Disease or just a factor that interferes with normal life? Cardiologist advice for people with low blood pressure

A cardiologist says that low blood pressure in youth generally interferes slightly with life, and the feelings that low blood pressure causes are treated only as discomfort. However, there are cases when even a young person with low blood pressure can indicate a more serious illness.

One of the main reasons is passivity.

In this day and age, most people don’t move around much: they sit both at home and at work.

Often low blood pressure is for those who don’t exercise at all. After starting to exercise, the pressure improves, “said the cardiologist.

40 percent The cause of low blood pressure is unclear or related to low physical activity, reports the Lithuanian Society of Cardiologists.

The doctor says that low blood pressure can also be a consequence of more serious systemic diseases.

“Neuropathy, autonomic failure, nervous disorders. For one it may be just an inexplicable benign disorder, for another it may be a symptom of some disease, “said Professor G. Marinskis.

Can low blood pressure cause depression?

Often, due to low blood pressure, a person has no strength, falls asleep. Can it cause depression?

“Low blood pressure can cause discomfort: dizziness, weakness. If a person is depressed, they don’t want to do anything, but they move even more, so low blood pressure may be a consequence, the cardiologist said.

Most, but certainly not all, modern antidepressants are often the unnoticed cause of low blood pressure. All classes of antidepressants can lower blood pressure. “

So, the doctor summarizes that depression can cause low blood pressure, and not the other way around. Finally, both consequences are due in part to insufficient physical activity.

Still, can low blood pressure be dangerous?

Professor G. Marinskis says that low blood pressure should be treated according to the symptoms.

“Low blood pressure is dangerous when blood flow to the brain is interrupted to the point that a person passes out. For example, there are people who stand up, blood vessels do not adapt to changes in body position , – said the doctor.

– In other cases, low blood pressure should be treated according to the symptoms. It interferes: we treat if the symptoms do not disappear with non-medical measures. “

How fast to help yourself?

If you feel weak and find that your blood pressure is too low (optimal 120/80), first aid, as your doctor says, is half a liter of cold water.

“In a few minutes there will be a very significant effect and effect,” said the professor.
Drinking coffee is deep-rooted but quite risky advice for low blood pressure.

“Coffee should be taken very carefully for people with low blood pressure. This drink, as we know, expels liquids, so if a person drinks coffee, but does not drink enough liquids, after exposure to coffee, there is a higher probability of weakening and person getting tired, “said the professor. G. Marinskis.

The safest way to increase low blood pressure is water. People who often have low blood pressure are recommended to drink up to 3 liters of water a day.

And what about salt water?

“If you have very low blood pressure, it is recommended not to limit salt, even to 6-10 g per day, which is a lot. The problem is that those people sometimes don’t like salt,” says the professor. G. Marinskis.

The doctor emphasized that physical activity is very important in terms of preventing blood pressure, but does exercise help if you want to urgently increase blood pressure?

“In this case, exercises that stretch isotonic muscles, such as lifting weights, are more helpful,” advises the cardiologist.

For people who pass out from low blood pressure, doctors recommend that when you feel weak, clench your fists or cross your legs across your thighs and squeeze your muscles.

“This method is ’emergency’,” says the professor. – The pressure increases sharply, so it is better to do it when you risk fainting. Resting after swimming, running, especially when you sweat and don’t drink enough fluids, can get weak. Exercise is good, but it must be done systematically. “

Food can also reduce pressure.

Furthermore, the professor says that low blood pressure may also be related to food.

“Sometimes when people eat a lot, the blood pressure can drop in an hour. The blood vessels in the stomach and the digestive tract and other parts of the digestive system dilate, a lot of blood flows there because it needs to be digested, explains the professor G. Marinskis.

– If you notice a drop in blood pressure after a meal, you should eat a little, avoid overeating and reduce the amount of fast carbohydrates. Insulin is also believed to lower blood pressure. If we eat a lot of sweet foods, insulin can also dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure. “

It is recommended to be physically active at least one hour after the end of a meal.

Plus, adds a cardiologist, alcohol also lowers blood pressure.

Low blood pressure in youth, low in old age?

It would seem that if you have low blood pressure at a young age, then perhaps you won’t have a common problem in old age: high blood pressure? Unfortunately, the professor says that this is far from always being the case.

“It just came to our attention then. If there is some kind of nervous system, autonomic dysfunction, blood pressure can be low for life and even progress. For most people, blood pressure increases with age. We see a scenario quite common to be hypotonic in youth (having low blood pressure) and becoming hypertensive (high blood pressure) in old age, “in other words, vascular elasticity decreases and regulatory feedback is disrupted, the cardiologist explained.

However, according to the professor, if a person has low blood pressure at an early age, it may be so in old age.

The doctor says that due to low blood pressure, a person may be colder even in summer than the people around him.

“The body centralizes blood flow to provide enough vital organs: the kidneys, the brain, and then the periphery contract.” When the periphery contracts, blood enters the central circulation, so it happens that it is cold for a person, “says the professor. G. Marinskis.

The best medicine is exercise.

According to G. Marinskis, a professor of cardiology, exercise is the best way to regulate blood pressure for a long time.

“Exercise helps a lot. Also for the elderly: if they walk and climb the stairs for 30-40 minutes a day, it would help to avoid problems with blood pressure, fainting, etc. “says the doctor.

Prof. G. Marinskis emphasizes that people often don’t seem to have enough time to be physically active. This is not how it is supposed to be. “They sit, they work,” says the doctor, and advises putting health above priorities and moving more.

In extreme cases, the doctor advises standing on a reclining wall daily, to sleep with your head raised between 10 and 20 degrees.

What to do if you feel dizzy in the morning due to low blood pressure? Your doctor will advise you to drink half a liter of cold water before getting up.

Still, if a person knows that their blood pressure is too low, but does not feel too much, lives comfortably, does they still need to do something about it?

“If it does not interfere, there is nothing to do,” replies the professor. G. Marinskis.

Prof cardiologist Marinski’s tip for people with low blood pressure:

• review the medications you are taking;
• drink coffee carefully, do not forget to drink water at the same time;
• tea lasts longer, but the most important thing is to guarantee a sufficient quantity of liquids every day;
• don’t limit salt;
• Try compression stockings. In cases of resistant hypotension, high-pressure (elastic) compression stockings may be recommended, they are effective, but uncomfortable for most.