When Is Low Blood Pressure An Emergency

How To Treat Emergency Low Blood Pressure Topic Guide

Every time an ambulance drops off a patient at the emergency room, it’s a new mystery for doctors and nurses to solve and a new potential catastrophe to stop from unfolding. Learn about a typical night in the ER through this case study.

• Low blood pressure is usually not a problem as long as a person has no troublesome symptoms. Causes of low blood pressure include prolonged bed rest, pregnancy, decreases in blood volume from major trauma, heart problems, certain medications, endocrine problems, severe infection , severe allergic reaction , and others.

Risk Factors For Hypertension

There are a number of factors that can put you at a greater risk for developing hypertension.

If you are aware of these risk factors and understand how they can affect you, you may be less likely to develop high blood pressure or know you can help control it.

• Family History: If you have a close blood relative with HBP, you are at a greater risk of developing it yourself.
• Age: The older you get, the more likely you are to be diagnosed with HBP.
• Gender: Males are more likely to develop HBP before the age of 65. Women tend to develop hypertension over the age of 65.
• Race: More than 4 in 10 African-Americans suffer from high blood pressure. Hypertension in these individuals usually occurs earlier in life and is much more severe.
• Diabetes: More than 3 in 4 people with Diabetes are also diagnosed with Hypertension.
• Lifestyle: The choices you make can decrease your risk of developing hypertension. These factors include diet, exercise, being overweight and the use of alcohol and tobacco. The good news is that, unlike the others, these risk factors can be changed.

Can You Be Healthy And Have Low Blood Pressure

According to Luke Laffin MD, a preventive cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, There are many normal reasons for lower blood pressure, including younger age and small stature. Some people just have a genetic predisposition to low blood pressure.

Generally, if there are no symptoms, low blood pressure is not considered a problem. Though some people do naturally have blood pressure that tends to be on the low side and have no symptoms.

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Causes Of Low Blood Pressure

There are many causes of low blood pressure. Some are minor which only cause low blood pressure without any other symptoms. More severe causes of low blood pressure can lead to emergencies like tissue damage, shock or even death .

Prolonged bed rest: Your blood circulation decreases because of lack of movement.

: A loss of blood volume can cause your blood pressure to drop. The loss in volume can happen due to trauma, internal bleeding or dehydration.

Certain medications: The following drugs may cause low blood pressure:

• Some heart and high blood pressure medications like beta-blockers and diuretics.
• Drugs for Parkinsons disease.
• Erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra.
• Tricyclic antidepressants.
• Some prescription and over-the-counter drugs when combined with blood pressure medications.

Pregnancy: Typically, in the first 6 months of pregnancy blood pressure is often low.

Heart problems: Problems with heart valves, low heart rate, and heart failure can cause low blood pressure. This is because the heart may be unable to circulate enough blood through the body.

Nutritional deficiencies: Anemia can be caused by a lack of folic acid and B-12 which can cause low blood pressure.

Endocrine problems: Complications with hormone-producing glands in the endocrine system can cause low blood pressure like:

• An underactive thyroid
• Low blood sugar
• Diabetes

In addition, this is why the doctors office asks about any allergies to medication like penicillin.

Medicines For High Blood Pressure

Several types of medicine can be used to help control high blood pressure.

Many people need to take a combination of different medicines.

• if youâre under 55 years of age youâll usually be offered an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin-2 receptor blocker
• if youâre aged 55 or older, or youâre any age and of African or Caribbean origin youâll usually be offered a calcium channel blocker

You may need to take blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life. But your doctor might be able to reduce or stop your treatment if your blood pressure stays under control for several years.

Itâs really important to take your medicine as directed. If you miss doses, it will not work as well.

The medicine will not necessarily make you feel any different, but this does not mean itâs not working.

Medicines used to treat high blood pressure can have side effects, but most people do not get any.

If you do get side effects, do not stop taking your medicine. Talk to your doctor, who may advise changing your medicine.

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Get In A Quiet Room And Calm Yourself Down

If you are in a crowded place, shelter yourself in a quiet room immediately.

The undertone is to get away from the crowd. High BP triggers anxiety and breathlessness which needs isolation.

However, its advisable to keep a friend around just in case the situation goes out of hand.

But it is important to get away from the crowd and focus on yourself to get a hold of yourself.

Erratic heartbeat, ragged breathing, and flashes of warmth are signs of hypertension. Therefore, these are the signs you should look out for!

Emergency Treatments For Low Blood Pressure

Low blood pressure or hypotension can refer to any blood pressure below the established normal of 120/80 mmHg as per the American Heart Association 12. However, hypotension is typically only treated when accompanied by signs and symptoms such as dizziness or lightheadedness, fainting, unusual thirst, lack of concentration, blurred vision, nausea, cool or cold, clammy and pale skin, fast breathing, general fatigue and often increased heart rate. Treatments focus on the underlying cause of the low pressure.

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Symptoms Of Low Blood Pressure In Elderly Individuals

As long as you feel OK, a low blood pressure reading is generally nothing to worry about. Doctors are not usually concerned about a low BP in otherwise healthy individuals.

So, when is blood pressure too low? You should see your healthcare provider if you experience hypotension symptoms such as:

• Dizziness
• Confusion or inability to concentrate
• Nausea
• An irregular or rapid heartbeat
• Weakness

Diagnosing High Blood Pressure

Only a licensed healthcare professional can diagnose high blood pressure. Your doctor will check your blood pressure to see what your reading is.

If your doctor suspects that your high blood pressure is the symptom of another medical condition, youll need to complete more specific tests to learn more. If another condition is discovered, treating it should have a positive impact on your blood pressure.

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What Blood Pressure Is Considered Emergency

Hypertension is known as the Silent Killer since you generally do not experience symptoms, even when the blood pressure is unobtrusively causing impairment to your body. If unaware hypertension might be slowly hurt the capacity of your heart, veins, kidneys or different organs to work as they should.

Prevalence Risk And Causes

There are no definitive or generally accepted figures on prevalence. Constitutional hypotension is seen more often in younger patients while OH is observed more frequently in elderly patients.

Risk is increased, especially in OH. The risk for syncope along with the danger of falling with all its consequences is the immediate risk in these patients, as fractures often occur in these conditions. Also, the impact on quality of life should not be underestimated.

On top of these, there is, according to several papers, a clear increase in cardiovascular risk in OH patients. Remarkably, this increased risk is also present in patients who are totally asymptomatic. There seems to be a link to heart failure and atrial fibrillation , maybe to dementia as well. In the recent ARIC study , an increased prevalence of stroke and coronary artery disease was documented in all age classes. On the other hand, it should be mentioned here that this increase in risk has not been confirmed in all studies and that the age of many patients obviously by itself is a major and thoroughly realistic factor in explaining the increased risk.

In relation to causes , there is, besides age, a close link with diabetes in patients with OH. Even antihypertensive drugs interfering with the alpha-adrenergic receptors can cause OH. Some neurological syndromes are accompanied by OH such as pure autonomic failure or multiple system atrophy .

Table 1. Causes of orthostatic hypotension .

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How To Manage Low Blood Pressure At Home

Now comes the main part, how to elevate the blood pressure of a person in hypotension.

Salt Salt is the potent blood pressure elevator. Whenever youre experiencing low blood pressure, take some salt with water and it will restore your blood pressure within seconds. Pour and stir some salt in water until it gets saturated and starts settling down in the glass and then drink it.

When To Worry About Low Blood Pressure

We all know that high blood pressure can be dangerous. But what about low blood pressure

Also called hypotension, low blood pressure is not a problem if youre healthy and show no signs or symptoms of the condition. However, abnormally low blood pressure can cause problems such as dizziness and fainting and can be a sign that other serious conditions, such as heart disease, are present.

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Seeking Emergency Medical Attention

If a person experiences low blood pressure along with concerning symptoms such as a loss of consciousness, mental confusion, and a weak, rapid pulse and breathing pattern they should seek immediate medical attention.

In the emergency room, doctors may ask questions about a persons medical history, medications they may be taking, or any infections or accidents they may have had.

They may ask about or check for symptoms. They may also administer tests to check heart rate and blood pressure, and imaging tests to check the internal body and organs for other issues.

Even if a person is experiencing mild rather than severe symptoms along with low blood pressure, they should still seek guidance from a doctor.

Doctors may want to monitor the symptoms and test the blood pressure themselves to make any necessary diagnosis and administer treatment.

Aside from these events, a person may have low blood pressure and be in otherwise good health.

Low Blood Pressure Definition And Facts

• Low blood pressure, also called hypotension, is blood pressure low enough that the flow of blood to the organs of the body is inadequate and symptoms and/or signs of low blood flow develop.
• Low pressure alone, without symptoms or signs, usually is not unhealthy.
• The symptoms of low blood pressure include lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting. These symptoms are most prominent when individuals go from the lying or sitting position to the standing position .
• Low blood pressure that causes an inadequate flow of blood to the body’s organs can cause strokes, heart attacks, and kidney failure. The most severe form is shock.
• Common causes of low blood pressure include a reduced volume of blood, heart disease, and medications.
• The cause of low blood pressure can be determined with blood tests, radiologic studies, and cardiac testing to look for heart failure and arrhythmias.
• Treatment of low blood pressure is determined by the cause of the low pressure.

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Lower Down High Blood Pressure At Home In Emergency Now

Note: Please remember, this post can not replace the advice of your doctor. If your doctor has advised against any advice on this page, then you should avoid it for sure. Also, rush to hospital whenever you or loved ones have high blood pressure or any other cardiac symptoms, instead of following advices of this page or any other.

Once youre in hospital, doctors have several ways to bring your blood pressure to normal limits easily. But what if youre home, without any medicine to lower blood pressure instantly naturally? And need to bring your severely high blood pressure within normal limits? Here are a few tricks for immediate treatment of high blood pressure.

Well there are several remedies to lower down your blood pressure at home in an emergency situation which well be sharing in this post.

Health Teaching And Health Promotion

The best way to prevent a hypertensive emergency is to remain compliant with antihypertensive medications. While routine hypertension can be managed by the primary health care provider, consultation from a cardiologist is recommended when the patient is on more than 3 antihypertensives and the blood pressure still remains elevated.

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When Is Low Blood Pressure An Emergency And What To Do To Prevent And Manage It

Low Blood Pressure which is medically termed as hypotension occurs when the blood pressure of a person falls below a certain range. Although there is not set parameter for low blood pressure as it is for high blood pressure and the numbers tend to vary from person to person. However, experts suggest that a blood pressure below 90/60 mmHg is considered to be low. Generally, a low blood pressure is considered to be an indication that the person is healthy. However, when it gets too low that suggests not enough oxygen is reaching the vital organs of the body then it is a cause for concern. This can lead to a variety of complications. Of all the complications, shock is the most serious one.

A visit to the emergency room is indicated if a person with low blood pressure also has nausea, clammy skin, palpitations, shallow breathing, increased thirst, dizziness, vision problems, issues with focusing on tasks, and fatigue. There are a variety of reasons as to why the blood pressure in a people drops. In females, low blood pressure generally occurs during pregnancy in between the second and the third trimester. Low blood pressure also can occur due to significant blood loss. This usually happens after a severe motor vehicle collision, stab or gunshot wound.

When Low Blood Pressure Is An Emergency: Call 911

The majority of talk involving blood pressure typically centers around the topic of high blood pressure. High blood pressure effects more people but low blood pressure can be just as important. Most of the time low blood pressure is not a problem, and its even desirable. But there are times when low blood pressure is an emergency.

When is low blood pressure an emergency? Low blood pressure is an emergency when the BP number is too low and there are the following symptoms:

• Fainting
• Pale skin
• Clammy skin

This blog post will cover in more detail what to do in an emergency and mistakes people make when their blood pressure falls suddenly. Ill also tell you how to avoid low pressure, the symptoms and treatments. Low blood pressure is an important topic and must be taken seriously because the consequences to your body can be severe.

Low BP Tip: Home monitoring is just as important with low blood pressure as high BP! If you dont have a home blood pressure monitor, check out the current price on Amazon for the monitor I recommend, Welch Allyn Home 1700 Series Blood Pressure.

Disclaimer: Some links in this article are affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases.

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Check Blood Pressure And Make Sure

First of all, once you find out high blood pressure, note it down in a notebook with date and time with it.

Check the blood pressure of the patient using a sphygmomanometer.

Sphygmomanometer is the bp apparatus, used to measure blood pressure. It can be manual one that requires you to have a stethescope too, or a digital one. The digital bloodpressure monitor tells the blood pressure itself by cuffing it around the arm above elbow or at wrist and turning it on, depending upon the type of the bp apparatus.

Make sure that the patient is having high blood pressure. Lowering the blood pressure when its not high may result in hypotension. Hypotension means abnormally lowered blood pressure and it can lead to serious complications too, including death.

So make sure that your patient is having high blood pressure. If you dont have a bp apparatus device at home then take them to the nearest clinic or hospital to get it checked as soon as possible.

Diagnosing Low Blood Pressure

Diagnosis is crucial whether your low blood pressure is an emergency with symptoms or theres low blood pressure alone. The doctor will try to determine the underlying cause of the low blood pressure.

If an underlying condition is determined, then that condition will be addressed which should correct the low blood pressure. To help with your diagnosis, its always good to keep track of any symptoms, activities at the time and a record of your blood pressure at home .

The doctor may do the following when making a diagnosis:

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How To Manage High Blood Pressure At Home In Emergency

Before attempting first aid for high blood pressure at home, please note, that the tips to lower down your blood pressure in this post arent meant to replace specialist consultation and hospital visit in any circumstances. Please visit your nearest hospital whenever possible in case of hypertension as it may have serious outcomes.

Also remember, that some ways to bring blood pressure down immediately can be harmful to our body including brain. They can also develop hypotension . Thats why never attempt any remedies or techniques without consultation with your doctor.