Low blood pressure: What are the causes

by | Heart Attacks and Strokes

Who gets low blood pressure?

Most people who have low blood pressure have it because of the way they’re made up or their genes or what have you. They’ve probably got a history, where it’s often quite common in women rather than men, and they’ve had a mother or grandmother who when they stood up got very faint and had to sit down again. It can be quite unpleasant; it can make you feel really lousy at times. But most of the time, you really don’t know why you’ve got it.

The bad causes of low blood pressure are largely by bleeding – where you’d certainly know if you’ve had an accident. But most people constitutionally just have low blood pressure and many people should be thankful for it because it probably means you’re going to live longer.

Dr Norman Swan, Physician and Journalist

What is low blood pressure?

In general, it is much better to have low rather than high blood pressure, and it may even prolong life expectancy. There are symptoms:

  • light-headedness (sometimes described as dizziness);
  • pale, clammy skin;
  • nausea;
  • blurry vision; and
  • fainting.

If you have these symptoms, you should lie down and, if possible, elevate your feet and legs (for example on a cushion). This should help relieve symptoms within a few minutes.

A full article on the causes and treatment for hypotension can be found on this link.