Have you ever suddenly woken up and felt dizzy and light-headed? Or do you feel tired and lethargic all day? Although many people think that these are normal things, this could be a sign of low blood pressure, or ``hypotension''. Although many people talk about high blood pressure, we also need to understand low blood pressure. So today, let's talk about this in simple terms.
What exactly is low blood pressure (Hypotension)?
Simply put, low blood pressure (Hypotension) is when the pressure (thrust) created by blood moving through your blood vessels is much lower than expected.
You probably know that when we measure pressure, we talk about two values.
- The top number (Systolic): This refers to the pressure your blood vessels feel each time your heart beats and pumps blood.
- Diastolic: This refers to the pressure in the blood vessels between two heartbeats, when the heart is slightly relaxed.
Normally, we consider a healthy person's blood pressure to be 120/80 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). If your blood pressure is lower than 90/60 mm Hg , it is called low blood pressure (Hypotension).
But here's an important point. Some people, especially young people who exercise a lot and are in good health, may be born with a slightly lower blood pressure. If they don't have any symptoms, it's not a problem. It's just their normal condition. The problem is when the low blood pressure causes you discomfort, that is, when you start to have symptoms.
What are the main types of low pressure?
We can identify low blood pressure in two main ways. To understand this clearly, see the table below.
| Type of low blood pressure | Simply put... |
|---|---|
| Absolute Hypotension | This is what we usually call 'low blood pressure'. When your blood pressure is measured while you are at rest (for example, sitting down), it is less than 90/60 mm Hg. |
| Orthostatic Hypotension (Postural Hypotension) | This is a little different. This is what we call a sudden drop in blood pressure when you stand up from a sitting or lying position. Normally, our bodies recover from this within a few seconds. But for someone with this condition, their blood pressure remains low for about 3 minutes after standing up. This is something that becomes more common as we age. |
What symptoms does someone with low blood pressure experience?
As we mentioned earlier, some people may not experience any symptoms even when their blood pressure is low. However, if symptoms do occur, they may include:
- Dizziness or lightheadedness: A feeling of floating, as if there is nothing inside the head.
- Fainting or loss of consciousness (Syncope): You may suddenly lose consciousness and fall to the ground.
- Blue eyes or blurred vision: Feeling like it's going dark when you suddenly wake up, or not being able to see things clearly.
- Nausea or vomiting: You may feel sick to your stomach or vomit.
- Feeling extremely tired or lifeless: Feeling tired and lacking energy all day, even without doing anything.
- Breathing becomes faster and less deep.
- Difficulty concentrating: Losing focus while working.
- Restlessness or changes in behavior: You may behave differently than usual, becoming agitated.
Our bodies are amazing. Normally, when our blood pressure starts to drop, our bodies try to control it. They increase our heart rate or constrict our blood vessels to try to increase the pressure. But when our bodies can't control it this way, we start to experience these symptoms.
Why does the pressure drop like this? What are the reasons?
There is not just one reason for low blood pressure, but many factors can contribute to it. Let's look at the main reasons.
- Orthostatic hypotension: As we discussed earlier, this can occur due to a sudden decrease in blood flow to the brain when you stand up suddenly.
- Dehydration: If you don't drink enough water during a day of heavy sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea, your body loses fluid. This can cause your blood volume to decrease, causing your blood pressure to drop.
- Serious injuries and bleeding: When a large amount of blood is lost from the body, such as in an accident, blood pressure drops suddenly.
- Pregnancy:During the early months of pregnancy, changes in a woman's circulatory system can cause her blood pressure to drop. This usually returns to normal after the baby is born.
- Some medications you are taking: Some medications for high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression can cause low blood pressure as a side effect. But remember, never stop taking your medication without first consulting your doctor.
- Heart disease: When the heart is unable to pump blood properly due to conditions such as irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), heart attacks, and heart muscle weakness, blood pressure decreases.
- Hormonal problems: Low blood pressure can also be caused by hormone-related diseases such as hypothyroidism and diabetes.
- Severe Infection (Sepsis): When the body becomes severely infected, changes in the blood vessels can occur in response, causing the blood pressure to drop dangerously.
- Severe allergies (Anaphylaxis): Severe allergies to certain foods, medications, or insect stings can also cause a sudden drop in blood pressure.
- Nutritional deficiencies: When nutrients like vitamin B12 and folate are lacking, anemia can develop, which can also cause low blood pressure.
- Alcohol and drugs: Alcohol and some drugs can also cause low blood pressure.
What serious things can happen if you just ignore low blood pressure?
Low blood pressure is not a big problem if there are no symptoms. But if there are symptoms, you should be concerned about it, because it can lead to serious complications.
Falls and injuries are the biggest and most immediate risk here. Imagine what would happen if you suddenly tripped and fell. You could hit your head, break an arm or leg, or break a hip, which could lead to lifelong disabilities.
- Falls and Injuries: Dizziness and lightheadedness increase the risk of falls. This can lead to fractures and serious head injuries (concussions).
- Shock: When blood pressure drops too low, vital organs like the brain, kidneys, and heart do not receive the necessary amount of blood and oxygen. This can cause damage to those organs. This can be life-threatening.
- Heart disease and stroke: Low blood pressure means that the heart has to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Over time, this can damage the heart. Also, because blood does not circulate properly, blood clots can form and travel to the brain, which can cause conditions like stroke.
How does a doctor find this?
If you have symptoms of low blood pressure, it's best to see a doctor. It's very easy to find out if your blood pressure is low. You can find out by looking at the blood pressure measuring device (BP apparatus).
But the hardest part is finding out why your blood pressure is low . The doctor will ask you about your symptoms, medications you take, and other medical conditions. Then, they may do a few tests to find out the cause.
| Test type | What are you looking at? |
|---|---|
| Blood and urine tests | Check for conditions such as diabetes, thyroid hormone problems, vitamin deficiencies, and anemia. |
| ECG (Electrocardiogram) | Check the electrical activity of the heart to see if there are any problems such as irregular heartbeats. |
| Echocardiogram | This is a scan of the heart. It helps to get a clear picture of the structure and function of the heart. |
| Tilt Table Test | This is a test specifically designed to detect orthostatic hypotension. You are made to lie down on a bed and your blood pressure and heart rate are monitored as the bed is slowly tilted vertically. |
Treatment and management of low blood pressure
The most important thing when treating is to find the underlying cause of the low blood pressure and treat it. For example, if the low blood pressure is due to a side effect of a medication, the doctor will change the dosage of that medication or give you a different medication. If it is due to dehydration, you will be given fluids like saline.
In addition to treating the cause, you can also do things like these to manage symptoms:
- Dietary changes: Some people may be advised by their doctor to add a little more salt to their diet. This is because salt (sodium) can help to increase fluid retention in the body and increase blood pressure. However, this should only be done under the advice of your doctor. It is not good to eat salt as you please.
- Drink enough water: Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. This will help maintain fluid levels in the body and prevent dehydration.
- Compression Stockings: These stockings apply gentle pressure to the legs and feet, helping to prevent blood from pooling in the legs and moving it upward. This can increase pressure.
- Medications: In some cases, your doctor may prescribe special medications to help increase blood pressure.
If your blood pressure is low, how can you take care of yourself?
In addition to the treatments your doctor gives you, if you take care of these little things in your daily life, you can largely avoid the symptoms of low blood pressure.
- Get up slowly: When you get out of bed in the morning, don't get up suddenly. First, sit up in bed for about a minute. Then get up slowly. The same goes for getting up from a chair.
- Meals: Eat small, frequent meals instead of large, filling meals. Some people may experience a drop in blood pressure after a large meal, especially one that is high in carbohydrates (like rice and bread).
- Limit alcohol: Alcohol can cause dehydration and lower blood pressure, so it is very important to limit your alcohol intake.
- Sit down when you feel dizzy: If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sit down on the floor or in a chair immediately, no matter what you are doing. This is very important for your safety as it can prevent you from falling.
When should I see a doctor? When should I go to the ETU?
This is a very important part. You need to know when you should see a doctor normally and when you should go to a hospital immediately.
| When to see a doctor | When to go to the hospital's Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU) immediately |
|---|---|
| If you experience frequent symptoms of low blood pressure (such as dizziness, fainting). | If you have chest pain . |
| If these symptoms are interfering with your daily activities. | If you lose consciousness after the end of the day. |
| If you suspect that a medication you are taking is causing your blood pressure to drop. | If you fall and injure your head due to dizziness (especially if you are taking a blood thinner ). |
| If these symptoms appear during pregnancy. | If you are showing signs of shock: cold skin, sweating, rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat, blue lips or fingernails. |
Take-Home Message
- Low blood pressure (Hypotension) is not always a disease. But if you have symptoms like dizziness or fainting, don't ignore it. Definitely see a doctor.
- The most important thing in treatment is to find the underlying cause of the low blood pressure and treat it.
- Simple things like drinking plenty of water daily, changing positions slowly, and adjusting your diet as recommended by your doctor can help control symptoms to a great extent.
- As soon as you feel dizzy, think about safety and sit on the floor or in a chair. Preventing a fall is the top priority.
- If you experience chest pain, loss of consciousness, a fall and head injury, or signs of shock, it is an emergency. Go to the hospital's Emergency Department (ETU) immediately.
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