Low blood pressure (hypotension) may not appear to be a serious concern, but it can signal an underlying problem. Low blood pressure is overlooked by many people. Others may feel dizzy, faint, or have their eyesight clouded. In very rare cases, low blood pressure can be fatal.
Low blood pressure reduces the delivery of blood delivering glucose and oxygen to tissues and organ systems. As a result, these tissues and organ systems lack energy.
Low blood pressure is defined as less than 90/60 by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
But according to endocrinologist Brian Fertig, MD, FACE, founder and president of the Diabetes & Osteoporosis Center, “low blood pressure should not be defined by a number per se, but rather the level below which symptoms occur for a given person.”
The expert says “lightheadedness and dizziness while standing are the most suggestive symptoms of low blood pressure. At more severe levels, confusion and even loss of consciousness may occur.”
Following a meal, symptoms may worsen due to decreased cerebral blood supply due to increased stomach circulation. During extremely low blood pressures, other tissues in the body, such as the kidneys, may be deprived of adequate blood supply, resulting in decreased kidney function or chest pain, according to the expert.
According to Fertig, there are two main reasons for low blood pressure.
“First, the heart does not pump blood adequately to the organs and tissues of the body. This may or may not be due to heart disease,” he says.
“Second, inadequate blood flow may be due to over dilated blood vessels from such causes as severe bacterial infection and adrenal gland or thyroid hormonal insufficiencies.”
“Low blood sugar promotes the release of catecholamines (adrenaline) and cortisol from the adrenal gland to stimulate the liver to output glucose into the blood to restore normal blood sugar levels,” adds Fertig.
Low blood pressure, according to the professional, can be caused by the following:
- Dehydration
- Cardiovascular disease
- Severe bacterial infections such as Sepsis
- Bleeing (such as intestinal bleeding from a stomach ulcer)
- Anti-hypertensive drugs
- Hypothyroidism or adrenal insufficiency, as both thyroid hormone and cortisol stimulate the production of adrenaline, which constricts blood arteries.
- Pituitary tumors impair the action of regulatory hormones that increase thyroid and adrenal hormone production.
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