{"id":34355,"date":"2021-06-29T09:30:23","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T13:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=34355"},"modified":"2024-04-24T13:43:21","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T17:43:21","slug":"low-blood-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/low-blood-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"What happens when your blood pressure is too low"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is low blood pressure?<\/a> | Symptoms<\/a> | Causes<\/a> | Diagnosis and types of hypotension<\/a> | Signs of an emergency<\/a> | How to raise low blood pressure<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Most people know that when your blood pressure is too high\u2014a condition called hypertension\u2014it can contribute to heart attacks, heart disease, and other health concerns. But what about hypertension’s opposite, hypotension? What happens when your blood pressure is too low? If high blood pressure is bad, is lower blood pressure always good, or are there any health concerns people with hypotension should look out for?<\/span><\/p>\n

“The main issue with low blood pressure is if patients are experiencing symptoms of dizziness, lightheadedness, or the sensation that they’re going to lose consciousness,” says Eugene Yang, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington and chair of the <\/span>American College of Cardiology’s<\/span><\/a> Prevention Section and Leadership Council. “That’s what we worry about because, obviously, losing consciousness or passing out can be dangerous. If somebody’s driving a car or doing something that could put them in danger, they can cause significant trauma to themselves.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Older adults, who are most at risk of suffering trauma in a fall, are more likely to experience symptoms of low blood pressure. They’re also more likely to develop low blood pressure as a result of medicines they may be taking to treat high blood pressure.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is low blood pressure?<\/h2>\n

A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers, for example: 120 over 80. The first number is your systolic pressure, the force your heart exerts on the walls of your arteries each time it beats. The second number is diastolic pressure, the force your heart exerts on the walls of your arteries in between beats. Both systolic pressure and diastolic pressure<\/a> are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the<\/span> American Heart Association<\/span><\/a>, there is no particular number at which day-to-day blood pressure is considered too low, as long as you have no symptoms. The<\/span> National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute<\/span><\/a>, on the other hand, describes hypotension as blood pressure that is lower than 90\/60 mmHg. “In general, a systolic blood pressure that’s between 110 and 140 is the range that seems to be associated with optimal cardiovascular health,” says Dr. Yang.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Blood pressure can vary quite a bit in an individual throughout the day, and there is quite a range of blood pressure in healthy populations,” adds <\/span>Donna K. Arnett, Ph.D.<\/span><\/a>, dean of the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and professor of epidemiology.<\/span><\/p>\n

If your systolic blood pressure is well below 110 at every reading, your healthcare provider may want to keep an eye on it, but if you have no symptoms, a low number is nothing to be alarmed about. However, if your blood pressure drops suddenly from, say, 120 to 90 or less, it could be the result of an underlying cause, and you should talk to a healthcare provider.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>Normal blood pressure levels<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Low blood pressure symptoms<\/h2>\n

For most people, long-term low blood pressure is not an issue and often goes unnoticed. More serious cases of hypotension may produce the following symptoms:<\/span><\/p>\n