Causes of arterial hypotension
Very often chronic arterial hypotension is associated with serious cardiac dysfunction; it is when the heart pumps insufficient quantity of blood per unit time.
Other reasons which may cause hypotension are decreased activity of adrenal cortex or significant weight loss induced by prolonged malnutrition.
Low arterial pressure may also be a consequence of spending many days in lying position (in cases when a doctor told you to keep to bed due to some health conditions).
The risk group also includes patients who have to regularly use some certain medicines such as diuretics, drugs for decreasing arterial pressure (started due to initial increase in blood pressure), drugs for treating some psychic and neurological conditions.
Chronic arterial hypertension could be associated with vegetative nervous system disorder. It is a comparatively rare condition mainly found in elderly men. The main symptom of the diseases in such cases is considerably decreased arterial blood pressure which may lead to fainting or seizures when the patient gets up suddenly. At the same time, the patient`s pressure in lying position, no matter how paradoxical it sounds, could be even higher than the norm. Arterial hypotension is often found in teenagers. The disease may first manifest at the age of 8-9. Persistently low blood pressure rate speaks of the seriousness of the disease. The rates of blood pressure dangerous for health may vary in different age groups:
- at the age of 8-9 – the dangerous rate is below 90/50 mm Hg independently of sex;
-at the age of 11-12- below 80/40 mm Hg in boys and below 90/40 mmHg in girls;
-at the age of 14-15 below 90/40 mm Hg in boys and below 95/50 mm Hg in girls.
Teenagers suffering from hypotension usually complain of dull pressing headache in frontoparietal and parietooccipital regions, which usually starts at school and gets worse in the afternoon, dizziness and fatigue, especially in case of sudden change of body position or infrequent nutrition. Apparent absent-mindedness, inability to concentrate and bad memory are also characteristic of patients with hypotension. Some patients are unable to tolerate emotional and physical loads. Breaks during classes, outdoor physical activity and good sleep may significantly help to relieve the condition of children with hypotension.