Low Blood Pressure/Hypotension

Considered a BP reading lower than 90 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) for the top number (systolic) or 60 mmHg for the bottom number (diastolic).

What's considered low for one person might be OK for someone else.

Symptoms

l Blurred vision

l Dizziness or light?- headedness

l Fainting

l Fatigue

l Trouble concentrating

Factors that can cause hypotension:

• Pregnancy - Changes during pregnancy cause blood vessels to expand rapidly, causing a drop in BP
• ?Blood loss - Uncontrolled bleeding eventually leads to a severe drop in bp
• Dehydration - When the body doesn't have enough water, the amount of blood in the body decreases. This can cause bp to drop
• Heart conditions - ?A heart attack, heart failure, heart disease or an extremely low heart rate can cause low bp
• Severe infection - When an infection in the body enters the bloodstream, it can lead to a life-threatening drop in bp
• Severe allergic reaction - ?Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction include a sudden drop in bp
• Poor nutrition - ?Low levels of vitamin B-12, folate and iron can keep the body from producing enough red blood cells - leading to low BP

?First Aid : What to do

Low Blood Pressure or hypotension is considered an emergency if accompanied by symptoms.

Here's what to do:

Short term

? Cross legs while sitting

Crossed legs tend to increase blood pressure with minimal effort.

? ?Drink water

This can help increase blood volume, which prevents dehydration - a cause of hypotension.

? ?Wear compression stockings/use crepe bandage

Compression stockings or tying crepe bandages help reduce the amount of blood that gets caught in the lower legs and feet - causing it to move elsewhere.

? ?Avoid sudden position changes

Sitting or standing up quickly can cause symptoms in people with low bp. The heart has not pumped enough blood through the body quickly enough to account for the sudden change in position.

Long term

ü Eat more salt

People with hypotension should consider increasing their sodium intake moderately to help raise the blood pressure.

ü ?Reduce alcohol intake

Alcohol can lower blood pressure further - people with low bp should avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

ü ?Review your medication with an health care?provider

Low bp could?also?be a side effect of a variety of medications.

Talk to your health care provider regarding your blood pressure management for healthy