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| Critical information about your heart, your health, your life |
Low blood pressure is also referred to as hypotension and if not treated appropriately can cause heart disorders, fainting and may even lead to neurological and endocrine disorders. Blood pressure is the flow of blood that carries oxygen to our different organs around the body, so if we have low blood pressure and it is severe, our organs become deprived of oxygen and nutrients and can cause serious damage to our bodies.
Before we work out whether we have low blood pressure and what the symptoms are, it is probably a good idea to explain what blood pressure is. Blood pressure is exactly as it sounds; it is the pressure of blood flow on the walls of our arteries when it is pumped through the body to the different organs. With that in mind blood pressure can vary according to the individual however low blood pressure or hypotension is pressure that is, as it sounds, lower than the normal measurement of 120/80 mm hg. Some of the symptoms of low blood pressure are fatigue, headaches, dizziness or feeling lightheaded. These symptoms usually occur because of oxygen deprivation. It makes sense that if our blood pressure helps the flow of oxygen to our major organs and the pressure is low – less oxygen will be pumped to them and thus will cause certain symptoms. So for example, if not enough oxygen is getting pumped to your brain, you will most likely experience some of those symptoms stated above.
Blood pressure is produced by the heart pumping blood into the arteries and is measured by the pressure in the arteries which is caused by the contractions and relaxation of the heart. The higher the heart is pumping (squeezing the arteries) the higher the pressure. When trying to explain how someone’s blood pressure is expressed we use the terms systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic pressure ranges between 90 and 120 millimeters, and is caused by the pressure in the arteries when the heart is contracted and pumping blood. Diastolic blood pressure ranges between 60 and 80 mm Hg and represents the pressure caused by the heart when it is relaxed. So if your blood pressure is over 120 then it is high (also known as Hypertension). High blood pressure can cause a number of health problems such as heart disease, kidney disease, hardening of the arteries, eye damage and even strokes.
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