File:Depiction_of_a_hypotension_(low_blood_pressure)_patient_getting_her_blood_pressure_checked.png · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
hypotension
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Hypotension, also known as low blood pressure, is a cardiovascular condition characterized by abnormally reduced blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood and is indicated by two numbers, the systolic blood pressure (the top number) and the diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number), which are the maximum and minimum blood pressures within the cardiac cycle, respectively. A systolic blood pressure of less than 90 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) or diastolic of less than 60 mmHg is generally considered to be
Hypotension, or low blood pressure, occurs when the force of blood pushing against your artery walls drops below normal levels—typically defined as a systolic pressure below 90 mmHg or diastolic pressure below 60 mmHg. It matters because abnormally low blood pressure can reduce the amount of oxygen-rich blood reaching your organs and tissues, potentially causing symptoms like dizziness, fainting, or fatigue.
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Key facts
- Medical condition.name
- Hypotension
- Medical condition.image
- Depiction of a hypotension (low blood pressure) patient getting her blood pressure checked|400px|center
- Medical condition.caption
- Image showing a patient having blood pressure checked. Systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg is considered hypotension (low blood pressure)
- Medical condition.field
- Cardiology
- Medical condition.symptoms
- Dizziness, clumsiness, giddiness, headache, lightheadedness, fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, shakiness, breathlessness, increased thirst, irregular heartbeat, chest pain, fever, seizures
- Medical condition.complications
- Fainting, bleeding
- Medical condition.risks
- Older patient, Malnourishment
- Medical condition.diagnosis
- Physical examination, based on symptoms and blood pressure
- Medical condition.treatment
- Intravenous fluid
via Wikipedia infobox
Research
390,444 papersvia PubMed
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Depiction of a hypotension (low blood pressure) patient getting her blood pressure checked.png
Show 5 more facts
- ICPC 2 ID
- K88
- NCI Thesaurus ID
- C3128
- ICD-9-CM
- 458.9
- exact match
- purl.obolibrary.org/obo/SYMP_0000692
- Commons category
- Hypotension
Sources (3)
via Wikidata · CC0
~14 min read
Article
15 sectionsContents
- Signs and symptoms
- Causes
- Syndromes
- Orthostatic hypotension
- Vasovagal syncope
- Other
- Pathophysiology
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Medication
- Pediatrics
- Etymology
- See also
- References
- External links
Hypotension, also known as low blood pressure, is a cardiovascular condition characterized by abnormally reduced blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood and is indicated by two numbers, the systolic blood pressure (the top number) and the diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number), which are the maximum and minimum blood pressures within the cardiac cycle, respectively. A systolic blood pressure of less than 90 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) or diastolic of less than 60 mmHg is generally considered to be hypotension. Different numbers apply to children. However, in practice, blood pressure is considered too low only if noticeable symptoms are present.
Symptoms may include dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion, feeling tired, weakness, headache, blurred vision, nausea, neck or back pain, an irregular heartbeat or feeling that the heart is skipping beats or fluttering, and fainting. Hypotension is the opposite of hypertension, which is high blood pressure. It is best understood as a physiological state rather than a disease. Severely low blood pressure can deprive the brain and other vital organs of oxygen and nutrients, leading to a life-threatening condition called shock. Shock is classified based on the underlying cause, including hypovolemic shock, cardiogenic shock, distributive shock, and obstructive shock.