When someone talks of blood pressure problems, in most cases they refer to issues of high blood pressure. But low blood pressure is also a fairly common condition and it needs attention.
What are the causes of low blood pressure? It turns out there are quite a few of them.
Unearthing the causes of hypotension is important because they have to be dealt with before treating the clinical conditions of low blood pressure.
Anti-hypertensive drugs are one possible cause. If someone with high blood pressure continues to take such drugs without adequate supervision, it can result in a buildup of the drug in the body which can cause blood pressure to drop below acceptable levels.
That is why patients on beta-blockers must be monitored closely to ensure that they do not end up with adverse effects like hypotension.
Diuretic medications can cause this problem if the drugs are overused. In fact, they can lower blood pressure to dangerous levels if not taken correctly.
Cardiac problems can, of course, cause low blood pressure. Problems like tricuspid regurgitation, which is a valve-related issue, can result in the condition.
Traumas such as severe burns can lower blood pressure drastically. Burns affect the permeability of blood vessels which triggers the problem. Heat stroke is another possible cause of lowered pressure because it disrupts the fluid mechanism in the body.
Inflammation to organs like the pancreas may result in hypotension. So can respiratory problems like pneumothorax, as well as dysentery and other severe gastro intestinal problems.
Patients on nitrate medication may have a tendency to suffer from this condition. This is particularly true if they consume alcohol. For this reason, doctors usually advice against alcohol consumption when the patient takes nitrate drugs.
In reality, what constitutes low blood pressure often depends on the patient. There is a fine line between healthy low pressure and clinical hypotension.
As you can see, there are many possible causes of low blood pressure. Your health care giver’s judgment is crucial in deciding if you have hypotension and what treatment it requires.