Low Blood Pressure - Hypotension – Causes, Risks, Symptoms & Treatment

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force exerted by blood against the wall of blood vessels, i.e. the arterial wall. A blood pressure reading has two numbers: the first and the higher of the two is the systolic BP; the other one is the diastolic BP. A normal blood pressure may be defined as <120/80 mm Hg.

One is said to have a Low blood pressure or Hypotension when his blood pressure is <90/60 mm Hg. An optimal blood pressure of 110/70 mm Hg is a sign of good cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) health. Healthy people, like trained athletes usually have a lower blood pressure and lower pulse rate than the unfit ones. A low blood pressure may however be a sign of an underlying problem, especially in the elderly, and lead to inadequate blood supply to the heart, brain or other vital organs.


Chronic low blood pressure without symptoms is not serious in most instances . However a sudden drop may cause health problems as  the brain gets deprived of sufficient blood supply. Light-headedness or dizziness ensues a fall of 20 mm Hg.

It is noted that many Indian woman suffer from low blood pressure and also low hemoglobin. However there are no large studies from the sub-continent to study this association. Low blood pressure is also seen in the elderly people and sometimes is due to medication.

How to Measure Blood Pressure

Lightheadedness, dizziness or fainting episodes are the main symptoms of the condition.

Certain lifestyle modification can prevent low blood pressure from causing any major health problems; Increasing salt in diet may also help its treatment.