Low blood pressure is a state that causes your blood to flow less efficiently through your arteries and veins.
The result is that your heart has to work harder to pump blood through your whole body, which can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded if not treated immediately.
Low blood pressure can be caused by mental stress, lack of sleep, and being physically inactive.
Still, it’s also possible for people with healthy lifestyles to develop low blood pressure for no apparent reason at all.
Low blood pressure is when your blood pressure is below the norm. It can be affected by many things, including:
- Dehydration
- They are using certain medications (including antibiotics or corticosteroids) that affect the kidneys and other organs in the body. These medications may also cause low blood pressure.
- Anemia – A common condition that occurs when there aren’t enough red blood cells for oxygen to reach all parts of your body at once.
How to test your blood pressure?
- You can use a blood pressure cuff.
- You will need to use a stethoscope to listen for your pulse to take a reading.
- If you want more accurate readings, use a sphygmomanometer (an instrument that measures blood pressure).
- There are also products like these monitors sold as home blood pressure monitors and in pharmacies and medical offices nationwide!
When should you worry about low blood pressure?
If you have the sign of low blood pressure, such as dizziness and lightheadedness, you should talk to your doctor.
Suppose a family member has been diagnosed with low blood pressure and there are other risk factors for heart disease like high cholesterol or diabetes. In that case, it’s also worth checking in with your doctor.
Suppose you’re over 50 years old and have no symptoms of low blood hypertension but have a family history of high blood pressure (hypertension).
In that case, getting checked out by a healthcare provider is important.
It’s also recommended that anyone with any cardiovascular disease be evaluated for this condition at least once every five years after age 50 (and even sooner if symptoms show up).
Low blood pressure isn’t dangerous, but it’s important to be aware of it.
It’s not a sign of illness or high blood pressure; low blood pressure can indicate an underlying illness such as dehydration or kidney malfunction.
See your doctor immediately if your blood pressure is low and you have other symptoms like fatigue and dizziness. These may be signs of something more serious than just a simple case of the flu.
Your doctor will want to check your heart rate and blood pressure first.
Then they’ll likely order an ultrasound or CT scan (performed on the arm) to see if other problems with your kidneys or bladder could be causing the symptoms.
Lower Blood Pressure Treatment
Blood pressure is one of the essential factors in your health. It’s the force that pushes blood through your arteries, and it can be measured by putting a cuff around your arm or leg and measuring how hard it is to squeeze.
Blood pressure increases when you’re stressed or tired, but there are ways to lower it. Eating right and getting enough exercise are two simple ways to do this!
1. Eat a healthy diet
Eating a healthy diet can help lower your blood pressure, but it’s not the only thing you should do to lower it.
Eating a balanced diet is also important because it helps keep you from becoming overweight or obese (which can lead to high blood pressure).
You should consume more fruits and vegetables than meat or dairy products each day; this will help keep you feeling full longer so that your body doesn’t need as much food to feel satisfied with your eating.
2. Don’t smoke
Smoking is bad for your health. It can cause heart disease, lung cancer, and other types of cancer. Plus, it increases the risk of stroke.
If you smoke cigarettes or cigars: Stop smoking now! Don’t start again until you’ve quit for at least two months (it takes time to break a habit).
3. Exercise regularly
Exercise is good for blood pressure and your heart. If you need help and figure out where to start, consider trying a simple walking route of around five miles per hour (about six kilometers per hour). It can be as easy or as hard as you want. You must get moving!
Exercise also helps improve mood by releasing endorphins that make us feel happier. It is called “runner’s high.”
4. Don’t drink too much alcohol
Alcohol can raise your blood pressure, causing headaches and liver damage. It also causes cancer, memory loss, and sleep problems. And it may even lead to depression or anxiety!
Suppose you drink alcohol regularly (more than once a week). In that case, consider cutting down on the amount of alcohol that you consume.
If this isn’t possible, try switching from beer or wine to other alcoholic beverages, such as whisky or gin.
5. Get enough sleep every night
Getting enough sleep every night is important for a healthy body. Sleep helps reduce stress, which can help you manage your blood pressure.
It also reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease.
Sleep reduces your risk of diabetes, obesity, and other health problems.
Your doctor can help control it by ensuring that medications are working properly and that you get enough rest. They may also recommend a diet change or exercise routine if needed.
Factors that affect your blood pressure
Many factors affect your blood pressure, including:
- Your age. The older you are, the higher your blood pressure will be.
- Your gender. Women have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure than men do because their bodies naturally produce less of certain hormones than men do (like progesterone).
- Your race/ethnicity. African Americans and Hispanic Americans have more severe cases of hypertension than white people do because they’re more likely to be overweight or obese than whites and therefore have more fat in their bodies that puts extra stress on their cardiovascular system (the main artery leading from your heart to every organ throughout your body).
What is considered Low Blood Pressure?
Low blood pressure is diagnosed when someone’s systolic (the top number in the reading) is less than 80 and diastolic (the bottom number in the reading) is less than 60.
Someone with a blood pressure reading of 90/60 mmHg has normal blood pressure.
A normal blood pressure reading is anything below 140/90 mmHg.
If you have a blood pressure of 90 or higher reading, your heart is working too hard and pumping more than it should.
A high blood pressure reading means that your heart needs to pump harder to get enough oxygen into the body, which can cause serious health problems such as strokes and heart attacks.
To measure your blood pressure:
- Sit comfortably, feet flat on the floor, back straight against the chair (but not slouching).
- Wrap an elastic band around both ankles; ensure no other objects touch ankles or calves.
- Place one arm in front of the chest with the elbow bent at 90 degrees; place the other arm behind the knees with the elbow bent at 90 degrees; hold hands together tightly for 10 seconds before releasing them slowly so they don’t go limp during the measurement process.
Your doctor can measure it through a series of physical tests for low blood pressure
To measure your blood pressure, your doctor may perform a physical test called a sphygmomanometer.
It involves inserting an instrument called a stethoscope into the artery in your arm and recording the sound made when air rushes through it.
The higher the number on this scale, the lower your blood pressure is likely to be.
For example: If you have low systolic readings (the maximum number) of 100 or less with no signs of organ damage or disease in other areas of your body, treatment should begin immediately!
A doctor will ask you questions about your medical history as well as perform some physical tests, including an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check how well your heart is pumping oxygenated blood through the body, a chest X-ray to see how much fluid there is in the lungs; and questioning about any symptoms such as dizziness or fatigue while at rest on two occasions within one hour apart (resting pulse). Suppose these results show signs of poor circulation.
Further investigations might be needed before confirming whether you’re suffering from low blood pressure.
Conclusion What is Low Blood Pressure
If you have low blood pressure, talk to your doctor about ways to improve your health. If you have other medical conditions that cause high blood pressure or heart disease, discuss those issues with your doctor. Consider consulting a nutritionist or dietitian who can recommend healthy eating habits and exercise routines to help stabilize your blood pressure reading over time.