Low Blood Pressure Problems
Low blood pressure (also called hypotension) appears when your blood pressure readings give you a number of 90/60 or less. These two numbers refer to your systolic/diastolic pressure respectively.
What is considered “normal” blood pressure varies from individual to individual, taking into account factors such as fit level, age and height, but the average numbers considered by doctors are 120/80. Healthy people will tend to have lower normal levels of blood pressure and this must be taken into account when effectuating a reading of this kind. Low blood pressure problems are serious and must be addressed properly because the body is not getting enough blood pumped to organs, including the brain and the heart.
Some people may suffer from chronic low blood pressure problems, and this is not considered dangerous. Quite the opposite happens when there is a sudden drop on your blood pressure levels since the brain is suddenly deprived of blood and oxygen supply. The main symptoms stem out of this fact: dizziness and fainting. A sudden drop of blood pressure can be caused by a change of posture (from sitting to standing for example), and this type of low blood pressure is called postural hypotension.
People suffering from this kind of hypotension have a failure in the autonomic nervous system, so the body can’t react appropriately to sudden changes.
As we age, our chances of suffering from low blood pressure problems increase because our body goes through a series of changes over the years. Blood flow also is reduced as we age because of plaque build-up in blood vessels. Postural hypotension is present in 10%-20% of elder people.
Sudden drop in the blood pressure levels must be treated swiftly, and if you feel symptoms such as dizziness and fainting it is essential that you call emergency to avoid any complication or problem after this event. A sudden drop of blood pressure levels can be caused by different factors, including blood loss, changes in body temperature, heart failure, severe blood infection, severe dehydration, severe allergic reactions and a reaction to certain types of medications.