A functional circulatory system is essential to your overall health and wellbeing. Show
More than 100,000 times a day, your heart pumps blood through a closed system of arteries, veins, and other blood vessels to the organs, tissues, and cells that make up your entire body. Your blood picks up and distributes oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and other elements as it travels. It also absorbs waste products and helps your body eliminate them. Blood pressure is a measurement that tells doctors how intensely your blood exerts force on the walls of your veins as your heart pumps blood through your circulatory system. When you visit a healthcare provider, they record your blood pressure as two measurements: systolic blood pressure, the first number, and diastolic blood pressure, the second number. Systolic blood pressure is the amount of pressure in the arteries that your heart creates when it pumps and fills the arteries with blood. Diastolic blood pressure is the amount of pressure in your veins when your heart is at rest. Once doctors have both numbers, they can determine whether you have normal blood pressure, low blood pressure (hypotension), or high blood pressure (hypertension). Blood pressure can change as you move through your day, but it can put you at risk for other serious health complications if it is chronically or excessively low or high. Chronic low blood pressure can mean that your heart, lungs, brain, and other vital organs don’t receive enough blood to function correctly. If you have low blood pressure but don’t experience symptoms, your condition is not severe. That said, for some people, low blood pressure can lead to feelings of dizziness, weakness, nausea, pale skin, vision changes, and other symptoms. When someone experiences a sudden drop in blood pressure or has very low blood pressure, they may experience more severe symptoms like shock, low heart rate, shallow breathing, and clammy skin. In rare cases, low blood pressure can become a medical emergency. If you are experiencing mental confusion, blue or pale skin, loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, low pulse, or other severe symptoms, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room for immediate medical attention. What is Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)?Blood pressure is the measurement that tells doctors about the force of blood in your circulatory system. Your blood pressure reading is expressed as two numbers. The first number, your systolic pressure, indicates how much pressure your heart creates when it beats, and your veins are full of blood. The second number, your diastolic pressure, is the amount of pressure in your veins when your heart is at rest. Blood pressure can change throughout the day, depending on the person, physical activity, the stress they experience, and other factors. For most people, blood pressure levels remain within what doctors consider a “normal” range: 90/60 mm Hg and 120/80 mm Hg. Anything higher than 120/80 mm Hg is elevated or high blood pressure (hypertension). Anything lower than 90/60 mm Hg is low blood pressure (hypotension). Four major types of low blood pressure are delineated based on the causes of low blood pressure, symptoms, and other factors. They include:
Think you may have low blood pressure? Chat with a doctor today. Chat Now SymptomsSome people with chronic low blood pressure readings do not experience any symptoms. In those cases, the condition may not require any treatment. For others, however, low blood pressure can lead to severe symptoms or indicate an underlying problem. Milder symptoms of low blood pressure include:
When blood pressure gets very low, very fast, your heart, brain, and other organs may not get the blood they need to function correctly, and you can go into shock. Patients that have gone into shock may experience:
Shock is a medical emergency and, in severe cases, can be fatal. If you or someone you know has low blood pressure and is experiencing symptoms of shock, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. CausesPatients can have or develop low blood pressure for many reasons. Some people have naturally lower blood pressure than others. As long as they don’t experience symptoms, doctors consider them healthy. Specific health issues can cause low blood pressure for some patients. The most common causes include:
Some prescription medications, over-the-counter treatment options, and street drugs can also put patients at greater risk of developing low blood pressure. For example:
When Hypotension is an EmergencyFor most people, hypotension, or low blood pressure, is a condition that patients can manage with lifestyle changes and medicine. However, in extreme cases, a patient with low blood pressure may develop severe symptoms that require immediate medical attention. Underlying ConditionsSometimes, low blood pressure can indicate the presence of severe conditions that are dangerous or even life-threatening. For example, patients experiencing a heart attack or heart failure can develop low blood pressure, as can people with severe infections. A severe allergic reaction or anaphylactic shock is one of the causes of low blood pressure. Those who experience a loss of significant blood volume due to traumatic injury, burn, or internal bleeding can also develop symptoms of low blood pressure as a result. If you are experiencing chest pain, rapid or shallow breathing, loss of consciousness, or seeing a blue tinge on your skin, these could be signs that you need immediate medical attention. Call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room. Sudden dropsEven when it’s small, a sudden drop in blood pressure can be a serious health problem. If blood pressure drops sharply, the brain doesn’t receive enough blood to function correctly. Even a drop of 20 mm Hg within a few minutes can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Risks of low blood pressurePatients can experience dizziness, fainting, and falls, a dangerous complication for older adults. In serious cases, severe drops in blood pressure can decrease the blood flow to the heart and brain so much that they damage the organ’s ability to function. Severe hypotension has been linked to stroke, shock, and cardiovascular issues. When to Go to the ERLow blood pressure can be a serious, even life-threatening condition. If you or someone you know is experiencing extreme symptoms, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room for treatment right away. Emergency symptoms may include:
If you experience symptoms after taking medication or have been diagnosed with low blood pressure and are experiencing an increased frequency in even mild symptoms, call your doctor to discuss your condition and next steps. How to Treat HypotensionIf you have low blood pressure that doesn’t cause symptoms or only occasionally causes mild lightheadedness, you may not need to treat your condition. If you have more significant symptoms, your doctor might suggest several lifestyle and medication changes for you to use to regulate your blood pressure better and improve your overall health and wellbeing. Lifestyle changesThere are a few changes you can make to reduce the signs and symptoms of low blood pressure. They include:
Medication changesIf you have made lifestyle changes and still experience symptoms related to low blood pressure, talk to your doctor about medication changes you can make to regulate your circulatory system better. Medications that can help address low blood pressure include:
If you have been prescribed a medication that puts you at risk for low blood pressure, or if you experience symptoms like lightheadedness or feeling faint after taking a medication, talk to your doctor about switching to a treatment option that you can better tolerate. Think you may have low blood pressure? Chat with a doctor today. Chat Now When to See a DoctorLow blood pressure can lead to health complications if left untreated. If you suspect you have low blood pressure or are experiencing any symptoms that you think might be related to blood pressure, call your doctor to make an appointment. If you or someone you know is experiencing severe symptoms, including difficulty breathing, chest pain, clammy or blue skin, loss of consciousness, or confusion, that may indicate a medical emergency. Call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room immediately. How K Health Can HelpDid you know you can get affordable primary care with the K Health app? Download K to check your symptoms, explore conditions and treatments, and if needed, text with a doctor in minutes. K Health’s AI-powered app is HIPAA compliant and based on 20 years of clinical data. Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the lowest blood pressure can be before seeking emergency medical help? People experience low blood pressure differently. Some have low blood pressure and don't experience symptoms, while others are more debilitated. If you have low blood pressure and begin to experience symptoms like cold, clammy, blue skin, rapid or shallow breathing, heart palpitations or chest pain, confusion, or loss of consciousness, you may need medical attention. Seek emergency care immediately.
Can low blood pressure be treated at home? Low blood pressure can be life-threatening if left untreated. You can make specific lifestyle changes to help regulate and raise your blood pressure, but you should only use them to augment your doctor's recommended treatment plan, not replace it. Which is more harmful: low or high blood pressure? If it is too high or too low, blood pressure can cause health complications. Therefore, always aim for a blood pressure reading in the normal range, between 90/60 mm Hg and 120/80 mm Hg. K Health articles are all written and reviewed by MDs, PhDs, NPs, or PharmDs and are for informational purposes only. This information does not constitute and should not be relied on for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Is 80 40 blood pressure too low?Low blood pressure is also known as hypotension. People with a reading of around 90/60, or less, are commonly regarded as having low blood pressure. Some people who have low blood pressure experience symptoms as a result of it. There may be an underlying cause that could need treatment.
What is danger low blood pressure?A sudden fall in blood pressure can be dangerous. A change of just 20 mm Hg — a drop from 110 mm Hg systolic to 90 mm Hg systolic, for example — can cause dizziness and fainting. And big drops, such as those caused by uncontrolled bleeding, severe infections or allergic reactions, can be life-threatening.
When should you go to the hospital with low blood pressure?In rare cases, low blood pressure can become a medical emergency. If you are experiencing mental confusion, blue or pale skin, loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, low pulse, or other severe symptoms, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency room for immediate medical attention.
Is 110 over 60 too low for blood pressure?A normal blood pressure for an adult is defined as 90 to 119 systolic over 60 to 79 diastolic. The range between 120 to 139 systolic and 80 to 89 diastolic is called pre-hypertension, and readings above that indicate hypertension, or high blood pressure.
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