(Health Center) There is a lot of talk about high blood pressure (hypertension). But low blood pressure (hypotension) seems to be considered a minor problem. The number of risks associated with hypotension is much less than with hypertension. However, those whose blood pressure is consistently below normal often feel tired and overwhelmed. For such people, knowing the possible causes of hypotension, and especially knowing how to stabilize low blood pressure, means a significant improvement in quality of life.
Causes of low blood pressure and ways to solve the problem
Low blood pressure causes lethargy and fatigue, accompanied by dizziness, decreased ability to concentrate and thus can significantly worsen your well-being. Doctors often tell hypotensive patients that low blood pressure is not as serious a problem as hypertension, and therefore nothing needs to be done.
But for anyone who would like to feel better, such words, of course, are of little use. Therefore, we will tell you about the possible causes of low blood pressure, which even doctors often do not think about, as well as how you can increase low blood pressure.
Causes of arterial hypotension
Causes of low blood pressure may include:
- Dehydration, blood loss, iron deficiency.
- Impaired cardiac function (heart failure, heart defects, pericardial disease, etc.).
- Decreased tone of arterial vessels (poisoning, allergic reactions, etc.).
- Taking large doses of antihypertensive drugs (drugs to lower blood pressure).
- Nervous-psychological stress, neuroses, depression, stress.
- Insufficient physical activity.
- Poor nutrition.
- General fatigue, chronic fatigue.
- Infectious diseases.
- Weather change.
- Hereditary predisposition.
- Lack of body weight.
- Impaired kidney function.
Low blood pressure is not a cause for concern if low blood pressure numbers are observed in a person in most cases and are not accompanied by any health complaints. You should consult a cardiologist if hypotension is not a normal condition for a given person and is combined with a deterioration in general health, greatly reducing the patient’s quality of life.
Low blood pressure - less than 100/60 mmHg
As you know, when measuring blood pressure, two indicators are distinguished: systolic and diastolic pressure.
First, the systolic blood pressure is indicated. This pressure occurs when the heart pumps blood into the arteries. It is always higher than diastolic pressure.
The second indicator is diastolic blood pressure. This is the pressure in the blood vessels between two contractions of the heart, that is, at the moment when the heart is not pumping blood.
Healthy blood pressure, according to today's understanding, is approximately 120/80 mmHg. Indicators above 140/90 mm Hg. Art. referred to as high blood pressure. If the pressure gauge regularly shows less than 90/60 mmHg. Art. and even less than 100/60 mmHg. Art., then they talk about low blood pressure. If only one of the two indicators is very low, this is already enough for the development of the corresponding symptoms.
Low blood pressure: symptoms and causes
Low blood pressure or hypotension is a pathological change in the human body in which blood pressure drops below generally accepted norms (120/80 mm Hg). Low blood pressure is considered to be reduced to 90/60 mmHg. Art. and below. The disease is treated only if it has a negative impact on the human body.
Physiological norms of hypotension:
- a feature of the body, low blood pressure is the norm for the structure of a certain individual;
- compensatory, adaptive, typical for a person living in the mountains;
- orthostatic hypotension - a sudden change in body position;
- Postprandial hypotension is a decrease in blood pressure after eating food.
Low blood pressure - causes:
- diseases of the cerebral vessels, mainly central;
- stress;
- thyroid diseases;
- cancer;
- anemia;
- hepatitis;
- inflammation of heart tissue;
- brain injuries;
- rheumatism;
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- gastrointestinal ulcer;
- taking certain medications;
- strong physical activity. Acts as a protective reaction of the body;
- change of place of residence to a different climate zone or sudden change in weather;
- change in electromagnetic field;
- exposure to radiation;
- heredity;
- VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia).
Quite often, hypotension is a symptom of VSD. Vegetovascular dystonia is a disruption of the human body by the autonomic nervous system. This symptom causes disturbances in the functioning of: cardiovascular system (cardiovascular system), heart rate (heart rate), endocrine system, thermoregulation, etc.
Causes of VSD: chronic stress, tension, neurosis, psychological trauma, negative habits, occupational hazards, heredity.
Symptoms of low blood pressure:
- Decrease in pressure to 90/60 mm Hg. and below.
- Weakness.
- Cardiopalmus.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Cold hands and feet.
- Frequent mood swings, aggression.
- Increased sweating.
- State of drowsiness.
- Frequent dizziness.
- Headache in the forehead and temples.
- Shortness of breath after slight exertion.
- Fainting.
- Nausea.
Complications:
- problems with the cardiovascular system, due to rapid heartbeat there is a strong load on the heart muscle;
- Pregnant women experience oxygen starvation of the fetus and disruption in its development. Also, pregnant women with hypotension often experience severe toxicosis and gestosis.
Low blood pressure - diagnosis:
- taking anamnesis;
- inspection;
- blood pressure measurement and daily monitoring;
- examination by doctors: neurologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist;
- blood analysis;
- Analysis of urine;
- Ultrasound of the heart;
- load tests;
- CT;
- MRI;
- Ultrasound of the kidneys, adrenal glands, thyroid gland.
Treatment.
If a concomitant disease causing hypotension is detected, it is treated. In the absence of other diseases, medications are prescribed to normalize blood pressure. Strictly follow the daily routine and proper nutrition. Stop smoking and minimize alcohol consumption. Regular walks.
Prevention:
- giving up bad habits (smoking, minimizing alcohol);
- sleep at least 7-8 hours;
- active lifestyle;
- body weight control;
- blood pressure control.
Blood pressure is constantly changing
However, blood pressure fluctuates and values can change greatly in a short time, even between two heartbeats. The fact is that blood pressure depends on many factors: body position (whether a person is lying, standing or running), breathing rate, stress level, state of health, nutrition, what medications a person takes, and the time of day . For example, at night your blood pressure is usually very low. When we wake up, it increases quickly.
Arterial hypotension - symptoms and treatment
During the day, blood pressure changes depending on body position, breathing, stress, physical condition, medications taken, how much a person eats and drinks, and the time of day. Physiologically, BP is usually lowest at night and rises sharply upon awakening.
The human body has certain mechanisms to maintain blood pressure and blood flow at normal levels. These mechanisms are interconnected: the walls of the arteries, determining the level of blood pressure, send signals to the heart, arterioles, veins and kidneys to regulate blood flow. Blood pressure primarily depends on peripheral resistance of blood vessels and cardiac output.
Peripheral vascular resistance is the total resistance of the entire vascular system to the flow of blood that is ejected by the heart into the arteries. The muscle tissue in the walls of arterioles allows these blood vessels to dilate or contract. The stronger the arterioles contract, the higher their resistance to blood flow and the more the blood pressure increases, because in order to push blood through a narrower lumen, more pressure must be applied. Conversely, when arterioles dilate, resistance to blood flow decreases, leading to a drop in blood pressure. The degree of narrowing or dilation of arterioles can be regulated by nerves, hormones, and medications.
At the same time, the regulatory mechanisms of the heart change cardiac output (the amount of blood pumped by the heart into the arteries in one minute). Blood pressure can increase due to increased heart rate and therefore more blood being pumped into the arteries. Veins can dilate, narrow, and deposit (accumulate) more blood. That is, the more blood the heart pumps per minute, the higher the pressure will be, as long as the diameter of the arteries remains unchanged. The volume of blood during each beat depends on the force of contraction and the function of the valves. The total volume of blood in the arteries may depend on the volume of fluid in the body, the volume of fluid removed through the kidneys, and the use of medications.
The kidneys, in turn, respond to these changes by increasing or decreasing the amount of urine excreted, which changes blood volume, affecting blood pressure [6].
All these adaptive mechanisms maintain blood pressure within normal limits.
The physiological tendency towards hypotension and a low pulse in athletes is nothing more than a protective reaction of the body to constant physical activity. With constant exercise that requires endurance, the cardiovascular system undergoes a restructuring: it begins to work in a more economical mode. This hypotension is called high-training hypotension [31].
Theories of the occurrence of pathological AHT
Endocrine. In accordance with this theory, the disease can have adrenal, pituitary and hypothyroid origin. The reasons are:
- decreased synthesis of hormones that increase blood pressure (catecholamines, vasopressin, mineralocorticoids, adrenocorticotropic hormone, thyroid hormones);
- decreased sensitivity of vascular and cardiac receptors to these hormones.
This leads to a decrease in total peripheral vascular resistance, circulating blood volume and cardiac output.
Vegetative theory. According to it, the occurrence of arterial hypotension is associated with an increase in the activity of the cholinergic system and a decrease in the activity of the adrenergic system [4][17]. In this case, the following occurs in blood plasma and daily urine:
- the content of acetylcholine increases, a substance that is involved in the transmission of impulses in different parts of the brain, while its small concentrations facilitate this transmission, and its large concentrations inhibit it;
- the level of catecholamines decreases - active substances that directly or indirectly increase the activity of the endocrine glands, stimulate the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which are involved in maintaining blood pressure levels.
Neurogenic. According to this theory, under the influence of psychogenic factors there is a change in neurodynamic processes in the cerebral cortex, a violation of the relationship between the processes of excitation and inhibition both in the cortex and in the subcortical autonomic centers [14]. This leads to hemodynamic disturbances, the most important of which is considered to be capillary dysfunction with a decrease in total peripheral resistance. The mechanism for the development of arterial hypotension is to reduce the tonic (contractile) effects of the sympathetic nervous system on the walls of blood vessels and the heart.
The humoral theory suggests that arterial hypotension is caused by an increase in the level of kinins (low molecular weight peptides that cause contraction and relaxation of smooth muscles), prostaglandins A and E (a group of lipid physiologically active substances formed enzymatically in the body), which have a vasodilating effect.
According to the metabolic theory , AHT is associated with a metabolic disorder of substances with hypo- and hypertensive effects. The causes may be dystrophic changes in organs and tissues (due to chronic intoxication, infections, starvation). In this case, the drop in blood pressure is associated with a decrease in the production and/or effects of active metabolites with a hypertensive effect (endothelin, thromboxane A2, angiotensinogen, etc.), a decrease in the tone of the myocytes of the arteriolar walls, and a decrease in the contractile function of the heart muscle. Sometimes the cause is a decrease in water content in the body. Taken together, these factors cause a persistent decrease in blood pressure.
Low blood pressure is often a good sign
It is possible that a person’s blood pressure is often low, that is, less than 100/60 mmHg. Art., but I feel excellent and have no complaints. This means that this blood pressure is optimal and helps a person stay healthy as they age.
Athletes tend to have lower overall blood pressure and a slower heart rate than the average person. Non-smokers, those who are of normal weight and who eat healthily also tend to have low blood pressure (which is a good sign), while smokers, people who are overweight, have a poor diet and are sedentary often have low blood pressure. have to deal with high blood pressure.
However, if your blood pressure is constantly low and you do not feel in good shape, then your blood pressure is definitely TOO low and you need to start looking for the causes and solutions to the problem. You may be experiencing the symptoms listed below.
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Details Published 08/19/2020 07:15 Why blood pressure drops: seven possible causes of hypotension
Low blood pressure is often a symptom of cardiac failure, when the heart pumps blood worse and vascular tone is weakened
Is it normal for it to increase with age? Experts talk about the real causes of blood pressure problems.
Hypotension (scientifically called arterial hypotension) is a condition when, when measuring pressure, the tonometer shows numbers below 105/70 mm Hg. Art. As a rule, it is accompanied by weakness, dizziness, headaches, and nausea.
1. There are people who have LOW BLOOD PRESSURE as an innate feature of the autonomic nervous system. These are people of the so-called asthenic type (as a rule, they have a fragile physique, light or brown hair, pale skin), they make up about 7% of the population. They are not distinguished by great endurance and performance, but they live quite active lives and do not feel
your low blood pressure. But an increase in pressure even to the normal limits (120/80) is tolerated very poorly.
2. Low blood pressure is often a symptom of cardiac failure, when the heart pumps blood worse and vascular tone is weakened. Often this condition occurs against the background of inflammatory heart diseases - endo- and myocarditis, which in half of the cases develop as complications after tonsillitis and flu. Hypotension also accompanies diseases associated with impaired nervous regulation of the heart (various arrhythmias and blockades). All these disorders are clearly visible on the ECG.
3. Vegetative-vascular dystonia of the hypotonic type (scientifically called neuro-circulatory dystonia). Because there are two types of reactions in this condition: sympathoadrenal and parasympathetic
Psychiatrists joke that a person’s soul is not in the heart, but in the kidneys - after all, stress hormones are produced in the adrenal glands:
- Adrenaline (“aggressive hormone”) excites, causes a feeling of heat, a rush of blood to the head, increased blood pressure, sweating, aggressive irritability, dysphoria (an irritable-sullen mood).
- Acetylcholine (“weakness hormone”), on the contrary, lowers blood pressure, causes cold sweats, chills, irritable weakness, a feeling of melancholy and weakness.
— And some people have mixed attacks, when acetylcholine and adrenaline reactions alternate. This gives rise to pressure surges, a person literally throws himself into the heat, then into the cold, says psychiatrist, psychotherapist, psychosomatics specialist Anatoly German.
4.LOCKED PRESSURE can be a side effect of some medications. The pressure can be “dropped” by:
- heart medications (nitroglycerin preparations, beta-blockers),
- large doses of antibiotics,
- antispasmodics and painkillers,
- large doses of “simple” sedatives (Corvalol, Valocordin, tinctures of peony and motherwort). Valerian has a milder effect.
5. A sudden drop in pressure occurs during an exacerbation of a stomach ulcer or an attack of pancreatitis. Usually this condition, in addition to pain in the stomach, is accompanied by general weakness and cold sweat. This is symptomatic hypotension and will go away once you heal your stomach.
Also, pressure always drops with any bleeding: nasal bleeding, hemorrhoidal bleeding.
6. Hypotension almost always accompanies some types of depression:
- asthenic - depression of exhaustion. With it, a feeling of fatigue prevails, outwardly there is a hint of exhaustion, a person can even seriously lose weight.
- apathetic. She is characterized by complete indifference to her surroundings, she doesn’t want anything, “nothing pleases, nothing hurts...”
- anhedonic. This is a loss of joy. Saturation with emotions, a feeling of mental impasse. Depression of great emperors and successful businessmen.
7. In completely healthy people, pressure can drop sharply after procedures that cause vasodilation - Russian baths, saunas, thermal baths, body wraps. So everyone, and especially older people, need to monitor their blood pressure very carefully if you go to the sauna. You should not stay in the steam room for more than 5-7 minutes at a time. Even if you are a fan of bath procedures, you need to take breaks and under no circumstances drink alcohol either before or after the bath.
Symptoms of low blood pressure
Low blood pressure is manifested by the following symptoms:
- dizziness to the point of fainting,
- darkness before the eyes when standing up,
- visual impairment,
- noise in ears,
- headache,
- fatigue and decreased concentration,
- dyspnea,
- pallor,
- cold feet and hands.
A sudden drop in blood pressure can be dangerous. Even its decrease by only 20 mm Hg. Art. (eg, from 110 to 90 mm Hg in systole) sometimes causes dizziness and loss of consciousness because the brain does not receive enough blood as a result.
If blood pressure decreases as a result of significant blood loss (in an accident), serious infections or allergic reactions, low blood pressure can be life-threatening. Fortunately, this rarely happens.
How does low blood pressure manifest in humans?
Regardless of the cause of arterial hypotension, this condition is characterized by impaired vascular tone and a sharp weakening of cardiac activity.
As a result, the blood supply to brain cells decreases, which begin to experience oxygen starvation. The most common symptoms of low blood pressure include:
- dizziness, darkening and spots before the eyes;
- noise in ears;
- pale skin and increased sweating;
- nausea;
- tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), which occurs as compensation for the restoration of blood flow;
- headache;
- constant weakness, drowsiness, fatigue;
- syncope (loss of consciousness, fainting);
- menstrual cycle disorders in women.
With long-term hypotension due to chronic oxygen starvation of the brain, encephalopathy develops, which is characterized by impaired memory, concentration, and intelligence. Another dangerous complication can be traumatic brain injury after a fall due to frequent loss of consciousness.
In most cases, hypotension is characterized by a gradual development of symptoms, which allows you to notice signs of low blood pressure in time and provide first aid.
Types of low blood pressure
In general, low blood pressure conditions fall into three categories:
- Primary hypotension
In this case, the causes of hypotension are unknown. It is believed that slender young women often face this problem. This form of low blood pressure also occurs in people who lead a sedentary lifestyle. However, in general, this group includes all hypotensive patients whose causes of low blood pressure remain unclear from the standpoint of official medicine.
- Secondary hypotension
The adjective “secondary” means that hypotension is a consequence of another disease or the result of other known factors. This could be a hormonal imbalance (Addison's disease, low thyroid function), a side effect of medications taken, heart disease, or a phenomenon accompanying an infectious disease.
The advantage of secondary hypotension is that when the cause of low blood pressure is known, it is easier to find a solution.
- Orthostatic hypotension
This form of low blood pressure manifests itself primarily in the fact that when getting up from a lying or sitting position, you feel dizzy, your vision becomes dark, and you feel like you need to grab onto something to avoid falling.
When a person stands up, the blood naturally goes down to the legs. A healthy body easily compensates for this displacement: the blood vessels narrow, the heart begins to beat faster. Thanks to this, the brain is supplied with blood.
In people suffering from orthostatic hypotension, this regulatory mechanism is disrupted. Blood pressure drops, and in the worst case, the person loses consciousness.
This form of low blood pressure can be caused by various reasons. Blood pressure does not necessarily remain low all the time - it may only happen on some days or only during certain periods, for example during pregnancy, during extreme heat or after lying in bed for a long time. Diabetes, heart problems, certain neurological disorders, and varicose veins also—along with the medications listed below—may increase the risk of orthostatic hypotension.
Those diagnosed with orthostatic hypotension should rise very slowly. You should not get up immediately from a lying position: you must first sit down, sit for one or two minutes and only then get up.
Sometimes blood pressure drops immediately after eating. This form of hypotension is called postprandial hypotension.
Signs of low blood pressure
There is no clear boundary separating normal from insufficient indicators. In the case of hypertension, it is clear: above 139/90 is already a pathology with all its negative consequences. And not everything below 120/90 is considered hypotension. For many people, constant “working” pressure is somewhat less than ideal. These are teenagers, women of asthenic build, residents of high mountain areas. If, with reduced indicators, there are no disturbances in well-being and normal work ability remains, there is nothing to worry about. Typically the range is 110-95 for the top (systolic) and 65 for the bottom (diastolic). We can talk about hypotension if indicators are regularly or constantly observed: from 95/65 and below with a simultaneous deterioration in physical condition.
Low pressure leads to a decrease in blood supply to tissues and slows down the flow of oxygen into cells. Common symptoms of decreased tone are associated specifically with hypoxia: drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, muscle weakness. Such people cannot swing for a long time after getting out of bed, get tired quickly, and are very sensitive to inclement rainy weather. The most unpleasant signs of hypotension:
- attacks of lightheadedness with nausea and headache;
- “storm” of the body during sudden movements: getting up from a lying position, squats;
- fainting;
- prolonged migraines: after hard work, stress or anxiety.
Some people experience symptoms of hypotension from time to time, while others suffer from them constantly. In severe cases, low blood pressure indicates problems with the heart, respiratory or endocrine systems. Sometimes hypotension is genetically determined. A correct lifestyle helps to reduce its manifestations to a minimum. It is special for those with low blood pressure.
Postprandial hypotension
In people with postprandial hypotension, too much blood flows into the digestive system after eating. Compensation mechanisms, which in a normal situation ensure blood supply to the brain as before, despite the digestion of food, do not work in this case.
Postprandial hypotension is often observed in hypertensive patients, which, of course, can be explained by incorrect dosage of drugs to lower blood pressure.
If you have postprandial hypotension, you should always eat only small portions and ensure that the food is healthy, nutrient-dense and does not contain isolated carbohydrates (sugar, white flour products).
Forms of arterial hypotension
There are primary and secondary arterial hypotension:
- Primary (essential hypotension) can be caused by a genetic predisposition to low blood pressure (physiological hypotension), or be an independent disease (neurocirculatory asthenia).
- Secondary arterial hypotension can be a consequence of certain diseases (iron deficiency anemia, hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, etc.) or develop as a result of taking certain medications (for example, to lower blood pressure), etc.
Causes of low blood pressure
Often it is not possible to find out the cause of low blood pressure. This may be unpleasant for patients, but does not have serious consequences - unlike patients with chronically high blood pressure.
However, often the doctor is the cause of low blood pressure, which is not thought about at all. Of course, not directly, but indirectly. Many people have had their blood pressure rise during a doctor's appointment at some time in the past. They were prescribed drugs to lower blood pressure, patients diligently took the pills, and it did not occur to them to check whether this was still necessary.
- Blood pressure lowering medications are the main cause of high blood pressure
In the summer of 2016, the results of a study on this topic were published. It covered more than 11,000 patients over the age of 70 years. 1,900 of them had low blood pressure. Imagine: 1,246 of them were taking blood pressure medications. Of those with the lowest blood pressure, 70 percent used such drugs.
Thus, in older people, the main cause of too low blood pressure is blood pressure-lowering medications.
Apparently, they are prescribed very often, without thinking about the fact that the patient's condition may change. Some people are prescribed other drugs over time (see point 2).
The interaction of medications is not always taken into account, and therefore a situation may arise when medications further reduce blood pressure, lowering it below a minimum. At the same time, it is precisely in older people that too low blood pressure often causes death and referral to the hospital - this fact was noted by the authors of the study.
Therefore, if, while taking medications to lower blood pressure, you feel unwell, often feel dizzy and weak, it is possible that the cause of this condition is not high blood pressure, but, on the contrary, too low blood pressure due to the medications. Consult your doctor about this!
The most well-known drugs that lower blood pressure include:
- diuretics (diuretics), such as furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide, which are prescribed for high blood pressure, but also for edema, heart and kidney failure and hyperkalemia (excess potassium),
- alpha blockers, such as prazosin,
- beta blockers such as atenolol.
- Medicines
In addition to special drugs, other drugs can reduce blood pressure and thus cause hypotension. Many of them were developed and are assigned to solve completely different problems.
- Medicines for Parkinson's disease, such as pramipexole, and products containing levodopa.
- Some (tricyclic) antidepressants, for example, doxepin, imipramine, etc.
- Viagra (sildenafil), especially in cases where nitroglycerin is also taken for heart support (against angina).
- Sedatives.
- Antihistamines.
- Pregnancy
During pregnancy, due to increased stress on the body, blood pressure can drop significantly. As a rule, blood pressure returns to normal, at the latest after childbirth.
- Heart problems
If the cause of too low pressure is heart problems, the matter is not limited to slight dizziness. Many other complaints also arise. Heart problems that can cause low blood pressure include bradycardia (very low heart rate), heart valve disease, myocardial infarction, or heart failure.
- Functional disorders of the thyroid gland
Reduced thyroid function can also cause low blood pressure. Because both conditions (low glandular function and hypotension) have similar symptoms, patients sometimes think they “only” have low blood pressure. But in fact, there may be a malfunction of the thyroid gland.
- Adrenal insufficiency
If adrenal function is weakened, low blood pressure may occur along with other symptoms. The adrenal glands, which sit directly on the kidneys, produce hormones including adrenaline and norepinephrine. Both of these hormones activate the body. When needed, they speed up the heart rate, improve blood flow to the muscles, promote the release of glucose and increase blood pressure.
In the case of chronic adrenal insufficiency, such an activating effect on blood pressure is absent, blood pressure becomes chronically low, and the person feels completely powerless.
- Dehydration
Dehydration (lack of water) is also a serious cause of low blood pressure. It occurs in those who consume too little fluid or lose a lot of fluid due to certain circumstances (such as diabetes, fever, vomiting, diuretic abuse, extreme sports without drinking). Even slight dehydration can cause weakness, dizziness and fatigue.
- Deficiency of essential substances
Lack of vitamin B12, folate (folic acid) or iron leads to anemia. The body loses its ability to produce enough red blood cells. As a result, anemia develops and blood pressure decreases. There is a feeling of weakness, loss of strength. Other B vitamins and vitamin C also improve blood pressure and can seriously help with low blood pressure.
Causes of low blood pressure
Physiological factors
Some people have blood pressure readings within 90/60 mmHg. Art. are a variant of the norm. In this case, well-being and performance are not impaired, but when staying in stuffy rooms, a feeling of lightheadedness and weakness is typical. More often, constitutional hypotension occurs in young girls and people of asthenic physique. There are several other options for physiological low blood pressure:
- Orthostatic
. Occurs when there is a sharp transition from a horizontal to a vertical position. Manifested by darkening of the eyes, weakness, dizziness. - Compensatory
. It is observed in residents of high mountain regions, all functional systems of the body have adapted to low oxygen tension. - Postprandial
. It develops 10-20 minutes after eating, mainly when consuming large amounts of carbohydrate foods.
In athletes, a combination of low blood pressure and bradycardia is possible. The condition is caused by the body getting used to constant overload. Hypotension occurs in weather-dependent people with increased air humidity, sudden weather changes, and time zone changes. A short-term drop in pressure occurs in response to exposure to electromagnetic fields and radiation.
Pregnancy
25% of pregnant women have low blood pressure in the early stages. The condition is a consequence of a sharp change in hormonal levels. Usually the problem is aggravated by toxicosis, which is caused by chronic loss of fluid and electrolytes through vomiting. Another typical cause of low blood pressure during gestation is iron deficiency anemia, which is diagnosed in 40-45% of pregnant women.
Protein-energy malnutrition
Following strict diets is the most common cause of low blood pressure in young women. The symptom is associated with a lack of essential nutrients, vitamins, and iron. The clinic appears gradually. Worried about weakness, decreased ability to work. When walking fast or climbing stairs, shortness of breath is observed. It becomes difficult to get up in the morning: you feel dizzy, weak in the legs, and muscle tremors.
Cardiopsychoneurosis
Dysfunction of nervous regulation often leads to a decrease in blood pressure. This reason is more typical for young, emotionally labile patients. Women are more often affected. For low blood pressure in such cases, severe weakness, darkening of the eyes, pressing headache, and pale skin are typical. Symptoms are provoked by prolonged standing, lack of oxygen, and stressful situations.
Anemia
Low blood pressure is one of the main symptoms of anemia. The clinical picture is standard - weakness, dizziness, intolerance to stuffiness. With anemia, a decrease in pressure is accompanied by severe pallor, which persists constantly, and not only when the condition worsens. Taking into account the reason for the decrease in hemoglobin, additional signs are possible: brittle hair and nails, “lacquered tongue,” paresthesia.
Hormonal diseases
Signs of persistently low blood pressure are a specific symptom of hypothyroidism. Such patients freeze even in warm rooms, feel drowsiness and weakness. A decrease in pressure is manifested by headaches and dizziness. If the problem persists for a long time, memory and mental performance deteriorate. Chronic decrease in blood pressure occurs in patients with adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease).
Organic lesions of the central nervous system
Hypotension develops as a reaction to a violation of the mechanisms of regulation of cardiovascular activity. It is observed with concussions and bruises of the brain, degenerative processes affecting the gray matter. These conditions are characterized by persistently low blood pressure, which cannot be normalized by standard treatment measures.
Acute conditions
Low blood pressure is a symptom of many emergency situations involving shock. A sharp drop in blood pressure is manifested by severe dizziness, lightheadedness, chills and drowsiness. Shock often ends in fainting. The skin becomes pale and covered in cold sweat. Signs of low blood pressure are characteristic of several groups of conditions:
- Hypovolemic conditions
: dehydration, massive bleeding, extensive burns. - Circulatory shock
: anaphylactic, infectious-toxic. - Cardiac pathologies
: acute heart failure, life-threatening arrhythmias, myocardial infarction.
Complications of pharmacotherapy
Overdose of antihypertensive drugs is a common cause of pathologically low blood pressure in the treatment of hypertension. The symptom is more often observed when taking diuretics, nitrates, and beta blockers. The peculiarity is that unpleasant sensations in such patients can appear with normal tonometer readings - systolic pressure at the level of 100-120 mm Hg. Art. This is due to the restructuring of all body systems, adaptation to arterial hypertension.
Rare causes
- Vascular diseases
: pulmonary embolism, dissecting aortic aneurysm. - Congenital and acquired heart defects
. - Damage to the digestive system
: peptic ulcer, pancreatitis, hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver. - Intoxication
: plant poisons, heavy metal salts, toxic chemicals.
Low blood pressure: natural ways to improve your health
Even the list of possible causes already given shows that there are many ways to increase low blood pressure again. First you need to find out the cause of low blood pressure. When it is found, treatment begins.
This is not always easy: problems begin already in cases where low thyroid function or adrenal insufficiency is diagnosed. Often official data says that everything is fine, but a person feels completely different.
Adrenal insufficiency is detected by examining saliva. Specific measures should be discussed with a specialist in alternative medicine.
As much air as possible
Clear, cool or frosty weather with high atmospheric pressure is the best time for hypotension. The air is maximally saturated with oxygen, so you need to walk for several hours in a row every day. Even better is to play sports outside, such as cross-country running or skiing.
In cloudy weather, it is also not recommended to sit within four walls. Stuffy indoor air is the worst environment for low pressure. It is advisable to ventilate your home and workplace as often as possible.
Contrast shower and Kneipp douches
Master the contrast shower and practice Kneipp douches. Yes, you can prescribe what is called hydrotherapy if your doctor agrees that it will help combat low blood pressure.
When dousing, the following must be taken into account. Warm water relaxes and relieves spasms, while cold water mobilizes. If you have low blood pressure, you should either use cold water or change the temperature of the water: this activates blood circulation and helps increase blood pressure.
Kneipp foot soaking is commonly practiced. To do this, cold water (temperature 20 degrees) is poured onto the foot from the knee, then directly onto the foot and again up the calf to the popliteal fossa, and then down again. After a warm shower, you can quickly douse yourself with cold water. If this is difficult for you, limit yourself to cold pouring on your feet.
Drink still water regularly
With low blood pressure, water helps not only from the outside, but also from the inside. If you are one of those people who often forgets to drink enough, the first thing you should do at the first symptoms of low blood pressure is drink a large glass of water. Often this is already enough.
As stated above, not drinking enough fluids can seriously aggravate, if not cause, low blood pressure. Therefore, regularly drink 30 ml per kilogram of weight per day. To do this, it is best to choose high-quality still or lightly carbonated water.
To enhance the effect of a glass of water for severe dizziness, cook vegetable broth and drink it or simply add a little salt to the water.
Check the level of vital elements in the body
Get tested for essential minerals and vital substances (vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, etc.) and check whether your diet contains enough of the necessary elements. To do this, you can contact a healthy nutrition consultant. If in doubt or found to be deficient in specific substances, take appropriate nutritional supplements.
You can almost always take magnesium and a high-quality B vitamin complex, even without testing. Magnesium is a mineral that is involved in many reactions in the body and at the same time is present in insufficient quantities in modern food. Therefore, in most cases, taking it is only beneficial.
The same can be said about B vitamins. In addition, these vitamins dissolve in water, and therefore, in case of excess intake into the body, they are simply excreted in the urine. Along with vitamin B12, vitamin B5 is also especially important for low blood pressure: its deficiency can provoke hypotension.
Vitamin C deficiency is also a cause of low blood pressure. This is because vitamin C stimulates blood circulation, and therefore blood pressure.
Check your vitamin D levels
Vitamin D levels are particularly important: today in Central Europe there is usually not enough vitamin D, which is responsible for many chronic diseases. Vitamin D is the sun vitamin, that is, the vitamin that is formed in the skin when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Food contains very little of it. Thus, a lack of sunlight usually means a deficiency of vitamin D.
Among other things, it is involved in regulating blood pressure. Therefore, a lack of this vitamin can contribute to low blood pressure. A study published in 2014 found that vitamin D deficiency increases orthostatic hypotension, especially in older people.
Rule out cryptopyrroluria
If you have symptoms other than low blood pressure, such as depression, hair loss, cracked lips, skin problems, or hormonal imbalances, consider getting tested for cryptopyrroluria.
This metabolic disorder also causes low blood pressure.
If the cause of low blood pressure cannot be found or if the condition does not improve despite all efforts to improve your lifestyle, it is usually recommended to simply move more or drink small amounts of alcohol or strong coffee. These measures, with the exception of physical activity, cannot be called healthy. Caffeine and alcohol have only a short-term effect, which means they cannot solve the problem for a long time.
However, there are methods and solutions that allow you to increase blood pressure not only reliably, but also without harm to health.
Diagnosis and treatment of arterial hypotension at GUTA CLINIC
Diagnosis of arterial hypotension is made by regularly measuring blood pressure. An experienced cardiologist will not ignore the data of a clinical examination, will pay attention to the patient’s complaints, and will most carefully collect anamnesis - all data that may support the diagnosis of arterial hypotension. In the Cardiology Department of GUTA CLINIC, diagnosis of low blood pressure is also carried out using the following examination methods:
- Electrocardiography (ECG).
- Echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart).
- Duplex scanning of cerebral vessels (transcranial method).
- 24-hour blood pressure monitoring.
- Electroencephalography (EEG).
- Ophthalmoscopy.
- Functional diagnostics of the autonomic nervous system, etc.
Treatment of arterial hypotension at GUTA CLINIC is carried out comprehensively, using both classical drug therapy and non-drug treatment methods.
The basis of drug treatment of arterial hypotension is the use of tonic drugs, adaptogens, and general strengthening (including immunomodulating and biostimulating) agents. In addition, the patient is prescribed rehabilitation treatment with normalization of sleep and rest patterns, dosed physical activity, physiotherapy (electrophoresis, electrosleep, water treatments, individual massage course), and dietary adjustments. One should not think that arterial hypotension, low blood pressure, is a less life-threatening condition than arterial hypertension or high blood pressure. If until recently you have not experienced low blood pressure or it was not accompanied by a deterioration in your health, it is better not to delay and immediately consult a cardiologist.
As in the case of arterial hypertension, when a hypertensive crisis may occur, with low blood pressure there is a possibility of developing a hypotensive crisis. Hypotonic crisis is an acute condition characterized by a sharp drop in blood pressure, fainting, convulsions, loss of consciousness, and the development of shock. Often a hypotensive crisis ends in a stroke - an acute cerebrovascular accident that can be fatal.
Rosemary - a remedy for low blood pressure
Rosemary essential oil is believed to effectively stimulate blood circulation, increase blood pressure and refresh the body, so much so that patients with high blood pressure should not take it.
However, those with low blood pressure can use rosemary oil in a variety of ways.
Buy a bottle of rosemary essential oil. If necessary, open it, bring it to your nose and inhale deeply. You can add a few drops to an aroma lamp.
In addition, rosemary essential oil is added to shower gel (1 drop per serving) or to the bath (so many drops for the scent of rosemary to be intense).
Camphor (Spanish) rosemary is best suited - it contains more camphor, which is the active ingredient in rosemary oil that affects blood pressure.
You can drink rosemary tea in the morning if you like it.
Licorice - a remedy for low blood pressure
Licorice is often used for coughs, as it has an antiviral effect, and for inflammation of the gastric mucosa, since this plant successfully fights even Helicobacter pylori.
Licorice contains so-called glycyrrhizic acid (also called glycyrrhizin), which, in addition to these effects, is known to increase blood pressure.
In 2015, the results of a study on one 65-year-old patient were published. She had high blood pressure, but it was stabilized with medication. Suddenly she needed emergency help: her blood pressure rose to 200/140 mmHg. Art.
Intravenous administration of blood pressure-lowering drugs did not produce results. The woman spent seven days in the hospital, five of them in the intensive care unit. Finally, the blood pressure was lowered with the help of three appropriate medications. It later turned out that this patient loved licorice candies, and ate two to four packages a day. Licorice is made from licorice root extract.
A similar study published the same year involved a 45-year-old woman who told her doctor that she had been experiencing hot flashes, sweating, and headaches for 4 months. It turned out that she had high blood pressure and her calcium levels were low. It was later learned that this patient drank six cups of licorice tea daily to wean herself off coffee. Two weeks after she stopped drinking this tea, the symptoms disappeared.
Thus, it is clear that licorice root can increase blood pressure. If your blood pressure is already high, it is better not to drink licorice tea. When blood pressure is too low, this tea in moderation can be very beneficial.
Glycyrrhizic acid from licorice root blocks certain enzymes, resulting in the activation of the stress hormone cortisol, which then increases blood pressure.
Today, experts do not recommend consuming more than 100 mg of glycyrrhizin per day - precisely because this substance affects blood pressure, and for most people it is already very high.
50 mg of licorice (some varieties) contains 100 mg of glycyrrhizin. If licorice contains more than 200 mg of glycyrrhizin per 100 g, in Germany it can only be sold in pharmacies and not as a sweet in supermarkets.
Many modern sweets containing licorice contain artificial flavors anyway and only a little real licorice, which means little glycyrrhizin. Therefore, licorice is a very unreliable source of glycyrrhizin if it is necessary to increase blood pressure. Exceptions are possible only if data on glycyrrhizin content are obtained from the manufacturer.
Dried licorice root, which is sold cut into slices in tea shops, contains 200 to 600 mg of glycyrrhizin per 5-15 g. Thus, you can brew a tea from 5-10 g of licorice root daily and drink it throughout the day.
It is officially not recommended to consume licorice products for more than four to six weeks, but this advice applies to all medicinal teas. Periodic breaks avoid addiction and prevent possible side effects.
The glycyrrhizin found in licorice, when taken over a long period of time, can actually cause symptoms in susceptible individuals that indicate elevated cortisol levels. These are, for example, accumulations of fluid, which are manifested by swelling in the face and joints of the feet, increased blood sugar levels, disturbances in the functioning of the heart and, of course, increased blood pressure, although for hypotensive patients this effect is desirable.
But two cups of licorice root tea a day won't cause any problems and will still help raise your blood pressure.
Tulsi - a remedy for low blood pressure
In 2013, the results of a study were published on the effects of the so-called holy basil (tulsi) on low blood pressure in women aged 18 to 30 years. Participants in the experiment were given juice from 15 mixed basil leaves twice a day. After mixing, the juice was filtered and a teaspoon of honey was added to it for sweetness.
After 30 days, it was found that the blood pressure, which had previously been too low, had increased significantly. Today tulsi is sold in stores and in our latitudes, which means you can stock up on this plant and make juice or smoothie from the leaves.
Medicinal herbs and plants such as marjoram, ginger, lovage and hyssop will also help you increase your blood pressure. They can be brewed or used in cooking, such as added to salads and sauces.
