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DIET IN HYPOTENSION


People always talk or heard about high blood pressure complications or hypertension. It is very rare when people speak about hypotension or low blood pressure complications. 

As high blood pressure is considered as bad for health in the same way low blood pressure is also bad or may have more harmful health effects. 

So today let’s briefly know about hypotension and kind of diet recommended in it. 

What is hypotension or low blood pressure??

Hypotension is a physiologic state in which the arterial blood pressure is abnormally low. It exists when the systolic pressure (or, pumping pressure) is less than 90 mmHg and the diastolic pressure (or, resting pressure) is less than 60 mmHg. So, in hypotension, there is reduced blood flow and oxygen delivery to organs and tissues.
 
The instrument used to measure blood pressure is called a sphygmomanometer.


The ranges of blood pressure are classified below: 

Normal: 120/80 mmHg
Prehypertension: 130-139/85-89 mmHg
Hypertension: > 180/110 mmHg
Prehypotension: 90/60 mmHg
Hypotension: < 60 mmHg

Types of Hypotension:

Broadly there are four different types of depression. They are as follows:

▪︎Orthostatic hypotension: This kind of hypotension is common with people of all ages. It happens when there is a drop in blood pressure when a person changes its position i.e., the transition from sitting or lying down to standing. So during this transition time, a person complains of dizziness and blackout.

▪︎Postprandial hypotension: Drop in blood pressure occurs right after eating. It is developed mostly in older adults, especially with Parkinson disease. 

▪︎Neutrally mediated: There is a drop in blood pressure after standing for a very long time. Children experience this kind of hypotension more often than adults. 

▪︎Severe hypotension: It is related to the kind of shock that occurs when organs do not get blood and oxygen to function properly. It can be life-threatening if not treated well. 

Causes of hypotension:

The causes of hypotension or low blood pressure are not always clear but there are some conditions that are associated with a drop in blood pressure. 

They are as follows: 

•When one’s body is dehydrated (lack of water in the body), leads to a decrease in blood volume leading to low blood pressure. 

•During pregnancy, there is increased demand for blood from both mother and the growing fetus, so the pregnant mother can a drop in blood pressure leading to hypotension.

•Hormonal problems like hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone secretion), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels).

•Reduce cardiac output (it is the amount of blood pumped per minute) leads to shock leading to a drop in the blood causing hypotension. 

•Heart arrhythmia is a condition where there are abnormal rhythms (beats) leading to low blood pressure. 

•Low blood pressure is also seen during hypovolemia (low blood volume). In simple words, there is low or no blood supply to the organs leading to hypotension.

Symptoms of Hypotension:

Diet in Hypotension:

Doctors usually don’t prescribe any kind of medications in hypotension instead of they advised to change the diet. 

So the person with hypotension or low blood pressure must keep the following things in mind before planning their diet:

▪︎Drink plenty of fluids: 
One of the causes of hypotension is dehydration that is lack of fluids in the body. So, most doctors recommend 2 litres or 8 glasses of water every day so that the body remains hydrated. 

▪︎Eat salty foods: 
Doctors asked the person with low blood pressure to incorporate salty foods in their diet because salt helps to elevate the blood pressure. 

▪︎Consumption of caffeine: 
Research shows that consumption of caffeine or coffee or tea causes an increase in heart rate which temporary spike the blood pressure. It is a short term method of increasing blood pressure.

▪︎Incorporation of Vitamin B12 and folate:
Deficiency of vitamin B12 and folate leads to low in blood pressure, excessive bleeding, organ or nerves damage and anaemia.
So foods like eggs chicken, salmon, tuna, low-fat dairy products, chickpeas lentils, liver, broccoli, asparagus and legumes will provide a good amount of vitamin B12 and folate which will help to maintain blood pressure.

▪︎Low carbohydrate diet:
Studies have shown that high carbohydrates diet like processed carbohydrates tends to digest faster leading to a drop of blood pressure. So, a low carbohydrate diet is recommended.

▪︎Meal size:
Researches show that smaller meal size is healthier than larger meal size for digestion and blood flow because when one eats larger meal than more energy is required by the body to digest it leading to drop in blood pressure. This is the most common problem with breakfast-skippers, intermittent fasters.
 
▪︎Easy on alcohol consumption:
If one’s have a habit of consuming alcohol so he/she must be easy on it as studies as shown that alcohol dehydrates one’s body leading to hypotension by reducing blood volume. So it is better to avoid alcohol or reduce the intake of it.
 
Maintaining normal blood pressure is very important for one’s healthy heart so my changing our diet according to it can in doing it. It’s better to check your blood pressure once a week to avoid experience low blood pressure or hypotension.

Musharrafa Asad

References:

https://www.webmd.com/heart/understanding-low-blood-pressure-basics
https://www.healthline.com/health/hypotension#causes
https://www.cvphysiology.com/Blood%20Pressure/BP030
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/low-blood-pressure-hypotension/
https://manhattancardiology.com/what-to-eat-to-help-raise-low-blood-pressure/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-blood-pressure/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355470
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