Blood Pressure Drops - The Symptoms, Consequences, Treatment

Posted by Lindsay Moore on December 29th, 2020

Sharp pressure drops in an elderly person, when high rates are replaced by low ones and vice versa, occur quite often. Why does the pressure jump in the elderly? What is the threat of such a situation? How to deal with the problem? Our staff together with Trust Pharmacy employees create an article that will help you cope with blood pressure drops. Trust Pharmacy from sandelcenter.com may become a rescue in coping with blood pressure problems. You may find many medications prescribed for hypertension or hypotension. The parcels are delivered all over the world that makes treatment of blood pressure problems much more affordable.

Why do pressure drops occur?

Blood pressure drops can be single or multiple. If the problem occurs once, then it is not dangerous. But don't ignore its repetition.

The main factors provoking drops in blood pressure are:

• getting out of bed quickly;
• any sudden movement, especially with the head;
• physical exercise;
• various experiences, emotional stress;
• sudden changes in air temperature (for example, when visiting a bath, which cause rapid narrowing or expansion of blood vessels;
• changes in weather conditions (typical for meteorological people);
• constant lack of sleep;
• side effects of some medications;
• drinking alcoholic beverages;
• smoking;
• chronic diseases.

In a healthy person, the indicators only slightly deviate from the norm and quickly normalize. If there are chronic diseases, then it is quite difficult to normalize pressure.

Common causes of sudden pressure surges in the elderly are various diseases:

• vegetovascular dystonia - the autonomic nervous system becomes unable to control the functioning of the heart and vascular tone;
• diseases of the heart that disrupt its rhythm and weaken the contractile ability;
• brain pathologies (tumors, blood circulation disorders, inflammation) - disrupt the nervous activity that regulates the work of the cardiovascular system;
• diseases of the adrenal glands and thyroid gland - the synthesis of hormones is disrupted, which affects the pressure;
• atherosclerosis;
• hypertonic disease;
• essential hypertension;
• heart and kidney failure;
• cervical osteochondrosis, scoliosis, radiculitis;
• intervertebral hernia;
• inflammation of the maxillary sinuses;
• diabetes.

The causes of blood pressure surges in old age are explained by changes in the body, which include:

• increased blood viscosity;
• loss of vascular elasticity and fragility;
• the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots;
• vascular hardening;
• increased load on the heart;
• disruption of metabolic processes.

Another reason for pressure surges in the elderly is the body's attempts to normalize indicators and their failure due to a severe disease's course or a failure of regulatory mechanisms.

Often people diagnosed with hypertension suffer from a sharp change in blood pressure. If antihypertensive drugs are taken incorrectly, their blood pressure drops below normal, but after a few hours it will rise above the common level, which is associated with low elasticity of the blood vessel walls.

Consequences of blood pressure surges

Sudden pressure drops for people over 60 are more dangerous than consistently high or low values. They increase the load on the heart several times, accelerating its wear and tear, and provoke a hypertensive crisis, which can cause different complications, including myocardial infarction. Also, jumps in blood pressure can cause cerebrovascular disorders, coronary heart disease, stroke.

How to specify pathology?

A tonometer will help you accurately diagnose drops. But they can also be determined by the health deterioration.

Blood pressure jumps are accompanied by:

• headache and dizziness;
• alternating redness and pallor of the skin;
• noise in the ears;
• the appearance of blackheads before the eyes;
• nausea and vomiting;
• numbness in the fingers;
• cold limbs;
• muscle tremors all over the body;
• tremor of the limbs;
• slowing down or increased heart rate;
• feeling short of breath (shortness of breath);
• aching or girdle pain in the chest area;
• increased sweating;
• severe weakness, fatigue and weakness (sometimes a person cannot even walk);
• fainting and convulsions.

If similar symptoms appear, it is necessary to measure blood pressure on both hands and control the indicators for 2 hours, every 20-30 minutes.

How is the disease treated?

If an elderly person's blood pressure drops, then, first of all, he needs to visit a doctor. The specialist will carry out diagnostics to determine the pathology's cause, individually select medications, adjust the dosage, take into account the presence of chronic diseases and contraindications.

It is recommended to keep a diary where to note after what actions the blood pressure has decreased or increased, which will help the doctor to prescribe the optimal treatment.

Self-medication is possible only as an emergency, after which a doctor should be called. Otherwise, it can result in severe complications and death.

First aid

What to do if the tonometer showed a strong deviation from the norm?

With increased blood pressure, you need to lie down in a comfortable position and relax. It is recommended to place a heating pad on your feet. If a person experiences chest discomfort, nitroglycerin should be taken.

With low blood pressure, you need to drink a cup of coffee, put some salt on your tongue, eat a spoonful of sugar, or take citramone or several glucose tablets.

If the pressure has returned to normal, and the symptoms have not disappeared, then no additional measures need to be taken. The state will be restored soon.

Preventive measures

To prevent surges in blood pressure, you must:

• monitor blood pressure regularly using a home blood pressure device;
• exclude coffee and strong tea from the diet;
• minimize the fat and salt content of food;
• exclude smoked meats, sausages, canned food from the diet;
• increase consumption of sea fish, vegetables and fruits;
• do not give up physical activity, but they should be moderate (exercise, walking) so as not to strain the body;
• get enough sleep at night and rest during the day;
• keep body weight at the same level;
• do not take drugs that quickly lower blood pressure, which can cause collapse due to the rapid flow of blood from the brain and lead to death (this recommendation is especially relevant for people over 90 years old).