe or life-threatening, in some cases. The normal blood pressure range is between 120/80mmHg (systolic/diastolic). Lower than this can be problematic.
Consider watching this video to know more about effects of hypotension…
Hypotension is not as bad as high blood pressure and can be best understood as a physiological state due to specified causes instead of the disease itself.
Concerning heart, low blood pressure can be an indication of altered heart function.
Decreased blood volume is, however, the most common cause of hypotension. Low blood pressure itself is a cause of various primary conditions. But when the body becomes severely deprived of blood, its nutrients and the oxygen it start to affect all vital organs in ways that could be life-threatening if not managed properly. This condition is also known as shock. Initially, as a result of the deprived needs of the body, there are disturbances in heart rates, breathing, anxiety, increased thirst, and sweating, which further leads to unconsciousness and worsen if on taken care.
However, low blood pressure is not always bad. People who exercise and are physically fit tend to have low blood pressure. It means that their vessels are elastic, and well, they have a functioning heart. But, for some people who have serious heart problems, endocrine or neurological disorders, low blood pressure might turn bad after every exercise and cause them dizziness, or they can faint.
It is important to consider that with age, our vessels do not maintain the pressure, and the risk for both low and high blood pressure increases. According to a study, about 10 to 20 percent of people over 65 years of age suffer from orthostatic or postural hypotension. In orthostatic hypotension, both the heart and brain could not communicate appropriately to postural changes. Your nervous system skips sending messages to the heart to beat fast and supply blood, which results in a drop in blood pressure. It is so sudden that it leads to lightheadedness, blurred vision, and even fainting.
Low blood pressure is often associated with symptoms of fatigue, slow or irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath, unconsciousness, and headache. It is essential to know the cause to treat hypotension. Usually, it is relieved by intravenous therapy of fluids or eating food that gives blood its nutrients to supply and fulfill the brain and all other vital organs’ needs. However, some people still suffer from hypotension after eating, which is known as postprandial hypotension. It is present in most older adults who are on high blood pressure medications or any drug-related to nervous system disorders like Parkinson’s disease. It happens when the body’s standard mechanism of raising heart rate during food intake fails. Consequently, blood pressure falls, causing dizziness. It can be controlled by lowering the dose of blood pressure medications.
Low blood pressure also causes excessive thirst as the body lack volume and is severely dehydrated. Any condition that causes dehydration like severe diarrhea, excessive sweating, use of diuretics, or fever, results in a drop of body’s blood pressure.
A person should make efforts to be in its optimal BP range to keep its body functioning correctly. Because blood travels to every organ with food and oxygen, if it doesn’t deliver well, all the organs, especially the brain (the controller of all), will show a lack in its activity and cost you lifestyle changes.
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!