Low Blood Pressure

Blood Pressure is the force exerted by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels, caused by heart contractions forcing a constant volume of blood around a closed system. Under certain circumstances your blood pressure can go up, this is called high blood pressure or hypertension.  The opposite is called hypotension, the most common symptoms experienced is fatigue, blurred vision and dizziness.  This means that there is insufficient blood circulating around the body.  Normal average systolic/diastolic blood pressure in a healthy adult of average size and weight is 120/80 mm Hg.

CAUSES OF LOW BLOOD PRESSURE

Low blood pressure may be the result of infection, low iron levels and anaemia, pregnancy, thyroid imbalances, dehydration, blood loss, renal complications (kidneys), a side effect of medications, virus’, emotional stress, allergic reaction, internal bleeding or blood donation and blood loss.  The long term complications of low blood pressure are that vital organs such as the heart receive less oxygen resulting in ischaemia (muscle oxygen deprivation) or an abnormal heart beat.

Please also be aware that the herb licorice which is used in Naturopathic medicine can increase blood pressure and therefore caution is needed when using high amounts of this herb over long periods of time.

Treatment of low blood pressure depends on the cause and will be different for each individual case. For example if Iron deficiency is the causative factor for you then obviously a supplement and food which contain high amounts of Iron would be beneficial for you. Hypotension is also a difficult condition to address and it is recommended that you consult with a Healthcare professional who can assist you further and recommend a treatment strategy specifically for you which takes into consideration personal and family history, medications, supplementation, diet and lifestyle.