Hypotension is a condition in which the blood pressure falls below what is considered to be normal. Blood pressure is a relative term that may vary with the patient's age (e.g., lower in infants, 80/40 millimeters of mercury), underlying medical condition, levels of stress, activity, medications and environment.

Causes

Many people have a chronic problem with low blood pressure that is not particularly serious. This may include people who require certain medications, who are pregnant, have bad veins, or have arteriosclerosis. Fluids, including blood, lost from the body may also cause postural hypotension, as may many diseases. Hypotension can occur in combination with Addison's disease and alcoholism.

Symptoms

Symptoms of hypotension can be very disabling and most often occur when getting up in the morning, or when standing up. Some patients have symptoms after eating a meal. The symptoms include dimming or loss of vision, feeling of lightheadedness or dizziness, sweating, reduced hearing , skin color turns pale, feeling of weakness, and fainting may occur if the drop in blood pressure is enough to reduce blood flow to the brain.

Whether low blood pressure produces a syndrome is controversial. Several studies have suggested that low blood pressure may be associated with nonspecific symptoms such as tiredness and feeling faint. Because these symptoms are often attributed to psychological problems, some authorities believe that psychological dysfunction may be associated with hypotension.
 

Treatment

Treatment of low blood pressure depends on the underlying cause, which can usually be resolved.  If you have no symptoms, your physician may decide no treatment is necessary. If you have symptoms, your physician may reassess the doses of your medications, especially your blood pressure medications. For those people with postural hypotension, a medication adjustment may help prevent the problem, possible interventions may include rehydration, changing the timing of meals, elevation of the head of your bed, and pressure-graded stockings.