Hypotension: symptoms, causes and how to treat it

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Definition

What is meant by low blood pressure?

Low blood pressure or hypotension is a condition in which your blood pressure number is below normal. In addition, low blood pressure indicates that the heart, brain, and other parts of the body are not getting the blood they need.

Actually, this condition is not too dangerous because you may experience it once in a while. Sometimes, low blood pressure doesn't cause any symptoms either. Generally, people who regularly exercise have lower blood pressure than people who rarely do physical activity.

However, if your blood pressure is too low, you may experience headaches, even fainting. So, even though it is considered normal, if it is at a severe level, this condition must be treated immediately.

Types of low blood pressure

Low blood pressure is divided into several types. According to the Mayo Clinic, this condition is differentiated based on its cause. Are as follows.

1. Orthostatic or postural hypotension

Hypotension is a condition that occurs when you suddenly stand up from a sitting or sleeping position. Gravity can cause blood to collect in your legs when you stand up.

Your body should balance by increasing your blood pressure and your blood vessels will constrict. The goal is to ensure that some blood returns to the brain.

However, patients with orthostatic hypotension often fail to balance it, resulting in lower blood pressure, causing headaches, blurred vision, and possibly loss of self-awareness.

This orthostatic low blood pressure can be caused by many things, including dehydration, prolonged sleeping position, pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, burns, too hot air, and some nerve problems.

2. Postprandial hypotension

The definition of hypotension on this one is low blood pressure that occurs after eating. Usually, this condition appears 1-2 hours after eating and in adults.

After you eat, blood will flow into the digestive tract. Generally, your body will raise blood pressure and certain blood vessels will constrict to help keep blood pressure normal.

Unfortunately, in some people, this mechanism just doesn't work, leading to dizziness and loss of consciousness. This blood pressure is usually experienced by people who have high blood pressure (hypertension) or people who suffer from nervous system disorders.

Usually, this condition can be overcome by reducing food portions, drinking more water, and avoiding alcohol consumption.

3. Neurally mediated hypotension

Meanwhile, this low blood pressure occurs due to an error in the brain in receiving signals. Usually, this condition occurs when you stand too long. Generally, experienced by children.

4. Orthostatic hypotension with multiple system atrophy

This type of blood pressure has symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. This blood pressure can cause damage to the nervous system that controls blood pressure, heart rhythm, breathing, and digestion gradually.

Usually, this type of hypotension is associated with high blood pressure while lying down.

How common is this condition?

Low blood pressure is one of the most common conditions. Even so, often people who experience this condition are not aware of it. This condition can be experienced by anyone, from children, adults, to the elderly.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of low blood pressure?

As mentioned earlier, hypotension often occurs without causing symptoms. Even so, there are several things that can be a sign that you are experiencing low blood pressure. Among them:

• The head feels lightheaded or often feels dizzy.
• You feel nauseous.
• Blurred eyesight.
• Often feel weak.
• Confusion.
• Loss of self-awareness.
• Loss of concentration.
• Breath is too fast.
• Depression.
• Skin pale and moist.

There are several features of low blood pressure that are not listed above. If you have any concerns about these symptoms, please consult your doctor.

When to see a doctor?

If you experience signs or symptoms of low blood pressure, contact your doctor immediately. If you are diagnosed with low blood pressure but don't have any symptoms, your doctor may help you regulate your daily habits.

Even so, you still shouldn't underestimate this condition. The reason is, low blood pressure that you may experience can be a symptom of a more serious condition. It will be easier if you are more attentive or sensitive to the various symptoms that appear, when they appear, and what activities you are doing at that time.

Cause

What causes low blood pressure?

In fact, blood pressure can change throughout the day. Usually, blood pressure will increase over time. However, your activity and mood can also affect blood pressure.

There are many things that can cause low blood pressure. Some of them are:

1. Dehydration

Dehydration can indeed cause high blood pressure. However, lack of fluids can also cause low blood pressure. The reason is, when more fluid is lost than fluid enters the body, you may feel weak, have a headache, and tire easily.

Usually, conditions that cause dehydration are fever, vomiting, acute diarrhea, or excessive use of diuretic drugs, and extreme sports.

In fact, even if you only lack 1-2% of body fluids, you may experience weakness, dizziness, and fatigue easily.

2. Heart health problems

Another cause of hypotension is a problem with your heart health. Some of the heart diseases that cause hypotension are bradycardia or a weak heartbeat, heart valve disease, heart attacks, and also heart failure.

When experiencing some of these heart problems, the function of the heart in circulating blood cannot work optimally.

3. Pregnancy

This condition can also occur when you are experiencing pregnancy. This happens because when a woman is pregnant, her circulatory system expands rapidly. As a result, blood pressure becomes low.

However, you don't need to worry because it's quite normal to have low blood pressure while pregnant. Moreover, your blood pressure will return to normal as before after you gave birth.

Generally, this condition occurs in 1-24 weeks of pregnancy. This condition can also occur because during pregnancy you sit or lie down for too long. Therefore, when you are pregnant, do regular consultations with your doctor and do all the tests recommended by the doctor.

The goal is to ensure that no conditions are missed without testing that can harm you and your fetus.

4. Endocrine problems

Hypotension is also possible if you have problems with the endocrine system. For example, hypothyroidism, parathyroid disorders, adrenal hormone deficiency, low blood sugar, to diabetes.

5. Anemia

Anemia or lack of blood in the body can cause low blood pressure. At that time, the hemoglobin in the body is below normal levels. Automatically, when your body doesn't have enough blood, your blood pressure will drop too.

Some of the conditions that can cause you to lose a lot of blood are serious injury or bleeding.

6. Serious infection

One of the causes of hypotension is a serious infection. If bacteria get into the bloodstream, you may experience serious low blood pressure. This condition is known as septic shock.

Bacteria produce toxins, so when they enter the bloodstream, they can affect blood vessels. If this happens, experienced hypotension can be life threatening.

7. Serious allergic reactions

There are also allergic reactions that cause this condition to occur. Allergies that arise can be caused by several things, including food consumed, certain drugs, or insect venom.

Apart from causing hypotension, this allergic reaction can also cause breathing problems, itching, and a swollen throat.

Usually, this condition is experienced by people who are quite sensitive to the use of drugs, for example penicillin, or foods such as nuts, and bee stings.

8. Deficiency of certain nutrients

When the body is deficient in vitamin B-12, folic acid, and iron, this condition is very likely to occur. The reason is, lack of the nutrients the body needs can cause anemia or lack of blood. As already explained, lack of blood can cause low blood pressure.

Risk factors

What increases the risk of having low blood pressure?

Basically, everyone has the potential to experience this condition. However, there are several types of hypotension that certain age groups tend to experience. However, there are several factors that can increase your chances of experiencing this condition, namely:

1. Age

Hypotension that occurs when rising from a sitting position or after eating is usually experienced by the elderly aged 65 years and over. While, neurally mediated hypotension more experienced by children and adolescents.

2. Use of certain drugs

People who take certain medications, such as high blood pressure medications such as alpha blockers, have a greater potential for lowering blood pressure.

3. Certain health conditions

People who have Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and some types of heart disease have a higher chance of developing these conditions.

Medicines & Medicines

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

What are the treatment options for hypotension?

There are several drug options for hypotension that you can take. Even so, always consult with your doctor before consuming it.

1. The drug vasopressin

The drug vasopressin is a drug that narrows blood vessels to cause an increase in blood pressure. This drug is usually used in cases of critical hypotension.

Vasopressin can be combined with vasolidators (nitroprusside, nitroglycerin) to maintain blood pressure while increasing the work of the heart muscle.

Nitroprusside is used to reduce the load before and after and increase the work of the heart. Nitroglycerin directly relaxes the veins and reduces their previous load.

2. Catecholamine

Catecholamine is included in the drugs adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine. These drugs work to affect the sympathetic and central nervous systems. Catecholamines also function to make the heart beat faster and stronger and constrict blood vessels. This effect causes an increase in blood pressure.

3. Other low blood drugs

Certain low blood pressure medications are specifically targeted at treating heart conditions, blood vessel problems, or circulation problems that can cause a drop in blood pressure.

These drugs work in different ways, and one agent can be used to treat several types of cardiovascular problems.

Some medications can be used to treat low blood pressure that occurs when you stand up (orthostatic hypotension). For example, the drug fludrocortisone, which increases blood volume. In the case of chronic orthostatic hypotension, the doctor will prescribe the drug midodrine (Orvaten).

What tests are done for hypotension?

Your doctor will diagnose this condition based on your signs and symptoms, as well as the results of a medical examination. The diagnostic tests that doctors use include:

1. Blood test

Blood tests can help your doctor determine your overall health condition. That way, the doctor will find out if you have low blood sugar, high blood sugar, or anemia. These three conditions can lower blood pressure below normal levels.

2. Electrocardiogram

The test using an electrocardiogram is completely painless. All you need to do is lie down and a few electrodes will be placed on your chest, arms and legs. Then, this tool will help detect electrical activity in the heart.

This machine will record it onto graphic paper or display it on a screen about the electrical activity of your heart.

This tool can detect abnormalities in heart rhythm, heart structure, or problems with the blood and oxygen supply to your heart muscle. This tool can also help detect whether you have or are having a heart attack.

3. Tilt table test

If you experience low blood pressure when you get up or your brain fails to pick up signals, this test can tell how your body reacts to changes in position.

Home care

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies to treat hypotension?

To overcome one of these various types of heart disease, you need to adopt a healthy lifestyle. This lifestyle and home care may be the way you deal with low blood pressure:

1. Drink lots of water, reduce alcohol

Alcohol and dehydration can lower blood pressure. If you drink enough water you can reduce dehydration and increase blood volume.

Therefore, avoid drinking alcohol if you have low blood pressure or hypotension. Don't forget, fill your fluid needs so you don't become dehydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water a day.

This habit can be a healthy way to raise blood pressure so it doesn't get too low.

2. Live a healthy diet

You can eat a variety of foods to treat low blood pressure. For example whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Well, fruits and vegetables that can help treat low blood pressure naturally include:

• Watermelon

The water content in one watermelon can reach 92 percent. This large water content can help the body increase blood pressure.

• Beetroot

This fruit can be used as a blood booster, besides that beets can also help you control blood pressure. Every 100 grams of beets contains 36 mg of sodium and 330 mg of potassium.

• Spinach

This vegetable contains 4 mg of sodium in a 100 gram serving. It's a small amount, but spinach contains quite a lot of water, which is 92 percent. So, spinach can be a food for low blood pressure.

3. When changing body position, do it slowly

You can reduce dizziness and kliyengan which occurs due to low blood pressure when changing from a lying down to a standing position. This is how:

• Before getting out of bed in the morning, take a few deep breaths for a few minutes.
• Slowly sit down, for about a minute, before rising to his feet.
• Sleeping on a double pillow or high pillow can also help counter the effects of gravity which can cause dizziness.

If you start feeling dizzy or lightheaded kliyengan when rising to your feet, stretch your leg muscles as if to kick forward. This movement can help improve blood circulation as well as prevent blood from suddenly pooling in your legs when you get up.

4. Watch your diet

To help prevent your blood pressure from dropping sharply after eating, it's better to eat small, frequent meals. Don't forget, limit foods that are high in carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice, pasta and bread.

Your doctor may also recommend drinking coffee or caffeinated tea to temporarily raise blood pressure. However, because caffeine can actually cause other problems, consult your doctor first before drinking caffeine.

5. Exercise regularly

Doing physical activity regularly is good for overall body health. Try to exercise regularly, at least 30-60 minutes a day.

You can do this 2-3 times a week. However, it's best to avoid exercising in places that are too hot or too humid.

Complications

What are the possible complications of hypotension?

You may also experience some other health problems due to low blood pressure. Given that most people who experience it do not have certain symptoms, usually this condition is only realized when it has caused other health problems, for example:

• Headache.
• The body feels weak.
• Fainting.
• It is easier to get injured from falls.
• Lack of oxygen so that it has the potential to cause damage to the heart and brain.

So it can be concluded that both hypertension and hypotension are not good health conditions. Low blood pressure can also have bad effects on health and can cause harm if not treated immediately.

Before it's too late, it's better to prevent hypotension and adopt a healthy lifestyle to keep blood pressure normal.