Doctors say blood pressure below 90/60 mmHg is low blood pressure or hypotension. Nobody wants high blood pressure as it significantly reduces the chances of having hypertension.

However, your health could be in danger if you have low blood pressure, and symptoms like dizziness or fatigue accompany it..Hypotension is a rare medical condition in adults, and an adult is more likely to have hypertension than hypotension. Certain conditions cause hypotension. Otherwise, an average human hardly has to worry about low blood pressure. Conditions that cause low blood pressure are as follows:

Pregnancy 

During pregnancy, women usually have low blood pressure, this is due to the increase in demand for blood, as the woman’s blood not only serves her alone but also her unborn child. Naturally, blood pressure returns to normal after delivery, if this doesn’t happen report to your doctor immediately.

Heart conditions 

Anybody suffering from any heart-related conditions can suffer low blood pressure. The inability of the heart to carry out its proper function of pumping blood to the body system can lead to several medical conditions, and one of them is hypotension. The heart itself may not be the problem, and it may be the coronary vessels supplying the myocardial tissue that is either occluded or atretic.

Dehydration

This signifies that the body is lacking fluid (water) and could trigger hypotension. This could be caused by excessive exercise, profuse vomiting, or any other means of body fluid loss. Some people may just have no access to drinking water, and as a result, their blood pressure drops.

Sepsis

This refers to a serious condition caused by infections. One of the many symptoms is low blood pressure. When an individual has a generalized infection, the entire body is being attacked, generalized inflammation is taken place, and the body’s blood pressure may drop because of that.

Endocrine conditions

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), adrenal insufficiency, and other thyroid conditions can cause low blood pressure. Hormones control the proper functioning of the body, but whenever there is a problem with the endocrine system such as cancer or autoimmune diseases, a lot can go wrong.

Loss of Blood

Losing a lot of blood, internally or externally can cause low blood pressure. The body always tries to adapt for the sake of survival. Whenever there is an increase or decrease in anything, the body works on normalizing these parameters. In order to adjust to a prolonged reduced amount of blood, the body eventually reduces the blood pressure and the rate of pumping blood to make up for the deficit.

Anaphylaxis

A severe allergic reaction can cause low blood pressure. Food and medications are common triggers of allergic reactions.

Age  

People over the age of 65 generally experience a reduction in blood pressure, and extreme cases can trigger low blood pressure.

 Medications 

Medications for diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes can trigger low blood pressure.

Spinal anesthesia administered during the cesarean section for women in labor can also cause hypotension. It is due to such an occurrence that gynecologists give Norepinephrine to keep the blood pressure at the normal level.

For people who don’t have the aforementioned conditions but still suffer low blood pressure, different types of hypotension are outlined, so that the underlying cause of the low blood pressure can be identified. The forms of hypotension experienced in people include:

Orthostatic Hypotension 

This occurs when we suddenly move from a sitting position or lying down position to standing. Orthostatic hypotension happens because the body is unable to adjust blood pressure and blood flow fast enough. Although it can happen across all age brackets, it is most common in elderly and people with certain medical conditions. Symptoms include dizziness or even fainting.

Postprandial Hypotension

When hypotension is experienced immediately after eating, it is known as postprandial hypotension. Postprandial hypotension mostly affects people with high blood pressure or Parkinson’s disease.

Neurally Mediated Hypotension (NMH)

This type of hypotension is more common in children and young adults. It happens when the person has been standing for too long. Such individuals present with symptoms like dizziness and fainting.

Severe Hypotension

This is a peculiar type of hypotension that could lead to death if not treated properly. It often as a result of shock, shock happens when the body organs cannot function properly because of lack of blood and oxygen. Low blood pressure symptoms can be mistaken for other types of conditions as they are common with other conditions and diseases too.

The signs that signify that a person has hypotension are slightly common, but with a sphygmomanometer, a healthcare professional can confirm if one has low blood pressure or not. A blood pressure value lower than 90 mmHg / 60 mmHg is referred to as hypotension or low blood pressure. Common symptoms include the following:

  • Dizziness

Especially with orthostatic hypotension, dizziness may occur too quickly to control and can lead to fainting.

    . Fatigue

Another sign of hypotension is fatigue. Fatigue could be as a result of stress or another disease. Proper diagnosis may be needed to establish that the fatigue is as a result of hypotension.

  • Blurry vision

Blurry or faint vision can occur when one has low blood pressure, having a blurry vision with low blood pressure is an indication of hypotension.

  • Nausea

Low blood pressure that comes with nauseating feeling is also a sign of hypotension.

  • Lack of concentration

Common with the elderly, low blood pressure can be accompanied by an inability to concentrate or focus on their usual activities.

  • Confusion

When a person is confused and has low blood pressure, one can begin to suspect a case of hypotension.

  • Shock

Shock is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. It’s a symptom of an uncontrolled and uncorrected low blood pressure, and it could be fatal if not treated promptly and adequately.

People have electronic sphygmomanometers that can measure blood pressure accurately provided the battery is still optimal. It is good to have this at home for monitoring one’s blood pressure. If you get a low blood pressure measurement on your sphygmomanometer, get a confirmatory reading by taking a second measurement at an interval of 4 to 6 hours, in the absence of grave symptoms. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial to enjoying a normal blood pressure. Therefore, eat balanced diets, exercise regularly, partake in social events, rest, and relax well.