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Low blood pressure (sometimes called hypotension) is a condition in which arterial blood pressure drops to an abnormally low level. Blood pressure is a measure of the force your heart uses to pump blood throughout your body.
The heart is a muscular organ that is designed to efficiently pump blood throughout the body. When your heart contracts, it pushes blood into large blood vessels called arteries. Through them, blood flows to the capillaries, where gas exchange occurs. When your heart rests between beats, blood returns to the heart through a network of veins and capillaries.
Blood pressure is a measure of the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries as the blood is pushed by the heart through them to the tissues. Pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg).
When blood pressure is measured, two readings are recorded during one heartbeat. These are known as systolic pressure and diastolic.
Systolic pressure is the pressure when your heart contracts and pushes blood into the arteries. At this stage, the pressure in your arteries is at its highest.
Diastolic pressure is the pressure when your heart rests between beats and blood flows back to your heart through your veins. At this stage, the pressure in your arteries is at its lowest.
Low blood pressure is also known as hypotension. People with a score around 90/60 or less usually have low blood pressure. Some people who have low blood pressure experience extremely uncomfortable symptoms. Usually these are various external causes or diseases, less often hypotension is an independent disease.
If you have low blood pressure (hypotension) but no symptoms, you do not need treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms, your healthcare provider will try to determine the cause of your hypotension in order to determine what treatment is needed.
If you are taking medication and your healthcare provider suspects that this may be the cause of your low blood pressure, they will likely recommend that you change your medication regimen or dose. Medications to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and to treat Parkinson’s disease often cause hypotension.
If your doctor suspects a heart condition, adrenal insufficiency, or nerve disease, you may be referred to a hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
If it is determined that hypotension is caused by adrenal insufficiency, your doctor may prescribe fludrocortisone to replace the missing hormone aldosterone. These are usually pills and have to be taken for life. In case this is primary hypotension, it is necessary to choose the best pills for low pressure.
Rating of the top 5 inexpensive and effective pills for low blood pressure according to KP
Usually used herbal and synthetic drugs that have a tonic and vasoconstrictor effect. In some cases, more serious drugs may be used.
1. Caffeine
The drug is available in tablets and solutions for subcutaneous administration. It is released from pharmacies by prescription. Belongs to the group of natural stimulants of the nervous system, the main active ingredient is caffeine. It has a psychostimulating and analeptic effect, increases vascular tone, contributing to increased blood circulation and increased pressure.
It is indicated for moderate arterial hypotension, general fatigue, decreased performance, vascular headache, drowsiness.
Although caffeine is considered to be relatively safe, there are a number of contraindications for taking it. These are sensitivity to the components of the drug, age up to 12 years, severe heart disease (heart attack, coronary artery disease, cardiosclerosis), psychoorganic disorders, depression, insomnia, arrhythmias, hypertension. Caution should be taken by patients with glaucoma and other visual disorders.
Side effects include dizziness, trembling, sweating, nausea, and palpitations. The drug is not recommended to be combined with alcohol. After the end of the action, weakness, malaise, and inhibition of the nervous system are possible.
2. Tar
Available in the form of tablets and drops for oral administration, dispensed by prescription. The main active ingredient – midodrine, belongs to the group of adrenomimetics, drugs that tonic blood vessels.
It is indicated for hypotension and orthostatic hypotension (with sharp rises from a horizontal position), reactions to external factors and weather. Moderately constricts blood vessels, increases their tone, which helps to increase pressure and eliminate blood stasis in the veins.
Contraindicated in high blood pressure, glaucoma, overactivity of the thyroid gland and pheochromocytoma, severe kidney damage and prostate adenoma, urinary retention.
Of the side effects, it is worth noting palpitations, nausea, skin rash. Incompatible with alcohol, let’s take it while driving.
3. Ecdysten
The preparation of plant origin, is available in the form of tablets and sachets with powder, is dispensed without a doctor’s prescription. The main active ingredient is a plant extract from the rhizomes of leuzea safflower. It has a weak anabolic effect, increases protein synthesis, vascular tone, and overall metabolism.
Indications for use – hypotension, general asthenia, preparation for competitions, improvement of performance in hypotension, meteorological dependence.
Contraindicated in hypertension, allergies to components, insomnia, nervous disorders with agitation, epilepsy and ulcers, during pregnancy and lactation, up to 18 years. Use with caution in people with diabetes and thyroid problems.
The drug is incompatible with alcohol, does not affect the management of transport.
4. Caffetamine
The drug is available in tablets, sold by prescription. It belongs to the group of combined psychostimulants, the main active ingredients are ergotamine and caffeine. It has a tonic effect on the nervous system and a vasoconstrictor effect.
It is used for hypotension, migraine, with intracranial hypertension.
Contraindicated in case of allergy to components, in pregnancy, lactation and in children under 18 years of age, atherosclerosis and hypertension, anxiety disorders, insomnia, psychosis, glaucoma, serious heart damage and advanced age.
The drug is incompatible with alcohol, side effects with palpitations, agitation, sweating and nausea are possible.
5. Apple
Available in the form of ointments and sublingual tablets, dispensed from pharmacies without a prescription, belongs to the group of natural stimulants. The main active ingredient is royal jelly.
The drug from the group of biogenic stimulants is used in the complex treatment of asthenia, hypotension, neurotic disorders. The complex of biologically active substances, vitamins and minerals stimulates the body, tones the nervous system, increases vascular tone.
Contraindicated under 18 years of age, with Addison’s disease and hypertension, in people with allergies to bee products.
How to choose pills for low blood pressure
Very few are prescribed medications for hypotension. The symptoms of hypotension can usually be treated by making these small changes to your lifestyle and, in particular, by increasing your fluid and salt intake.
If drugs are needed, they are usually drugs that increase blood volume or constrict (spasm) peripheral arteries. As the volume of blood increases or the lumen of the arteries decreases, blood pressure will increase because more blood will flow through the smaller space.
All drugs are prescribed only by a doctor after examination and exclusion of obvious causes of low blood pressure.
Popular questions and answers
We asked neurologist of the highest category Evgeny Mosin about the problem of hypotension and the possible problems associated with this condition.
Many factors have a daily or sometimes even hourly effect on your heart and circulation:
● time of day – the pressure drops at night, so in the morning it will be low;
● age – blood pressure generally increases with age, although orthostatic and postprandial hypotension are also more likely in the elderly;
● how tense or relaxed you are – if you are stressed, your heart will beat faster and your blood pressure will rise, and vice versa, it will drop if you are relaxed;
● how much exercise you do – exercise will initially raise your blood pressure, but if you are healthy and exercise regularly, your blood pressure will be low when you are resting;
● your temperature – if you are cold, your heart rate will slow down and your blood pressure will drop;
● if you have recently eaten – the blood will be used to digest food in the stomach, so blood pressure anywhere in your body will drop.
If your blood pressure is still low after accounting for everyday factors, there may be another reason.
Some medications can cause hypotension as a side effect. Examples of medications that can cause hypotension include:
● beta-blockers – these can be given after heart problems or hypertension (high blood pressure);
● alpha-blockers – prescribed to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension
● some antidepressants.
Your doctor will discuss any possible side effects with you when prescribing the medication. While you are taking medication, your blood pressure will be closely monitored if you think you are at risk for hypotension.
If you have an acute (infectious) illness, you may have hypotension.
Heart disease, such as heart failure or a heart attack, can also cause low blood pressure, as your heart may not be able to pump blood around your body.
Autonomic disorders affect your autonomic nervous system and can cause hypotension.
Your autonomic nervous system controls bodily functions that you don’t think about, such as sweating, digestion, and your heartbeat. It also controls the expansion and contraction of your blood vessels. If there is a problem with this, your blood vessels may remain too wide, causing low blood pressure. In particular, autonomic disorders tend to cause orthostatic hypotension.
Hypotension can be caused by:
● diabetes mellitus;
● Parkinson’s disease;
● multiple system atrophy, a disorder that results in impaired brain signals to the muscles and limbs responsible for movement;
● pathology of the adrenal glands;
● serious injury and shock.
Low blood pressure can also be caused by serious injury or burns, especially if you’ve lost a lot of blood. Low blood pressure can also occur if you develop complications after a serious injury.
Other possible causes of low blood pressure:
● rare nerve conditions – if the nerves in your legs are affected, you may experience a severe drop in blood pressure when you stand up (postural or orthostatic hypotension);
● aging – as you age, your arteries can become stiffer, if they don’t constrict (become smaller), your blood pressure can drop, especially when you stand up;
● pregnancy – low blood pressure is quite common in the early and middle stages of pregnancy;
● prolonged bed rest – possibly low blood pressure may be caused by physical inactivity and less overall activity of the nervous system;
● dehydration – low blood pressure can occur after being especially dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhea, because lack of water and salt in your body will reduce blood volume;
● your genes – some research has shown that low blood pressure is genetic: if your parents have low blood pressure, it’s possible that you could inherit it from them.
● dizziness;
● fainting (sudden, temporary loss of consciousness);
● brad;
● blurred vision;
● fast or irregular heartbeat;
● confusion;
● nausea (feeling like you’re going to get sick);
● general weakness.
If you experience symptoms of hypotension after changing positions (such as standing up), this is called postural or orthostatic hypotension. If you experience these symptoms after eating, it is called postprandial hypotension.
When your body’s water and salt content decreases, it can cause low blood pressure. Increasing fluid and salt intake can easily deal with this. If you drink enough fluids – at least eight glasses a day – this will help with hypotension. This is because more fluid will increase your blood volume and having more blood in your arteries will increase your blood pressure. While people with high blood pressure are usually advised to limit their salt intake, if you have low blood pressure, you may be advised to include more salt in your diet. Your health care provider will be able to advise you on how much extra salt you need and whether you can add salt to your regular meals or whether you need to take salt tablets.
Get up gradually, especially in the morning. It may also be helpful to try other physical movements first to increase your heart rate and blood flow in your body vessels. For example, stretching in bed before you get up, or crossing and straightening your legs if you are sitting and about to get up.
Wear support stockings – sometimes called compression stockings. These are tight-fitting elastic socks or tights. They provide extra pressure on your shins, thighs, and abdomen, which will help stimulate your circulation and raise your blood pressure.
Raise the head of your bed or use extra pillows under your head. This will increase the flow of blood in your body and also make it easier for you to stand up.
Avoiding caffeine at night and limiting your alcohol intake will help you stay hydrated, which can cause low blood pressure.
Eating small, frequent meals, not large ones, will help you prevent postprandial hypotension (low blood pressure after eating). Resting after eating or sitting still for a while can also help relieve hypotension.