Blood Pressure Reading Article
Low Blood Pressure
Low blood pressure, which is also known as hypotension, occurs when the blood pressure in the arteries are too low, resulting in symptoms detrimental to the organs of the human body. It is not as common as high blood pressure, but may prove more dangerous in many ways.
While high blood pressure is often detected by blood pressure readings, low blood pressure as a medical condition is mainly determined by symptoms of insufficient blood-flow, or the damage it does to the internal organs. If without these symptoms, it is far from being an unhealthy condition, because it lessens the risk of getting heart diseases, strokes and kidney diseases. In fact, people who exercise regularly and are health-conscious often have low blood pressures.
The symptoms of low blood pressure occur when there is not enough flow in the arteries to deliver blood to various organs of the body. Since blood contains oxygen and nutrients necessary for growth and proper functioning of the organs, a shortage of blood may cause the organs to deteriorate. Mild symptoms include dizziness or fatigue, while in more serious cases, low blood pressure can cause shock, a condition which precedes the total collapse of organs such as kidneys, livers, heart, lungs and brain.
Among the factors leading to low blood pressure, the most primary ones are dehydration, bleeding and inflammation in the organs. The efficiency of blood-flow is largely dependent on the fluidity of the blood, and in dehydration and inflammation, too much water is loss to support this fluidity. Therefore, the blood is bound to concentrate and remain stagnant in the arteries. Severe bleeding can also lead to low blood pressure by simply depleting the blood supply in the body, and in very extreme cases, it can result in shock.
Low blood pressure can also be caused by complications from other illnesses, such as heart diseases and pulmonary embolism. Heart complications such as weakened heart muscles or slow heart rate, can drastically lower blood pressure by reducing cardiac output. In the case of pulmonary embolism, a clot of blood develops in a vein and somehow makes its way to the lungs, where if sizable enough, it can block up the left ventricle, therefore, weakening the heart’s ability to circulate blood.
Although low blood pressure is usually detected by symptoms, blood pressure readings are often the first test in the process of diagnosis. However, the test is taken in standing position because a person with low blood pressure as a medical condition will show a drastic fall in blood pressure when standing. Thereafter, if necessary, x-rays, urine and blood tests, electrolyte blood measurements, holter monitor recordings and various other test methods are used to further ascertain the results. Low blood pressure is treated according to its symptoms, from dehydration to pulmonary embolism, usually in the ways of intravenous fluids, blood transfusions, electrolytes or more procedural-based treatments.
For the fact that low blood pressure is not half as common as high blood pressure, it is often not considered such a significant threat. However, for those who are inflicted, low blood pressure has to be treated with utmost urgency, because it destroys and kills much faster.
