Symptoms of Low Blood Pressure

Low blood pressure (hypotension) occurs when the heart doesn't have to exert much effort in pushing blood through arteries. Causes for hypotension may include a severe allergic reaction, high or low body temperature, pregnancy, a reaction to drugs or alcohol, a serious blood infection or a heart-muscle disease resulting in heart failure. Besides serious causes, low blood pressure can be caused by someone, such as an older person, standing up too quickly. On the other hand, some people just have chronic low blood pressure with no symptoms, and it's not considered a serious problem.

Identification

• According to the Medical News Today website, a blood pressure reading of 90/60 mmHg (milligrams of mercury) or lower is considered to be hypotension. However, while high blood pressure is defined more by the numbers of a blood pressure reading and harder to detect, low pressure is mostly recognized by signs and symptoms.

Dizziness and Fainting

• Dizziness is one of the most common signs of hypotension. Symptoms of dizziness include feelings of unsteadiness and physical imbalance. When feeling dizzy, it's important to be calm and ask for help.
  Fainting, another common symptom of low blood pressure, involves falling to the ground. When this happens, the patient's head should be level to the heart, so blood can flow to the brain.

Lightheadedness

• Lightheadedness, another common symptom of hypotension, is a floating feeling as if you're going to faint. People with lightheadedness feel like the room they're sitting or standing in is moving. It's usually due to a brief lack of oxygen going to the brain because of a decline in blood pressure.

Tunnel Vision and Shortness of Breath

• Tunnel vision is a term describing a loss of peripheral vision, while still having central vision. When someone has tunnel vision, the only objects that can be seen are from within a circular field, as if seeing everything through a tunnel. In other words, a person sees only those objects that are in front of her and not around her.
  Another typical symptom of hypotension is breathlessness or shortness of breath (dyspnea). Again, this problem is caused by not enough blood flowing to the brain. Chest pain can also accompany shortness of breath.

Warning

• Many people believe low blood pressure isn't as dangerous as high blood pressure. However, hypotension can actually be just as life threatening because a blood pressure reading that's extremely low can mean the brain is failing to receive enough blood. Low blood pressure can also be the cause of a more serious underlying problem.