Symptoms of Low Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can cause heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and other serious health problems. There are many treatments and home remedies to lower blood pressure, but what many people may not be aware of is the fact that low blood pressure is just as bad for you as high blood pressure. Many people are concerned about high blood pressure when they take their blood pressure reading and often fail to recognize abnormally low blood pressure.

Low blood pressure, also known as hypotension can affect the blood flow to the brain and other organs of the body, depriving them of oxygen and other required nutrients. This can hamper the normal functioning of the organs and if left untreated, it can cause severe irreversible damage to vital organs in your body.

Causes and Symptoms

When your blood pressure is significantly low, disrupting the blood flow to your brain and other organs, you may have symptoms like dizziness, nausea, loss of balance, blurred vision, palpitations and fainting. You may also experience some of these symptoms due to a sudden drop in blood pressure when you change positions, like standing up, or sitting upright after lying down. This condition is medically known as postural hypotension.

If your blood pressure is less than 90/60 then it is low. A normal reading is anything less than 120/80.

Sometimes, when you face an upsetting situation or hear some shocking news, your brain may respond by fainting. This may also occur if you have been in an upright position for a really long time. This condition is known as NMH or Neurally Mediated Hypotension and it happens when there is an abnormality in the reflex interaction between the heart and brain.

In some people, low blood pressure can occur after a heavy meal. This is known as postprandial hypotension and is more common in older people. This happens when the blood flow is redirected to the gastrointestinal tracts to handle the digestion of the heavy meal. Conditions of old age like Parkinson's disease and diabetes can further increase the susceptibility to this condition. Thyroid problems and Addison's disease can also trigger fluctuations in blood pressure.

Dehydration can also contribute to the problem, as the rapid loss of body fluids triggers a drastic fall in blood pressure. Sometimes the medications used to treat high blood pressure can increase the risk of having hypotension. Rapid loss of blood due to severe injury also can cause the blood pressure to fall to dangerously low levels. The body then goes into shock and it can cause severe damage to vital organs.

Managing Hypotension

If you are suffering from hypotension, you can effectively manage it by making some simple adjustments to your lifestyle under the guidance of a licensed physician. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind.

1. Include more salt in your diet. Salt helps in retaining water in your body and thereby helps with raising your blood pressure.

2. Reduce your alcohol intake. Alcohol can cause the thinning of blood, which can result in low blood pressure.

3. Drink more water when you suffer from dehydration to replenish your body fluids and maintain a healthy blood pressure.

4. To manage postural hypotension, move your legs and ankles vigorously before getting up from your bed to improve the blood circulation. This will help the pressure stay steady throughout your body. You can also wear compression stockings to prevent blood from pooling in your legs.

5. Instead of having a big meal, take a few small meals more frequently so that your stomach doesn't go into heavy-duty mode.

6. Going into shock can be fatal. If you think you may be suffering from shock, call for immediate medical attention. Apply pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding until help arrives.

7. For a healthy cardiovascular system, you can take blood pressure management supplements like TomatoMax, which is made from pure tomato extracts and is rich in antioxidants. These supplements can help in maintaining normal levels of blood pressure.