Low Blood Pressure - also becomes the sign of cardiac abnormalities

Hypotension or Low Blood Pressure is a condition when the blood pressure becomes lower than normal value of 120/80 mmHg.  Most of the heart disease patients usually connect their problem with hypertension condition and just neglect the possibility of having hypotension as one of symptoms in the other hand.  I have Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy and I also have problem with hypotension and not hypertension. Thus, what cause the hypotension ?
 

1. Dehydration

Dehydration is the most common situation that human can meet in their daily life. Enduring dehydration for quite long time is very dangerous and even can damage your metabolism or internal organs. Nausea which leads to continuous vomiting, and also diarrhea and over sweat, will also trigger dehydration and imbalance of electrolytes in human body.   Further more, the delay of liquid replenishment can cause hipotension orthostatic.  You will feel very dizzy and then losing consciousness.   

2. Massive blood loss

An internal or external bleeding that causes a massive blood loss will also drop the blood pressure.  Severe accident and doing a surgery might result a lot of blood loss, so that is why knowing your blood type data will help the hospital and the doctors to prepare a matching blood reserve before any surgery.

3. The weak of cardiac muscle

It is obvious that a weak cardiac muscle will reduce the blood pumping capability, hence resulting a low blood pressure. Since so many articles only mention about the relation between heart disease, stroke, coronary disease, and high blood pressure, now we know that hypotension also becomes the symptom of the other heart problem which is Congestive Heart Failure, especially Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

4. Swelling organ

When an organ is getting swollen, liquid will leave the blood vessel and enter the swollen tissue surrounding the organ, therefore the blood in blood vessel will lose some of its liquid.

5. Pregnancy

In the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, Systolic pressure will be reduced 5 - 10 mmHg, while Diastolic pressure will also go down about 10 - 15 mmHg from normal condition.  The pressure will all go back to its previous pressure after giving birth.

6. Endocrine Problem

Hypothyroid and Hyperthyroid can cause low blood pressure.  Addison disease, hypoglycemia, Diabetes are the other special condition that might cause low blood pressure.

7. Anaphylaxis (Severe Alergic)

Anaphylaxis is a severe alergic reaction that can cause death.  It could be triggered by foods, certain medications, insecticides, and latex.  The symptoms could appear in the respiratory system (choking and hard to breath), itches skins, swelling face or throat, and also dropping the blood pressure.

8. The lack of Nutrition

Anemia as the result of lack intake of Vitamin B-12 and folic acid in our daily meal, where the body fail to produce enough red blood cells, will also reduce the blood pressure.

Medication that might cause low blood pressure

1. Alpha Blocker (hypertension medication)
2. Beta Blocker (most of CHF medication)
3. Diuretics (Furosemide, Lasix)
4. Anti-depressant 
5. Parkinson medication
6. Nitroglycerin

Medication for Low Blood Pressure:

Please be careful if you want to raise up your blood pressure, while you have a heart failure condition, because some of the treatments will oppose and aggravate the CHF or even Dilated Cardiomyopathy condition.

1. Use more salt. Definitely the sodium will raise up your blood pressure.  But as the patient of Congestive Heart Failure, salt will also raise the risk of edema and affecting your kidney performance.
2. Drink more water. It is also obvious that water will increase your blood volume and prevent dehydration, but just like point.1, it will against the liquid intake restriction for edema patients.
3. Medication: midodrine (Orvaten) and fludrocortisone are usually prescribed by doctors to treat the orthostatic hypotension.  But since the mechanism of both drugs is to prevent the expansion ability of blood vessel, a doctor's approval and monitor are your first priority while taking this medication.