Heat, stress and fatigue are a litmus test if you have a tendency to have low blood pressure. There are people who hardly suffer symptoms, but it is quite common that it is accompanied by dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, fatigue and even fainting. What can you do to deal with a drop in blood pressure? These helpful, simple and natural tips to help you counter it quickly.
Drinking water
An effective way to increase blood pressure is to drink water. Fluids cause an increase in blood volume and help prevent dehydration, two factors related to hypotension. If you have trouble drinking water, you can read these tips to increase the glasses you drink per day. A good option is to resort to infusions, natural juices or foods rich in water, such as watermelon or apple.
- Try to drink fewer diuretic drinks (green tea, for example), which promote the elimination of fluids from the body, just what we do not want in this specific case.
Eat-in small portions and limit carbohydrates
You should eat a variety of foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean chicken, and fish. In addition, it is advisable to take the appropriate amount of salts in meals. Eating more salt than necessary is usually contraindicated with hypertension. Some may come to the wrong conclusion that very tasty foods can be beneficial in raising blood pressure. Not at all. Excess salt could lead to the opposite extreme and also increase fluid retention. Therefore, salt in food, always in moderation.
To help prevent your blood pressure from dropping abruptly after meals, eat several small servings throughout the day and limit carbohydrate-rich foods like potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread.
Crossing or raising the legs
If you start to have symptoms while standing, cross your legs in a scissor fashion and squat down tightly with your thighs. These maneuvers promote blood flow from the legs to the heart. You can also lie down with your legs elevated above the level of your heart.
Avoid heat
If you have low blood pressure, avoid high temperatures and do not spend sunbathing. The heat produces vasodilation that lowers the body temperature.
- If you have no choice but to expose yourself to the heat, resort to loose dresses or cool clothes and wear hats and accessories that protect you from the sun.
Do not consume alcohol
The alcohol also have a vasodilator effect, which makes the blood more liquid and directly influences the blood pressure. Don’t abuse alcohol!
What do we mean when we talk about low blood pressure or hypotension? According to Dr. Jhoan Silva, director of Elma’s medical team, when we talk about blood pressure we refer to the force with which the heart pushes the blood to move it reaching your entire body through the veins and arteries of your body. When this force is less than recommended, it is when we have low tension.
The values that indicate that you are suffering from it may sound like Chinese. The specialist explains: “Hypotension or low blood pressure is a clinical sign evidenced by obtaining a value lower than 90 millimeters of mercury or (mmHg) for the highest number of blood pressure (systolic blood pressure) or 60 mmHg for the lowest number (diastolic blood pressure)”.
SYMPTOMS OF LOW BLOOD PRESSURE
According to the specialist, hypotension may or may not be accompanied by symptoms. It does not cause problems for some people, but for others, it can cause symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, fatigue, and even fainting. In some cases, depending on the condition, low blood pressure can be life-threatening.
CAUSES OF LOW BLOOD PRESSURE
The causes of low blood pressure are very broad and cover a large number of differential diagnoses.
- Dehydration
- Infections
- Severe allergic reactions
- Hormonal problems
- Bleeding or hemorrhage
- Diuretic and beta-blocker medications
LOW TENSION: HOW TO RAISE IT
To treat it, the cause must always be known. In the event that said cause is unclear, unknown, or there is no treatment for it, the goal is to raise blood pressure and reduce signs and symptoms.
For example, if it is known that you are dehydrated, you should drink plenty of water or hydrate yourself intravenously. If you take a medication that can cause hypotension, your doctor will correct or decrease the dose of it and, in some cases, even interrupt the treatment.