Many people keep asking such questions as “what causes low blood pressure?” and “why such state may arise?” Low blood pressure occurs because of the insufficient strength that blood exerts on the blood vessel walls in the circulation process.
Mainly, the lowest level of arterial pressure in a person is at night. It can dramatically increase after awakening. Blood pressure may vary in many people during the day and this can be influenced by various factors, including:
- lack of sleep;
- mental fatigue;
- chronic fatigue;
- climate change adaptation;
- depressive states;
- stress and nervous experiences;
- physical activity and rhythm of breathing.
Low blood pressure is not uncommon during pregnancy, and many women face this problem. If low blood pressure adversely affects the placental blood flow, this may lead to dangerous consequences for the fetus, for example, growth disorder. During pregnancy, prevention of low blood pressure is recommended, which may include the following:
- healthy eating;
- daily full rest;
- walks in the open air;
- avoidance of stressful situations;
- activity in accordance with duration of pregnancy;
Various problems in the function of the cardiovascular system are also among the possible causes of low blood pressure. They can be heart failure, bradycardia and heart attack. When patients suffering from heart failure use drugs improving the heart function, then blood pressure can be normalized if it is too low.
Loss of large amounts of blood may lead to a sharp decrease in blood pressure. If the blood volume in the vessels is insufficient, problems with blood circulation arise and blood pressure decreases. To improve the condition, bleeding should be stopped.
When you are busy with hard manual labor, your body can lose a lot of fluid because of profuse sweating and the blood pressure may decrease if you do not consume enough water. A lack of fluid in your body may lead to dehydration, which causes dizziness and weakness.
The lack of nutrients in sufficient quantity in your diet may lead to anemia, the disease that also can be the cause of low blood pressure. Due to the deficiency of folic acid or B12 vitamins in your body, the production of red blood cells decreases in the blood and the hemoglobin level becomes very low that eventually leads to a significant drop in blood pressure.
Decrease in blood pressure occurs for a variety of reasons and may have serious health consequences. Endocrine system affects many organs and functions of our body. Some endocrine disorders can be the cause of low blood pressure, including the following:
- low blood sugar levels;
- parathyroid disorders.
There are various reasons why blood pressure may decrease in elderly people. For example, a drop in pressure often occurs at a time when people in the advanced age suddenly get up from a chair or sofa. Blood pressure is usually normalized within minutes in such cases and medical care is not required.
A very dangerous condition for the human health is septic shock, which occurs because of a significant decrease in blood pressure. This can happen because of a serious bloodstream infection. A sharp drop in blood pressure may lead to a rapid failure of such vital organs as kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, and brain.