Low blood pressure - how to treat it

It is hard to define low blood pressure because sometimes it occurs naturally in people who are phsyically active, eat a healthy diet and maintain a normal weight. When defining hypotension many experts use the criteria of 90 mmHg and below for systolic, and 60 mmHg and below for diastolic blood pressure. But in some cases, especially in eldery people, low blood pressure may be a sign of life-threatening illness including dehydration, severe infection with septic shock, hormonal conditions, some heart diseases and can be caused by taking certain medication. Hypotension can  also cause an inadequate blood flow to the brain, heart and other vital organs.

The cause of a low blood pressure can be associated with pregnancy, an overdose of high blood pressure drugs, heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms, hormonal problems such as an underactive thyroid, overactive thryoid, diabetes or hypoglicemia. Even though low blood pressure is rarely a serious condition, sudden drops in blood pressure can be dangerous. This type of low blood pressure is caused by low or high body temperature, loss of blood from bleeding, heart failure, a severe blood infection (sepsis), severe dehydratation (from vomiting, fever or diarrhea), a reaction to alcohol or medication and allergic reactions.

One form of low blood pressure is orthostatic hypotension. It is a result of a sudden change in body position, usually from sitting or lying to standing. It lasts only a few seconds or minutes. It mostly effects those with high blood pressure, eldery people and people with Parkinson's disease. Symptoms of a low blood pressure may include confusion, dizziness, fainting, sleepiness, weakness and a blurry vision. Treatment of hypotension is not requiered if a person is healthy and does not have any problems. If you have some symptoms of hypotension you may avoid alcohol and standing for a long time. You should also drink enough of fluids and get up slowly after sitting or lying down. In order to get your blood pressure under control and avoid the symptoms of a low blood pressure you may change your diet. Focus on eating a variety of foods, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean chicken and fish. You should also increase your salt and caffeine (such as coffee, tea and soda) intake and eat low-carb meals. If you dont like using a lot of salt you can replace it with soy sauce or dry soup mixes.