Do you have low blood pressure?

Not long ago, someone consulted and said that he suffered from low blood pressure and didn't know what to do. Since hypertension is one of the common diseases among the elderly, people attach great importance to the prevention and treatment of hypertension. In fact, among the elderly, there are still some people who are troubled by low blood pressure. Here are some knowledge about low blood pressure.

What is hypotension

Data show that the incidence of chronic hypotension among adults in my country is about 1.9%, with a higher incidence in women than in men. People with light weight and weak bodies are more prone to hypotension.

Generally speaking, a systolic blood pressure below 90 mmHg and a diastolic blood pressure below 60 mmHg is clinically diagnosed as hypotension. However, because the elderly often have vascular sclerosis and stenosis, many elderly people will also experience symptoms of hypotension when their blood pressure is higher than 90/60 mmHg.

The harm of low blood pressure to the elderly cannot be underestimated. Low blood pressure may cause dizziness, blackouts, blurred vision, palpitations, pale complexion, etc. In severe cases, blackouts or even fainting may occur, leading to falls or angina pectoris and other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ischemia symptoms.

Causes of low blood pressure

Most cases of hypotension in the elderly are transient and often have causes or triggers, mainly the following reasons:

1. Diarrhea, sweating, vomiting, fever, etc. can cause obvious dehydration and sodium deficiency in the body, which can lead to low blood pressure.

2. When hypertensive patients take antihypertensive drugs, their blood pressure may be lowered too low because their original blood pressure is not accurately assessed (such as the blood pressure in the clinic is significantly higher than the actual daily blood pressure) or the patients are more sensitive to antihypertensive drugs.

3. Some non-antihypertensive drugs may also affect blood pressure, such as certain anti-Parkinson's disease drugs, antidepressants, antiarrhythmic drugs, drugs for treating prostate hyperplasia, etc., which may cause lower blood pressure.

4. For some hypertensive patients who have controlled their blood pressure by taking medication, their blood pressure can be further lowered by improving their lifestyle habits, such as losing more than 10% weight, quitting smoking, quitting drinking, exercising, reducing salt intake, etc., which can sometimes lead to symptoms of hypotension.

5. The reason why some hypertensive patients have high blood pressure is that they take certain drugs that cause high blood pressure, and the doctors who treat them are unaware of this situation. When the patients stop taking or reduce these drugs, their blood pressure also decreases. Drugs that may cause high blood pressure include: certain painkillers, cough suppressants, hormone drugs, anticancer drugs, and some traditional Chinese medicines.

6. The season of warming temperature is the peak period of hypotension. Many elderly patients with hypertension cannot adapt to the sudden rise in temperature, which leads to a significant drop in blood pressure. Some elderly people who go to the south to avoid the cold in winter may also experience similar situations. It is worth noting that when the human body gradually adapts to the temperature change, the blood pressure of many people will return to the original level.

Stay away from low blood pressure by doing this

Because the elderly have obvious vascular sclerosis and their ability to adapt to low blood pressure is weakened, they are more susceptible to falls and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular attacks when they have low blood pressure. Therefore, they should be extra vigilant about symptoms related to low blood pressure. When symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, and blackouts appear, measure their blood pressure in a timely manner and compare it with their previous blood pressure.

In addition, when the elderly have diarrhea, sweating, vomiting, fever, etc., they should pay attention to timely replenishment of water and salt. In daily life, the elderly should stand up slowly from a sitting or lying position, especially in the early morning, to prevent postural hypotension; in hot weather, they should reduce activities; avoid saunas, do not bathe or soak your feet in overheated water, and it is recommended to shower with warm water.

Hypertensive patients need to measure their blood pressure regularly, especially when the temperature changes or when their medications are changed, so as to avoid noticing when their blood pressure is low, which may lead to excessive hypotension. When seeing a doctor, hypertensive patients should explain their recent self-measured blood pressure and medication to the doctor, and work with the doctor to develop a blood pressure-lowering plan that suits them based on their own characteristics.

Once the elderly develop hypotension, in addition to going to the hospital for treatment, they can also take some self-treatment methods: if they experience palpitations, dizziness, or blackouts, they can immediately lie down and rest; if the patient has fainted, family members should immediately lift the patient to a ventilated place, or lower the patient's head, loosen the collar, and keep the patient warm appropriately, and the patient will generally wake up quickly.

If low blood pressure cannot be corrected immediately, in addition to drug treatment under the guidance of a doctor, the patient can also choose an appropriate high-sodium diet to raise blood pressure. Ginseng and American ginseng in traditional Chinese medicine also have a certain effect in raising blood pressure.