It depends on the medical history of the patient and the conditions their body is facing. If the blood pressure has dropped suddenly, it is better to visit the nearest healthcare facility or contact your family physician for an advice. In extreme conditions (eg: cardiac Shock or sepsis) the patient may be kept in an ICU/ICCU.
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels.The optimum blood pressure of a resting adult is around 120/80 mmHg(sys/dia). Hypotension occurs when the blood pressure drops below 90/60 mmHg(sts/dia).Hypotension is of medical importance when symptoms like dizziness, fainting, etc are seen.
Chronic(Long term) hypotension is not much of concern as in some people it may be congenital or the body adjusts to the low blood pressure.Acute(sudden/short term) hypertension is an emergency condition as it may lead to drive complications and sometimes be fatal. Some of the main causes of low blood pressure include:
- Sepsis
- Hemorrhage – blood loss
- Cardiogenic shock
- Neurally mediated hypotension (or reflex syncope)
- Toxins including toxic doses of blood pressure medicine
- Hormonal abnormalities, such as Addison's disease
- Eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa and bulimia
Low blood pressure can be caused by low blood volume, hormonal changes, widening of blood vessels, due to certain drugs, anemia, heart problems or endocrine problems.
Reduced blood volume, hypovolemia, is the most common cause of hypotension. This can result from hemorrhage; insufficient fluid intake, as in starvation; or excessive fluid losses from diarrhea or vomiting. Hypovolemia can be induced by excessive use of diuretics. Low blood pressure may also be attributed to heat stroke which can be indicated by absence of perspiration, light headedness and dark colored urine.
Other medications can produce hypotension by different mechanisms. Chronic use of alpha blockers or beta blockers can lead to hypotension. Beta blockers can cause hypotension both by slowing the heart rate and by decreasing the pumping ability of the heart muscle.
Decreased cardiac output despite normal blood volume, due to severe congestive heart failure, large myocardial infarction, heart valve problems, or extremely low heart rate (bradycardia), often produces hypotension and can rapidly progress to cardiogenic shock. Arrhythmias often result in hypotension by this mechanism.
Excessive vasodilation, or insufficient constriction of the blood vessels (mostly arterioles), causes hypotension. This can be due to decreased sympathetic nervous system output or to increased parasympathetic activity occurring as a consequence of injury to the brain or spinal cord. Dysautonomia, an intrinsic abnormality in autonomic system functioning, can also lead to hypotension. Excessive vasodilation can also result from sepsis, acidosis, or medications, such as nitrate preparations, calcium channel blockers, or AT1 receptor antagonists (Angiotensin II acts on AT1 receptors).
Visit/contact your family physician or a local health care facility if you/anyone around you feel these symptoms:
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- irregular heartbeat
- fever higher than 38.3 °C
- seizures
- loss of consciousness
- profound fatigue
- temporary blurring or loss of vision
Yoga and meditation can be helpful for hypotension patients to stay healthy and fit. Also they are easy to do and are very cost effective as they don’t require much of equipment and can be done any where.
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