<p>Hypertension is something that everyone talks about, but no one speaks about hypotension. Low blood pressure is riskier than high blood pressure. The fluctuation of blood pressure is considered to be normal, but when blood pressure goes below 90/60 it can be considered low blood pressure. When blood pressure goes down, it affects the heart in pumping blood properly to the vital organs. Hypotension can be a sign of several underlying medical conditions like blood loss, shock, heart attack, or infection. Hypotension is caused by medicines for anxiety, depression, heart diseases, or simple painkillers. Even when the body is extremely <br />dehydrated, a person could have low blood pressure.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>Symptoms of low BP</strong></p>.<p>The most common symptoms of low blood pressure are dizziness, fatigue, blurry vision, fainting, and nausea and patients with low blood pressure often face difficulty concentrating. A sudden drop in the blood pressure level is a sign of some underlying conditions and needs immediate attention. Also, the normal drop in blood pressure such as those caused by bleeding, severe infections, or allergic reactions, can be life-threatening. A sudden and extreme drop in the blood pressure level, especially in elderly people shows signs of pale and clammy skin, weak or rapid pulse, fluctuation in the breathing pattern, etc., which can be a sign of shock.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>How to avoid low BP</strong></p>.<p>Diabetic patients should eat small meals. Eating small meals several times a day helps prevent a sudden drop in blood pressure that can occur after a meal. Therefore, if one eats a complete meal three times a day, it is advisable to divide them into small meals five times a day. This is also a great home remedy for people with diabetes.</p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Drink more fluids:</span></strong> Drink at least 2-3 litres of water daily, also include drinks such as coconut water in your daily fluid intake which helps in keeping the body hydrated. This provides electrolytes to keep the body hydrated. Dehydration is a common cause of low blood pressure. So don’t forget to drink enough water during the day.</p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Salt intake:</span></strong> A safe home treatment for hypotension is to increase salt intake. Salt contains sodium, and an increase in sodium intake may be a good solution for people with low blood pressure problems. Therefore, consuming salt will help raise blood pressure but being mindful of not going overboard with salt is advised as that would prove counterproductive.</p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Avoid sudden movements:</span></strong> Avoid movements like standing up too quickly or jerking movements as that causes a sudden drop in the pressure, causing dizziness or a lightheaded feeling.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>First aid tips</strong></p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS):</span></strong> ORS not only hydrates the body but also provides salts and other electrolytes that help maintain the balance of the electrolytes. Follow the instructions on the package to prepare and drink an ORS pouch. However, if one has diabetes, avoid taking ORS as it has sugar.</p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Licking salt:</span></strong> The common habit most people follow is to lick salt or eat salty foods to improve their body’s salt levels. This helps in stabilising blood pressure. However, be careful not to overeat or drink salty water as it can lead to high blood pressure.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>Treatment</strong></p>.<p>The treatment of low blood pressure usually begins with knowing why it is happening. If this cause is directly treatable, hypotension usually improves spontaneously. An example of this is hypotension caused by injury or blood loss. Repairing this damage and replacing the lost blood such as a blood transfusion will stop hypotension while the damage continues to be repaired. Fludrocortisone is a drug that appears to help with certain types of hypotension. It works by promoting sodium retention in the kidneys, thereby causing the swelling needed to improve fluid retention and blood pressure. Midodrine raises blood pressure by activating the smallest arterial and venous receptors. It is used to increase standing blood pressure in individuals with orthostatic hypotension associated with nervous system dysfunction.</p>.<p><em>(The author is an internal medicine physician.)</em></p>
<p>Hypertension is something that everyone talks about, but no one speaks about hypotension. Low blood pressure is riskier than high blood pressure. The fluctuation of blood pressure is considered to be normal, but when blood pressure goes below 90/60 it can be considered low blood pressure. When blood pressure goes down, it affects the heart in pumping blood properly to the vital organs. Hypotension can be a sign of several underlying medical conditions like blood loss, shock, heart attack, or infection. Hypotension is caused by medicines for anxiety, depression, heart diseases, or simple painkillers. Even when the body is extremely <br />dehydrated, a person could have low blood pressure.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>Symptoms of low BP</strong></p>.<p>The most common symptoms of low blood pressure are dizziness, fatigue, blurry vision, fainting, and nausea and patients with low blood pressure often face difficulty concentrating. A sudden drop in the blood pressure level is a sign of some underlying conditions and needs immediate attention. Also, the normal drop in blood pressure such as those caused by bleeding, severe infections, or allergic reactions, can be life-threatening. A sudden and extreme drop in the blood pressure level, especially in elderly people shows signs of pale and clammy skin, weak or rapid pulse, fluctuation in the breathing pattern, etc., which can be a sign of shock.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>How to avoid low BP</strong></p>.<p>Diabetic patients should eat small meals. Eating small meals several times a day helps prevent a sudden drop in blood pressure that can occur after a meal. Therefore, if one eats a complete meal three times a day, it is advisable to divide them into small meals five times a day. This is also a great home remedy for people with diabetes.</p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Drink more fluids:</span></strong> Drink at least 2-3 litres of water daily, also include drinks such as coconut water in your daily fluid intake which helps in keeping the body hydrated. This provides electrolytes to keep the body hydrated. Dehydration is a common cause of low blood pressure. So don’t forget to drink enough water during the day.</p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Salt intake:</span></strong> A safe home treatment for hypotension is to increase salt intake. Salt contains sodium, and an increase in sodium intake may be a good solution for people with low blood pressure problems. Therefore, consuming salt will help raise blood pressure but being mindful of not going overboard with salt is advised as that would prove counterproductive.</p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Avoid sudden movements:</span></strong> Avoid movements like standing up too quickly or jerking movements as that causes a sudden drop in the pressure, causing dizziness or a lightheaded feeling.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>First aid tips</strong></p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS):</span></strong> ORS not only hydrates the body but also provides salts and other electrolytes that help maintain the balance of the electrolytes. Follow the instructions on the package to prepare and drink an ORS pouch. However, if one has diabetes, avoid taking ORS as it has sugar.</p>.<p><strong><span class="bold">Licking salt:</span></strong> The common habit most people follow is to lick salt or eat salty foods to improve their body’s salt levels. This helps in stabilising blood pressure. However, be careful not to overeat or drink salty water as it can lead to high blood pressure.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>Treatment</strong></p>.<p>The treatment of low blood pressure usually begins with knowing why it is happening. If this cause is directly treatable, hypotension usually improves spontaneously. An example of this is hypotension caused by injury or blood loss. Repairing this damage and replacing the lost blood such as a blood transfusion will stop hypotension while the damage continues to be repaired. Fludrocortisone is a drug that appears to help with certain types of hypotension. It works by promoting sodium retention in the kidneys, thereby causing the swelling needed to improve fluid retention and blood pressure. Midodrine raises blood pressure by activating the smallest arterial and venous receptors. It is used to increase standing blood pressure in individuals with orthostatic hypotension associated with nervous system dysfunction.</p>.<p><em>(The author is an internal medicine physician.)</em></p>