LOW BLOOD PRESSURE
When the flow of blood is
too low to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to vital organs such as the
brain, heart, kidney the organs do not function normally and may be permanently
damaged.
People who have lower
blood pressures have a lower risk of stroke, kidney disease, and heart
diseases. Athletes, people who exercise regularly, people who maintain ideal
body weight and non-smokers tend to have lower blood pressures. Therefore, low
blood pressure is desirable as long as it is not low enough to cause symptoms
and potentially damage organs of the body.
Cause: Conditions that decrease the volume of blood (for
example, bleeding, dehydration), reduce cardiac output (for example, heart
attack, cardiomyopathy), and decrease the tension in artery walls may cause low
blood pressure. Medication side effects can cause low blood pressure, as can
spinal cord injuries.
Septicemia is a severe
infection in which bacteria (or other infectious organisms such as fungi) enter
the blood. Commonly the initial infection may originate in the lungs (as pneumonia).
Bladder (Urinary tract infection), or in the abdomen (diverticulitis).
Untreated, the bacteria enter the bloodstream where they may release toxins and
cause life-threatening and profound low blood pressure (septic shock), often
with damage to several organs.
Signs and symptoms: If low blood pressure is the normal state for
a patient, then there will be no symptoms. However, if low blood pressure is
symptomatic, then the patient may feel lightheaded and dizzy, unsteadiness as
blood flow to the brain is decreased. There may be blurring of vision,
weakness, confusion, and nausea. Other organs may be involved causing chest
pain, shortness of breath, cool, clammy skin, and passing out or fainting.
Treatment: Patients
with symptoms that are possibly due to low blood pressure should be evaluated
by a doctor. Patients who have had a major drop in blood pressure from their usual
levels even without the development of symptoms also should be evaluated.
Treatment will be based upon the cause of the low blood pressure reading. For
example a person being treated for high blood pressure may need to have their
medication adjusted.
By…Belinda Yeboah
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