Blood pressure is not always constant, it changes according to the time of day, depending on body position, breathing rate, stress level, health status, medications you are taking, and diet. Low blood pressure can occur in the following cases:
– Due to medications: Some medications can cause low blood pressure, including diuretics and high blood pressure medications; cardiovascular medications such as beta blockers; drugs to treat Parkinson’s disease; tricyclic antidepressants; erectile dysfunction drugs; drugs and alcohol. Combining over-the-counter medications with high blood pressure medications may cause low blood pressure.
– Allergies and anaphylactic shock: Anaphylactic shock is an allergic reaction that can cause death if not treated promptly. Anaphylactic shock can occur in people who are sensitive to drugs such as penicillin, foods such as peanuts, bee stings, etc. Symptoms include respiratory problems, hives , itching, and neck swelling. throat and sudden drop in blood pressure.
Hypotension due to the nervous system: This disorder causes blood pressure to drop after standing for long periods of time, leading to symptoms such as dizziness, nausea and fainting. This condition is mainly found in young people and involves abnormalities in nerve signaling between the heart and brain.
Nutritional deficiencies: Lack of essential vitamins B12 and folic acid can cause anemia and lead to low blood pressure.
– Pregnancy: During the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, it is common for blood pressure to decrease.
– Cardiovascular disease: Some heart diseases can lead to low blood pressure such as bradycardia, valvular heart disease, myocardial infarction and heart failure. When patients suffer from these diseases, the heart is not able to supply enough blood to the body’s circulatory system.
– Endocrine diseases: These are abnormalities in hormone production in the body such as hypothyroidism, parathyroid disease, adrenal insufficiency, hypoglycemia and some cases of diabetes.
– Severe infection and septic shock : Septic shock occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream and produce toxins that affect blood vessels, causing severe, life-threatening drops in blood pressure.
– Reduced blood volume: Reduced blood volume also reduces blood pressure. Significant blood loss due to severe trauma, dehydration or heavy internal bleeding reduces blood volume leading to a severe drop in blood pressure.
Treat low blood pressure
Common symptoms of low blood pressure are dizziness, fainting, dehydration and unusual thirst.
Patients also have symptoms of fever, nausea, severe diarrhea, diuretic abuse, and strenuous labor that can lead to dehydration. Lack of concentration, blurred vision, cold, pale skin; rapid, shallow breathing; fatigue, weakness, weakness.
When no symptoms are present, low blood pressure is not a concern. When you have the above symptoms, you need to be examined and treated because low blood pressure may be due to a certain cause.
Treatment of low blood pressure depends on the underlying condition causing low blood pressure. In case the blood pressure drops to the point of dizziness, the patient needs to lie down and rest for a while or drink warm ginger tea to bring the blood pressure back to normal.
If it still doesn’t go away, you can temporarily use some blood pressure-raising drugs as prescribed by your doctor. After temporarily taking medications, if you still regularly see symptoms of low blood pressure, you need to have a comprehensive examination to detect the diseases causing these symptoms and treat them promptly. Avoid taking blood pressure-raising drugs regularly and for a long time, which can lead to adverse side effects.
How to treat low blood pressure?
For treatment, doctors have specific treatment regimens depending on each specific case. In principle, if low blood pressure has no symptoms or only mild symptoms, treatment is not needed.
If there are symptoms, treat the cause of low blood pressure such as dehydration, heart failure, hypothyroidism… because low blood pressure is only a consequence of the underlying disease. For example, in case of an overdose of antihypertensive drugs, the drug and dosage must be adjusted, or due to endocrine diseases, the endocrine diseases must be treated. If blood pressure is low due to loss of water and electrolytes (in cases of diarrhea, vomiting, etc.), water and electrolytes must be supplemented in combination with blood pressure-raising drugs.
If the cause is unclear or there is no effective treatment, it is necessary to raise blood pressure to reduce symptoms.
In addition, people with low blood pressure can do the following:
– Eat more salt: For people with low blood pressure, this can be considered a solution, but consuming too much salt can cause heart failure, so you need to talk to your doctor when deciding to increase the amount of salt in your diet.
– Drink plenty of water: Drinking enough water is good for everyone’s health, this is especially true for people with low blood pressure.
– Wear medical stockings: Medical stockings are often used to relieve pain and swelling of veins, which can reduce the accumulation of blood in the legs.
Severe cases require medication, but patients need to strictly follow the doctor’s instructions and have regular check-ups. Absolutely do not buy self-medication.
