Low Blood Pressure at Night Sleeping.
When heart activity rate increases, blood pressure speed also
rises especially during the day and vice versa especially during sleeping
hours, blood pressure drops. It occurs for several reasons including dehydration;
prolong bed rest, pregnancy, diabetes, heart problems, burns, excessive heat,
large varicose veins and some other neurological discomforts which will be
detaily analyzed within this article. Low blood pressure at night sleeping
should be well analyzed to know what is causing it so that it can be treated or managed.
A blood pressure reading lower than 90 (mm Hg) for the top
number (systolic) or lower than 60 mm Hg for the bottom number (diastolic) is
generally considered low blood pressure. Current guidelines identify normal
blood pressure to range from 90 to 130 mmHg for the top number and 60 to 90mmHg
for the bottom number.
Hypotension might seem good, for some people because it
causes no problems. However, for many people, abnormally low blood pressure can
cause severe health problems as can be seen below.
Signs
of Hypotension.
For some people, low blood pressure signals an underlying
problem, especially when it drops suddenly or is accompanied by signs and
symptoms such as:
·
Dizziness or lightheadedness
·
Fainting (syncope)
·
Blurred vision
·
Nausea
·
Fatigue
·
Lack of concentration
·
Confusion, especially in older
people
·
Cold, clammy, pale skin
·
Rapid, shallow breathing
·
Weak and rapid pulse
What's considered low blood pressure for you may be normal
for someone else. Most doctors consider blood pressure too low only if it
causes symptoms as above
After witnessing the above symptoms it vital to get the
services of a Doctor especially when a shock signs are inclusive. It can be
helpful to keep a record of your symptoms, when they occur and what you're
doing at the time. If the low blood pressure readings are consistent but you
feeling fine, your doctor is likely just to monitor you during routine exams.
Blood pressure varies within a day,
depending on body posture, breathing rhythm, stress level, physical condition,
medications you take, food you eat and what you drink, and time of day. Blood
pressure is usually lowest at night and rises sharply on waking up.
Low blood pressure (hypotension) is divided into four main
types mainly guided by their causal factors... Some types of low blood pressure
include:
·
Orthostatic, or postural, hypotension. This is a sudden drop in blood pressure when you stand
up from a sitting position or after lying down.
Gravity
causes blood to pool in your legs when you stand. Ordinarily, your body
compensates by increasing your heart rate and constricting blood vessels,
thereby ensuring that enough blood returns to your brain.
But
in people with orthostatic hypotension, this compensating mechanism fails and
blood pressure falls, leading to dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision and
even fainting.
Orthostatic
hypotension can occur for various reasons, including dehydration, prolonged bed
rest, pregnancy, diabetes, heart problems, burns, excessive heat, large
varicose veins and certain neurological disorders.
Some
medicines can also cause orthostatic hypotension, particularly drugs used to treat
high blood pressure — diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and
angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors — as well as antidepressants and
drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease and erectile dysfunction.
Orthostatic
hypotension is especially common in older adults, but it also affects young,
otherwise healthy people who stand up suddenly after sitting with their legs
crossed for long periods or after squatting for a time.
It's
also possible to have delayed orthostatic hypotension, with signs and symptoms
developing 5 to 10 minutes after a change in posture. This might be a milder
form of the condition, or it could be an early stage of it.
·
Postprandial hypotension. This sudden drop in blood pressure after eating
affects mostly older adults.
Blood
flows to your digestive tract after you eat. Ordinarily, your body increases
your heart rate and constricts certain blood vessels to help maintain normal
blood pressure. But in some people these mechanisms fail, leading to dizziness,
faintness and falls.
Postprandial
hypotension is more likely to affect people with high blood pressure or
autonomic nervous system disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
Lowering
the dose of blood pressure drugs and eating small, low-carbohydrate meals might
help reduce symptoms.
·
Low blood
pressure from faulty brain signals (neurally mediated hypotension). This disorder, which causes a blood pressure drop
after standing for long periods, mostly affects young adults and children. It
seems to occur because of a miscommunication between the heart and the brain.
·
Low blood
pressure due to nervous system damage (multiple system atrophy with orthostatic
hypotension). Also called Shy-Drager
syndrome, this rare disorder causes progressive damage to the autonomic nervous
system, which controls involuntary functions such as blood pressure, heart
rate, breathing and digestion. It's associated with having very high blood
pressure while lying down.
Low blood
pressure has many causes as can be seen below
·
Pregnancy. Because the circulatory system expands rapidly during
pregnancy, blood pressure is likely to drop. This is normal, and blood pressure
usually returns to your pre-pregnancy level after you've given birth.
·
Heart
problems. Some heart conditions that can
lead to low blood pressure include extremely low heart rate, heart valve
problems, heart attack and heart failure.
·
Endocrine
problems. Thyroid conditions such as
parathyroid disease, adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease), low blood sugar
(hypoglycemia) and, in some cases, diabetes can trigger low blood pressure.
·
Dehydration. When your body loses more water than it takes in, it
can cause weakness, dizziness and fatigue. Fever, vomiting, severe diarrhea,
overuse of diuretics and strenuous exercise can lead to dehydration.
·
Blood
loss. Losing a lot of blood, such as
from a major injury or internal bleeding, reduces the amount of blood in your
body, leading to a severe drop in blood pressure.
·
Severe
infection (septicemia). When
an infection in the body enters the bloodstream, it can lead to a
life-threatening drop in blood pressure called septic shock.
·
Severe
allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Common
triggers of this severe and potentially life-threatening reaction include
foods, certain medications, insect venoms and latex. Anaphylaxis can cause
breathing problems, hives, itching, a swollen throat and a dangerous drop in
blood pressure.
·
Lack of
nutrients in your diet. A
lack of the vitamins B-12 and folate can keep your body from producing enough
red blood cells (anemia), causing low blood pressure.
·
Medications
.Water pills such as furosemide
(Lasix) and hydrochlorothiazide (Maxzide, Microzide, others), Alpha blockers,
such as prazosin (Minipress), Beta blockers, such as atenolol (Tenormin) and
propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL, others).
Summarily.
If this article is followed
carefully, you will learn and understand what causes your low blood pressure and how to adequately
handle it.
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