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Blood Pressure: Can It Be Too Low?
The other day a friend of mine went to the dentist have dental surgery. Prior to starting the surgery the nurse took his blood pressure and because it was so low, somewhere in the 70/50 range, she was concerned enough that she sent him right to the emergency room even though he tried to convince them that this was normal. He was finally able to convince the emergency room doctors that he was in good enough health that they could release him. Although his blood pressure number sounded awfully low to me it must be fine for him as he's 77 years old and appears to be in pretty good health.
When he told me the story I started to wonder about high and low blood pressure, so I did some research on the subject. Being as my blood pressure has always been on the high end of the scale, around 140-150/75-85, I was under the impression that someone with blood pressure of anything in the range of 100/70 was just walking around looking for a place to collapse. It wasn't until I had heart surgery and was put on blood pressure medication along with eating modifications that my blood pressure went down to 120/78 which I learned was about the ideal number. When I started my research I learned that high blood pressure(hypertension) is pretty easy to define, as anything over 120/80 is abnormal. On the other hand defining low blood pressure is not so easy because there is not an absolute number that is considered abnormally low. To help you understand low blood pressure, just think of the arteries and veins as a plumbing system that basically carry blood around the body. Think of the heart as the pump that keeps the blood moving. As long as there is enough pressure in the pipes to get the blood to where it needs to be, the plumbing system is doing its job and there's no reason to worry about. There's only a problem when the blood pressure is too low to get enough blood to all the body parts. The brain, which is probably the most sensitive organ, does a pretty good job of letting us know when there might be a blood supply problem. Because the brain is at the top of our body there are times when we stand up too quickly and gravity pulls the blood supply down. When this happens we may get a little dizzy or light headed. Usually this passes quickly as the brain tells the heart to pump a little faster and the blood pressure increases. If your blood pressure is too low then it may take 10-15 seconds to recover after standing up. More severe low blood pressure can sometimes cause dizziness or lightheadedness even when you're not standing. There are times when someone with very low pressure could lose consciousness because the brain isn't getting enough blood. These symptons more than anything else could indicate low enough blood pressure that you should see a doctor. As the actual numbers vary so much it doesn't help to try and compare your blood pressure numbers with someone elses. Someone recently starting to take medicine for very high blood pressure might be dizzy even though their blood pressure is still above 120/80. On the other hand, other people feel just fine with a blood pressure of 80/50. If your blood pressure is very low but not causing any symptoms, then there's nothing to worry about - you should be congratulated. You are in no danger of having high blood pressure, and nothing else needs to be done. On the other hand if you frequently feel lightheaded and dizzy, you should see your doctor, but don't automatically assume that your dizziness is always going to be a blood-pressure problem; many things other than low blood pressure can cause these symptoms. The treatment for low blood pressure is usually as simple as eating more salt and drinking more fluids, which works for most people. Some patients may even need to take salt tablets, or sometimes prescription medicine, to raise their blood pressure. If you are taking medicine for high blood pressure and feeling dizzy or lightheaded, you might need to try a lower dose of the medicine, at least for a while until your body adjusts to it. If your medication is keeping your blood pressure well below 120/80, you might want to ask your doctor-even if you aren't having any symptoms or problems-if you can take less medicine to allow your blood pressure to run a little bit higher. The facts in this are from an article form John Hopkins University. This article is informational only and should not be relied upon as medical advice. Don't make any changes in your medicine or habits without consulting with your doctor.
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Contributor's Note
The author is not an authority on blood pressure but a rule of thumb is low is good and high is bad. Consult your doctor when in doubt.
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