Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)

What is low blood pressure?

Low blood pressure means your blood pressure reading is less than 90/60mmHg. Many people with low blood pressure feel perfectly fine and don't need any treatment. It's only a problem if it causes symptoms that affect your daily life.

Some people naturally have low blood pressure because they're fit and healthy, or they've inherited it from their parents. Others develop it as they get older.

Signs to watch for

You might have low blood pressure if you keep getting:

• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• Feeling sick
• Blurred vision
• Feeling weak all over
• Confusion
• Fainting

If these symptoms happen when you stand up or change position suddenly, you might have a type called postural low blood pressure. This means your blood pressure drops when you move from lying down to sitting up, or from sitting to standing.

When to speak to your GP

See your GP if you keep getting symptoms like dizziness and fainting. While low blood pressure isn't always serious, these symptoms can affect your safety and quality of life.

If you're between 40 and 74 years old, you should have your blood pressure checked at least once every 5 years as part of your NHS Health Check.

Getting your blood pressure checked

You can check your blood pressure by:

• Asking a pharmacist to do it for you
• Asking your practice nurse or GP
• Using a home blood pressure monitor

Your GP can help you understand what your reading means and whether you need any treatment.

How doctors treat low blood pressure

If your GP finds a cause for your low blood pressure, they can suggest treatments to help your symptoms. This might include:

• Changing your medicines or adjusting the dose if medication is causing the problem
• Wearing support stockings to improve your blood flow and increase your blood pressure

Doctors rarely prescribe medicine to increase blood pressure because simple changes to your lifestyle usually work well.

What you can do to help yourself

Things that can help:

• Get up slowly from sitting to standing
• Take care when getting out of bed - move slowly from lying down to sitting, then to standing
• Eat small meals more often throughout the day
• Lie down or sit quietly for a while after eating
• Drink more water

Things to avoid:

• Sitting or standing for long periods
• Bending down or changing position suddenly
• Drinking too much alcohol

What causes low blood pressure?

Your blood pressure naturally changes throughout the day. What you're doing and how you're feeling can affect it too.

Low blood pressure can be caused by:

• Being naturally fit and healthy
• Inheriting it from your parents
• Getting older
• Being pregnant
• Some medical conditions like diabetes
• Certain medicines

Remember, many people with low blood pressure feel completely well and don't need treatment. The key is whether it's causing symptoms that bother you or affect your daily life.

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Based on NHS.uk guidance. Written by Dr Krishnan Pasupathi, NHS GP.