Blood Presessure
When the heart pumps blood through the body, a force is exerted on the walls of the arteries causing a pressure. This pressure is known as blood pressure. Blood pressure keeps changing. When the blood pressure falls abnormally below the normal range, it is called low blood pressure or hypotension. And when blood pressure becomes higher than the normal range, it is called high blood pressure or hypertension.
So, basically, there are two types of blood pressure- hypertension and hypotension. And the symptoms for both these types of blood pressure are different.
What do the numbers mean?
Blood pressure is really two measurements, separated by a slash when written down, such as 120/80. You may also hear someone say a blood pressure is "120 over 80."
The first number is the systolic blood pressure. This is the peak blood pressure when your heart is squeezing blood out. The second number is the diastolic blood pressure. It's the pressure when your heart is filling with blood--relaxing between beats.
A normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 140/90, you have something called "prehypertension."
Symptoms of Hypertension (High blood pressure):
In general, high blood pressure shows no symptoms. This is one of the reasons for why it is called the 'silent killer'. One can have it for years without realizing its presence at all. But when your body exhibits the following symptoms then you should get yourself checked:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Low libido or lack of sexual desire
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Restlessness
How is it treated?
Treatment begins with changes you can make to your lifestyle to help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease (see the box below). If these changes don't work, you may also need to take medicine.
Even if you must take medicine, making some changes in your lifestyle can help reduce the amount of medicine you must take.
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Lifestyle changes
- Don't smoke cigarettes or use any tobacco product.
- Lose weight if you're overweight.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat a healthy diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables and is low in fat.
- Limit your sodium, alcohol and caffeine intake.
- Try relaxation techniques or biofeedback.
Symptoms of Hypotension (Low blood pressure):
Usually low blood pressure is caused by malnutrition or poor diet. Lack of nutrients and a diet deficient in calories, proteins, vitamin C, or almost any one of the B complex vitamins gives birth to hypotension.
It is possible that low blood pressure may or may not exhibit any symptom. But casual symptoms of low blood pressure are recorded as:
- Light-headedness
- Dizziness
- Palpitations
- Blurred vision
- Discomfort in the chest
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Headache/migraine
- Intolerance to heat
- Feeling cold all over
- Bloating after meals
- Cognitive impairment
Though these are the general symptoms of low blood pressure, they may vary from person to person.
here are the 3 different types of low blood pressure along with their remedies:-
Orthostatic Hypotension
The signs and symptoms of orthostatic hypotension may happen within a few seconds or minutes of standing up after you’ve been sitting or lying down. You may feel that you’re going to faint, or you may actually faint. Signs and symptoms include:
- Dizziness or feeling lightheaded
- Blurry vision
- Confusion
- Weakness
- Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach)
These signs and symptoms go away if you sit or lie down for a few minutes until your blood pressure adjusts to normal.
Neurally Mediated Hypotension
The signs and symptoms of neurally mediated hypotension (NMH) are similar to those of orthostatic hypotension. They occur after standing for a long time or in response to an unpleasant, upsetting, or scary experience.
The drop in blood pressure with NMH doesn't last long and often goes away after sitting down.
Severe Hypotension Linked to Shock
In shock, not enough blood flows to the major organs, including the brain.
The early signs and symptoms of reduced blood flow to the brain include lightheadedness, sleepiness, and confusion. In the earliest stages of shock, it may be hard to detect any signs or symptoms. In older people, the first symptom may only be confusion.
Over time, as shock worsens, a person won’t be able to sit up without passing out. If the shock continues, the person will lose consciousness. Shock is often fatal if not treated right away.
Other signs and symptoms of shock vary, depending on what’s causing the shock. When low blood volume (from major blood loss, for example) or poor pumping action in the heart (from heart failure, for example) causes shock:
- The skin becomes cold and sweaty. It often looks blue or pale. If pressed, the colour returns to normal more slowly than usual. A bluish network of lines appears under the skin.
- The pulse becomes weak and rapid.
- The person begins to breathe very quickly.
When extreme widening or stretching of blood vessels (such as in septic shock) causes shock, a person feels warm and flushed at first. Later, the skin becomes cold and clammy, and the person feels very sleepy.
Shock is an emergency and must be treated right away. If a person has signs or symptoms of shock, the person should be taken to a hospital emergency or someone should call Rescue 1122
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