When the blood pressure in your arteries is too low, you have a condition called low blood pressure or hypotension. This implies that your heart has a lower-than-normal capacity to pump blood throughout your body.
If your blood pressure registers just about 90/60 or less, you are considered to have low blood pressure.
A low blood pressure reading should not be a reason to worry if you do not show any problems or symptoms related to your hypotension. Still, if you experience just a mere 20 mm Hg dramatic drop in blood pressure, you may likely experience some kind of dizziness or even fainting. A sudden drop in blood pressure can mean that you may be suffering from an underlying problem. This problem may be:
- Orthostatic or postural hypotension
- Allergic reaction
- Severe infections
- Uncontrolled hemorrhaging
Postural hypotension can be experienced by certain individuals when they stand from a sitting or prone position. They suddenly experience a drop in their blood pressure causing symptoms like blurred vision, lightheadedness, dizziness, and sometimes fainting. These may be a result of too much heat, heart conditions, diabetes, too much bed rest and dehydration and from medicines like drugs for Parkinson’s disease, antidepressants, antipsychotics, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers and diuretics. Some people may experience postural hypotension when squatting or sitting with legs crossed for long periods of time.
If you have any lightheadedness or dizziness you may need to talk with your doctor about this. If you have spend too much time in a hot tub or the sun, have low blood sugar or have been dehydrated, you may need to be concerned more about how fast your blood pressure falls instead of how low it falls. Monitor and record your activities the time the symptoms occurred as well as the symptoms themselves.
Amy-SuiQun Lui is a licensed acupuncturist and the founder of Asian Health Center in Cleveland, OH.
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