Causes and treatment of hypotension, characteristic symptoms, overview of the disease. Hypotension - when blood pressure tends to drop

Hypotension or, more correctly, hypotension is a condition when blood pressure is constantly below the levels that are considered healthy, while a whole complex develops various symptoms, the person is experiencing serious illness. Hypotension can develop as independent disease, may occur as a result of other pathologies.

In the article we will consider: what kind of diseases these are, how the acute and chronic forms manifest themselves, as well as what methods are effective in treatment.

What is hypotension?

Hypotension is a long-term condition of the body characterized by low blood pressure and various autonomic disorders: decreased body temperature, sweating of the feet and palms, pallor, etc.

According to statistics, women suffer from hypotension more often than men. A decrease in blood pressure is often diagnosed in adolescence. In older people, it makes sense to talk about atherosclerotic hypotension, which occurs against the background of vascular damage by atherosclerosis and loss of vascular tone.

Who is a hypotensive person?

A hypotensive person is a person whose blood pressure is chronically low (90 to 60 or lower).

While hypertension is predominantly a disease of older people, hypotension is a problem of young people.

• Congenital hypotension most often affects girls aged 19 to 40 years. In older age, blood pressure usually increases due to the onset of aging processes.
• Acquired hypotension is a common occurrence among athletes and students.

It is not advisable for hypotensive patients to walk with their head and neck open, especially in the cold. Feet should be kept warm, and hands should not be allowed to cool under any circumstances. The heart has to try too hard to warm the extremities, and this is a big burden.

As a rule, hypotensive people cannot stand the stuffiness - in the summer they prefer to walk the necessary path than to be in a stuffy and cramped environment. public transport. And with little physical activity, pain (not intense) in the heart area and shortness of breath may appear.

During the hot season, people with low blood pressure usually experience a lot of unpleasant symptoms : compressive pain in the temples, spots before the eyes, dizziness.

What is important to know?

1. Hypotonic people cannot stand in one place for a long time; it is easier for them to walk, because they need any muscle activity that increases blood pressure. That is why they will not wait long for public transport at the bus stop.
2. To maintain your tone, you must lead active image life not occasionally, but constantly, regularly.
3. The best weather conditions are frosty sunny days. Patients do not tolerate climate change well, so doctors recommend that hypotensive patients spend their holidays in a familiar climate zone.
4. For many, hypotension can manifest itself only in the form increased fatigue and weather lability.

Causes

The cause of primary arterial hypotension in 80% of cases is neurocirculatory dystonia. According to modern theories, primary hypotension is a special form of neurosis of the vasomotor centers of the brain, in the development of which stress and prolonged traumatic situations play a leading role. Direct producing causes can be:

• psychological trauma,
• chronic fatigue and lack of sleep,

Much more common is secondary hypotension, which occurs as a result of other diseases. Hypotension may accompany the following diseases:

• Endocrine disorders, including diabetes, and most often – dysfunction of the adrenal glands;
• Injuries internal organs and especially the brain;
• Heart failure;
• Hepatitis;
• Peptic ulcer disease.

It makes no sense to treat secondary low blood pressure without treating the underlying disease, the elimination of which will lead to normalization of blood pressure.

Other causes of hypotension include:

• (blood viscosity decreases);
• Addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency), adrenal amyloidosis, their surgical removal(deficiency of catecholamines in the body);
• reduced function thyroid gland;
• acute and chronic bleeding (decreased blood volume);
• infectious diseases;
• anaphylactic and other types of shock;
• overdose of certain medications (antihypertensives, diuretics, nitroglycerin).

Physiological hypotension also occurs, which is not accompanied by any changes in the internal organs. Physiological hypotension can develop:

• Residents of the subtropics and tropics (hot climate zones)
• For hot Czech workers at factories (usually metallurgical ones)
• Among athletes and residents of high mountain areas.

Arterial hypotension is often observed in athletes during excessive physical exertion - doctors call it “training hypotension.”

Symptoms of hypotension

The main symptoms of hypotension are quite vague, they can also indicate other diseases. Therefore, if they occur, you should definitely consult a doctor. Typically, the following signs indicate low blood pressure:

• severe dizziness, headache, weakness;
• sleep disorders, constant fatigue, irritability;
• the skin is constantly white, the fingertips may turn blue;
• various disturbances of the heart, shortness of breath, darkening of the eyes with sudden movements.

Often, patients with hypotension have symptoms such as a feeling of heaviness in the epigastrium, a bitter taste in the mouth, decreased appetite, belching, heartburn, flatulence, and constipation.

Signs of acute hypotension

The acute form of arterial hypotension occurs with severe oxygen starvation of the brain tissue, which results in the development of symptoms such as:

• dizziness,
• short-term visual impairment,
• unsteadiness of gait,
• pallor skin,
• fainting.

Symptoms of the chronic form

In chronic secondary arterial hypotension, the symptoms of the underlying disease come to the fore. In addition, patients experience:

• weakness,
• apathy,
• drowsiness,
• increased fatigue,
• headache,
• emotional lability,
• memory impairment,
• thermoregulation disorders,
• sweating of the feet and palms,

Long-term arterial hypotension causes disturbances in the menstrual cycle in women and potency in men.

Orthostatic hypotension

Very common orthostatic hypotension – a sharp decline blood pressure when changing body position. This is a fairly common condition among teenagers, when a growing body requires more intensive vascular work.

• Standing or standing upright for long periods of time may cause insufficient blood flow to the brain.
• As a result, the pressure drops, dizziness occurs, the eyes become dark, and fainting may occur.

In people with hypotension, increased physical activity causes their heart rate and pulse to increase, shortness of breath, and discomfort in the area of ​​the heart. Most often, deterioration in well-being in hypotensive patients is observed after undergoing infectious diseases and colds, as well as in spring and summer periods of the year

First aid

First aid for hypotension involves doing the following:

• It is necessary to lay the patient on a comfortable surface, placing a cushion under his feet;
• You can sit the patient so that they lower their head below their knees;
• It is important to help the person monitor their breathing. It should be smooth, but not deep;
• If a person loses consciousness, you can offer him to sniff a cotton pad soaked in ammonia;
• When the patient's health improves, you need to give him a cup of sweet tea or coffee. The drink should not be very hot.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of hypotension is not difficult to make; a description of the clinical picture and a simple pressure measurement is sufficient. It is much more difficult to establish the cause of low blood pressure. It is necessary to find out whether this condition is primary or secondary.

Secondary hypotension is considered by doctors more closely, since many common diseases often manifest themselves in this way.

• First of all, diseases of the cardiovascular system are excluded, then the nervous system.
• In addition to them, secondary hypotension can be a sign of many diseases, from chronic tonsillitis before renal pathology, so diagnosis may require quite extensive research.

The connection between the poor health of hypotensive patients and the conditions environment important in diagnosis. If symptoms recur, fainting becomes frequent, and the person becomes unable to perform work. It is important that manifestations of hypotension are detected with changes in the environment:

• high humidity,
• stuffy room,
• loud music,
• driving in crowded transport.

To make a diagnosis, the doctor is guided not by one, but by a complex of symptoms. It is necessary to examine the patient and exclude possible reasons hypotension.

To do this:

• general blood and urine analysis;
• examine the sugar curve;
• check hormonal balance;
• liver biochemical tests and residual nitrogen;
• Dynamic ECG;
• Ultrasound of the heart;
• Doppler ultrasound of the vessels of the neck and brain.

Treatment of hypotension in adults

The doctor should select the treatment method after general examination the patient's body. You should not draw conclusions on your own and use medications. IN otherwise You may not only not get rid of hypotension, but also worsen your own health.

The specific drug is prescribed by the doctor, but examples include the following medications:

• for pain (headache, menstrual) Citramon is used;
• with high fatigue, VSD, in women during PMS - Ortho-taurine;
• Saparal is characterized by a tonic effect; it can be prescribed as prophylactic from mental and physical fatigue, with asthenia, depressive states, hypotension;
• for dizziness, impaired concentration, and the need to stabilize intellectual and emotional processes, Nootropil can be prescribed;
• glycine is used to improve metabolic processes in brain tissue, helps fight depression, sleep disorders, and irritability.

Physiotherapy

• electrophoresis with a solution of calcium chloride, caffeine, mesatone;
• galvanic collar according to Shcherbak;
• diadynamic therapy of the cervical sympathetic nodes;
• cold and hot shower and other water procedures;
• general ultraviolet irradiation;
• massage and reflexology;
• Darsonvalization of the scalp.

1. Alcohol consumption should be limited and long-term exposure should be avoided elevated temperature(since dilatation of blood vessels in the skin helps lower blood pressure).
2. All drugs that can cause hypotension should be discontinued.
3. Rational organization of work and rest, night sleep of at least 10 hours, nutritious and varied meals 4 times a day.
4. It is advisable to sleep with the foot end of the bed raised (to reduce nighttime diuresis).
5. Increasing salt intake (as tolerated).
6. monitor the duration of night sleep - it should be no shorter than 8 hours;
7. it's better to get out of bed without sudden movements, gradually, since when quickly moving to a vertical position, the blood drains from the head and you can faint;
8. take a contrast shower in the morning - alternating hot and cool water within 5 minutes it tones blood vessels and normalizes blood pressure;
9. carrying out the complex physical exercise can also “wake up” sluggish blood vessels;
10. breakfast - required condition normal health during the day, it should contain a caffeine-containing drink - coffee or green tea, a cheese sandwich.

Folk remedies

Before use, be sure to consult with your doctor.

• For hypotension, it is very useful to drink 1 glass pomegranate juice per day - it is better to prepare it yourself from ripe fruits. But keep in mind that in pure form This drink cannot be consumed - pomegranate juice is diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio. This is due to the fact that the acid contained in pomegranate juice has a detrimental effect on tooth enamel.
• Take one tablespoon of St. John's wort, pour a glass of boiling water, hold in a water bath for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and strain. The finished broth should be diluted with a glass cold water. The solution should be drunk a third of a glass in the morning.
• Rhodiola rosea extract(the drug is sold in pharmacies in the form of a tincture, the drug should be taken five drops before meals, but not more than three times a day, the course of treatment lasts an average of two weeks);
• Coffee mixture (mix ground and roasted coffee beans with honey and lemon juice, the mixture should be taken once a day, a teaspoon between meals, but no more than twice a day, general course treatment is approximately two weeks);
• Carrots and spinach. Spinach and carrot juice are mixed, and the ratio should be 1:2 - there should be more carrot juice. Take a mixture of juices 3 times a day before meals, 200 ml for a week.
• Schisandra extract. We take this folk remedy drop by drop every day for quite a long time. The number of drops should be appropriate for age and individual needs. It is very important to avoid overdose.

Prevention

Effective methods of prevention:

1. The best way to prevent hypotension is considered to be healthy image life.
2. Persons at risk for this disease, you need to eat right, regularly experience non-debilitating physical exercise, get proper rest and carefully maintain vascular tone.
3. In addition, hypotensive patients are strongly advised to avoid stressful situations: Negative emotions often become a factor provoking a noticeable decrease in blood pressure.
4. You need to try to lead not only a physically, but also an emotionally active life, meet people, take an interest in current events, participate in public life - vitality is also supported by emotions.

In most cases, hypotension goes away on its own with age, because As the human body naturally ages, blood pressure most often increases. Based on this reason, hypotensive patients should be regularly examined by a cardiologist and periodically monitor their blood pressure.

Hypotension, or arterial hypotension, is a condition of the human body characterized by a decrease in blood pressure below normal indicators. Normally, the ratio of systolic and diastolic pressure is 120/80 mm Hg. with small permissible deviations. For hypotension systolic pressure falls below 95 mm Hg, and diastolic - below 65 mm Hg. Treatment of hypotension is necessary only in cases where low blood pressure adversely affects the general condition of the body.

If blood pressure readings decrease only under certain conditions, or if a person feels well with such blood pressure readings (that is, this can be explained by the individual characteristics of the body), then we can talk about physiological hypotension. There are several types of physiological lowering of blood pressure:

• orthostatic hypotension - occurs when the body is suddenly moved from horizontal position vertically, or during active physical activity;
• postprandial (“afternoon”) hypotension – characterized by low blood pressure after eating;
• hypotension as individual feature and a variant of the norm that does not cause any subjective sensations;
• adaptive compensatory hypertension of people living in high mountain areas.

In cases where a decrease in blood pressure affects the general condition of a person, they speak of pathological hypotension.

Etiology of the disease

Depending on the etiology and course of the disease, the following forms of hypotension are distinguished: primary and secondary, acute and chronic.

Primary arterial hypotension occurs as a result functional disorders cardiovascular system, leading to dysregulation of vascular tone. The causes of hypotension often come down to vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD), a condition of the body in which the activity of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for the control and coordinated functioning of all systems and organs, is disrupted. VSD occurs as a result of hormonal disruptions suffered psychological trauma, stress, neuroses, occupational hazards, alcohol abuse. As a consequence, there is a violation of the regulation of the activity and adaptability of the cardiovascular system by the nervous and endocrine systems, which entails a violation of heart rate, thermoregulation, decreased vascular tone, etc.

Secondary arterial hypotension can occur as concomitant pathology for some diseases of the thyroid gland, anemia, hepatitis, tumors, peptic ulcer stomach, as well as when taking a number of medications.

Symptoms of hypotension

Characteristic features arterial hypotension are weakness and lethargy, headaches and sensitivity to temperature fluctuations and changes in atmospheric pressure, a tendency to dizziness and “air sickness,” a predisposition to fainting, menstrual irregularities, decreased libido, etc. The disease is more common in young than in older people.

Hypotonic patients often complain of sleep disturbances, a feeling of weakness and lethargy in the morning, after waking up, a feeling of lack of air, pain in the heart and stomach, and headaches. They have a tendency to decrease appetite, stool retention, and also in women the menstrual cycle is disrupted, and in men potency decreases. When examining hypotensive patients, one may note pallor of the skin, sweating of the palms and feet, increased heart rate and irregular pulse, decreased temperature and blood pressure.

Depending on which symptoms of hypotension predominate - headache or pain in the heart, cardiac and cerebral types of hypotension are distinguished. In the first case, the main signs of hypotension are a dull, aching pain in the heart, without irradiation to the left arm and shoulder blade, which cannot be relieved by taking nitroglycerin. Pain can occur both at rest and after severe physical activity. The duration of pain can vary from several hours to several days. Decrease pain A set of light physical exercises can help improve your general condition.

The cerebral type of arterial hypotension is characterized by complaints of frequent headaches, concentrated in the frontal and temporal regions, occurring after prolonged mental or physical stress, eating in excess, during weather changes, etc. Additional signs hypotension of the cerebral type is dizziness, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound stimuli, periodic articular and muscle pain. The condition is aggravated if the patient is in a stuffy room and does not move from a vertical to a horizontal position for a long time.

The disease is characterized by a seasonal deterioration in health (spring and summer). In addition, relapses of hypotension occur after suffering from colds and infectious diseases. In older people, due to the natural increase in blood pressure with age, hypotension usually disappears and blood pressure returns to normal.

Treatment of arterial hypotension

The basis of treatment for arterial hypotension is a combination of a healthy lifestyle with proper rest and the use of tonics. As adjuvant therapy caffeine or caffeine-containing drugs are prescribed - Algon, Acepar, Pentalgin-N, Perdolan, Citramon, Citrapar, etc. The use of adaptogens - herbal preparations with a general tonic effect - tinctures of ginseng, eleutherococcus, echinacea, pantocrine, lemongrass, etc. is also effective.

Treatment of hypotension also involves eliminating factors that contribute to lowering blood pressure (extreme physical activity, professions associated with long stay in a vertical position, etc.). You can combat hypotension with the help of physiotherapeutic procedures carried out 1-2 times a week for a long time. It could be massotherapy, sauna therapy, different kinds electrotherapy (electrosleep, darsonvalization, galvanic collar), hydrotherapy (circular and contrast showers, baths, etc.).

Non-traditional methods of treating hypotension

At home, hypotension can be helped by using herbs. medicinal plants, dieting, as well as control over the ratio of exercise and rest. By the best means To restore normal blood pressure levels, light physical activity in the form of walking, swimming, and outdoor games is recommended. Rest is also important for the treatment of hypotension, as long sleep(at least 10-12 hours) for them is a protective reaction of the body. People with hypotension are susceptible to sudden short-term loss consciousness - fainting. First aid consists of giving the body a horizontal position, in which the level of the head should be lower than the level of the legs. Taking the “coachman pose” is also effective.

Not last place in the treatment complex takes special diet with hypotension. For people suffering from hypotension, it is very useful to drink coffee and tea - natural tonic substances. In addition, vascular tone is affected by the amount of salts in the body, so hypotensive patients are recommended to eat salty foods. Proteins and vitamins B and C are useful and effective for the prevention and treatment of hypotension. Therefore, daily diet For patients suffering from hypotension, foods that increase blood pressure should be included - liver, milk, eggs, vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc. It is recommended to include nuts, cheese, sorrel, carrots, stimulating seasonings and spices (cloves, mustard, horseradish root, black and red pepper, raw onion) in the menu of elderly people with low blood pressure. All of these products contribute to increased blood pressure.

Phytotherapy

For the treatment of arterial hypotension, it is advisable to use various preparations from medicinal plants. Here are several options for combinations of herbs, the use of which helps fight hypotension at home.

1. An infusion from a collection of wormwood herbs, tartar and chamomile flowers, lemon balm leaves, angelica rhizomes and rose hips.
2. A collection of wormwood herbs, immortelle flowers, schisandra shoots, viburnum leaves, aralia roots and valerian rhizomes.
3. A collection of rose hips, viburnum shoots, tansy seeds, peppermint leaves, oat straw, celandine grass and hawthorn flowers.

Similar recipes herbal infusions Today there are quite a lot of remedies to increase blood pressure, but using folk remedies for hypotension without prescribing and selecting the appropriate dosages of herbal preparations by a doctor is impractical and sometimes even unsafe.

Before undertaking treatment for arterial hypotension, a mandatory consultation with a specialist is necessary who will determine the cause of the disease and develop tactics to combat it.

A disease in which tone decreases blood vessels and, as a result, the level of blood pressure decreases, in medicine it is classified as hypotension. The level of blood pressure reduction may vary, but it is generally accepted that it is the indicators of 100/60 for men and 95/60 for women that are the reason for diagnosing the disease in question.

Note:doctors can call two different pathologies hypotension - decreased tone of the walls of blood vessels and muscle tissue. This article discusses hypotension as low blood pressure.

Acute hypotension

This condition requires emergency treatment. medical care, and subsequently long-term treatment. Manifestations of acute hypotension include a sharp drop in the tone of blood vessels (collapse), dilation of paralytic vessels (shock), and a decrease in the amount of oxygen supplied to the brain (hypoxia). All this entails an inevitable decrease in the level of functioning of all vital organs.

Note:Doctors determine the severity of manifestations of acute hypotension not by specific indicators of blood pressure, but by the rate of its decrease.

Chronic hypotension

Unlike acute form of the disease in question, chronic hypotension does not pose a serious threat to human life, although its symptoms should not be ignored. By the way, it is for this reason that much less attention is paid to low blood pressure than to high blood pressure. But hypotension in old age increases the risk of developing the ischemic type by several times, more at a young age it disrupts an active lifestyle and interferes with productive work. Doctors distinguish two more types of hypotension – primary and secondary.

Primary hypotension

It does not occur against the background of any diseases or as a consequence of another pathology. Most often, primary hypotension is hereditary and occurs in a chronic form.

In this case, the disease in question is a consequence of the development of some pathology in the body - for example, hypotension can occur against the background of anemia, cirrhosis of the liver, and certain stomach diseases. Arterial hypotension can develop as a side effect of long-term use of certain medications.

Doctors do not consider secondary hypotension as separate disease, but as one of the syndromes during the course of any pathology. Therefore, treatment of this type of disease in question will be aimed at getting rid of the main cause of its occurrence. There is also such a thing as orthostatic hypotension - it appears when the body moves from a horizontal to a vertical position, it occurs more often in the morning and lasts no more than 3 minutes.

Causes of hypotension

Some exact and unconditional reasons for the development of the disease in question modern medicine not identified - rather, a collection various factors can serve as a “push” to reduce the tone of the walls of blood vessels. For example, the following factors are highlighted:

• previously diagnosed vegetative-vascular;
• sudden change climatic conditions(for example, when a person moves);
• the presence of endocrine diseases;
• heart failure;
• living in an area with high humidity levels;
• forced acclimatization;
• arrhythmias;
• arterial valve stenosis.

Arterial hypotension is often observed in athletes during excessive physical exertion - doctors call it “training hypotension.” The cause of the development of the disease in question may also be forced bed rest– for example, after undergoing surgery, and long-term use some medicines.

Clinical picture The disease in question, however, like all others, consists of objective and subjective symptoms. It is noteworthy that it is hypotension in humans that does not objectively manifest itself clearly; doctors can note only three symptoms:

• increased sweating;
• pallor of the skin (this is especially noticeable on the face);
• temperature drop to 36 degrees.

But subjective symptoms are complaints presented by patients at a doctor’s appointment. These include:

• emotional instability;
• bad mood and apathy, indifference;
• significant decrease in performance;
• unmotivated irritability.

The main symptom of low blood pressure is, which can be different character– aching, pulsating, bursting, sharp. Against the background of a headache, slight dizziness usually appears, but if we're talking about about orthostatic hypotension, then the dizziness will be intense, and a person may fall and faint for a short time. Most often, people with low blood pressure wake up already tired and weakened (this sign may also be evidence of the development of the syndrome chronic fatigue– needed differential diagnosis), their performance returns only after a couple of hours and does not last long, and the general peak of activity appears only in the evening.

As a rule, hypotensive people cannot stand the stuffiness - in the summer they prefer to walk the necessary path than to be in stuffy and cramped public transport. And with little physical activity, shortness of breath may appear (not intense) in the heart area.

Note:It is precisely for people with low blood pressure that they react to changes in the weather - we are talking about meteodependence. Hypotonic people do not tolerate heat well, but react even worse to humidity, cloudiness and windiness.

With low blood pressure, absolutely nonspecific symptoms for this disease - for example, heartburn, pain in the epigastrium,. In men with hypotension, potency may decrease, and women experience menstrual irregularities. In many people, hypotension does not manifest itself at all with the above symptoms; patients only note weather dependence and increased fatigue.

Treatment of hypotension

Medicines There is very little on the pharmacological market to stabilize blood pressure and treat the disease in question, and experts believe that first of all it is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Doctors for hypotensive patients recommend:

You can normalize and stabilize blood pressure with the help of hardening procedures - it is recommended to douse yourself cold water. But several features of this procedure should be taken into account:

• You cannot start dousing abruptly immediately with very cold water temperatures - gradually lower the degree;
• you should pour yourself over from head to toe, otherwise you will get a disproportion of blood pressure in the torso and head;
• exclude contraindications to the hardening procedure of cold dousing.

A sauna with a steam bath will also be very useful, but keep in mind that if such procedures are intended to be carried out for the first time, then you need to do this in a gentle manner, gradually accustoming the body to such a shock.

In folk medicine, there are many methods for increasing blood pressure; you just need to make sure of your diagnosis - this will require consultation and examination with specialists.

For hypotension, it is very useful to drink 1 glass of pomegranate juice per day - it is better to prepare it yourself from ripe fruits. But keep in mind that this drink cannot be consumed in its pure form - the juice from it is diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio. This is due to the fact that the acid contained in pomegranate juice has a detrimental effect on tooth enamel.

For hypotension, healers recommend regularly consuming chocolate - only natural, black, without any flavoring additives. Of course, we need to exclude possible contraindications to consuming this delicacy, but in general, even half a standard chocolate bar will help restore the general condition of hypotension.

You can also prepare an alcohol tincture of Schisandra chinensis - for this you need to take 1 part of plant material (sold in pharmacies) and 5 parts of alcohol and infuse the medicine for 3 days. Then the tincture is taken 30 drops three times a day 15 minutes before meals, the duration of the course is 10 days.

Note:if you want to stabilize your blood pressure and improve your well-being using products from the category ethnoscience You must consult a doctor.

If necessary, the doctor may prescribe drug therapy– as a rule, hypotensive patients are recommended to take tincture of ginseng, sandy immortelle, and/or, as well as drugs containing caffeine. Hypotension is a fairly common disease that usually does not require any emergency medical measures (except for the acute form of the disease). In many cases, patients simply need to change their lifestyle and take advice from specialists to stabilize their condition.

Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical observer, therapist of the highest qualification category.

Good day, dear readers!

In this article we'll talk about hypotension (arterial) or arterial hypotension, its causes, symptoms, and also learn how to treat hypotension at home.

But first, let's make some clarifications:

Hypotension can be arterial or muscular. There is a lot of confusion about this on the Internet, and the culprit is apparently the ancient Greek word “ὑπό”, which translates as “under, below”, combined with the ending “tone”. As a result, literally speaking, hypotension is decreased tone, which can be either muscular ( muscle weakness, muscle diseases), and general (expressed by low pressure).

Today we will talk specifically about arterial hypotension, which is more accurately systematized under the name “arterial hypotension.” So…

Arterial hypotension (Hypotension)– a persistent decrease (blood pressure) to levels less than 20% of the normal value, or to levels .

One of the main signs of hypotension are symptoms such as darkening of the eyes (when a person, for example, squatted and then suddenly stood up), mild dizziness and general weakness.

The main danger of arterial hypotension is oxygen starvation brain and other internal organs, which occurs due to its insufficient blood supply, because low blood pressure is a violation of blood circulation, in fact it is insufficient circulation. In this regard, a person can develop severe acute diseases of almost all organs. To prevent this, be sure to consult a doctor at the first signs of hypotension!

In some people, as they get older, hypotension goes away on its own. This is due to the fact that in older people, blood pressure tends to increase. This must be taken into account so as not to overdo it and not translate hypotension into hypertensive (), which may have more dangerous consequences for the health of the body. To prevent this from happening, periodically measure your blood pressure and visit a cardiologist.

An interesting fact is that women suffer from symptoms caused by hypotension more often than men. This may be due to the fact that many modern women adopted the lifestyle of men, in terms of the main breadwinner (breadwinner) of the family...

Some experts claim that people with chronic hypotension live on average 10 years longer than most healthy people. Moreover, based on their research, they argue that the chronic form of the disease inhibits development.

Arterial hypotension can occur in acute (short-term sharp decrease in pressure) and chronic form (a condition when a person constantly has low blood pressure).

Hypotension. ICD

ICD-10: I95
ICD-9: 458

Types of arterial hypotension (hypotension)

Arterial hypotension is classified into the following types:

— Acute hypotension(acute arterial hypotension);
— Chronic hypotension (chronic arterial hypotension);
— — Primary chronic arterial hypotension;
— — Secondary chronic arterial hypotension.

Acute hypotension (sharp drop in blood pressure). This type of hypotension is very dangerous because the level of oxygen supply to the brain sharply decreases (hypoxia), which after some time can cause. Wherein, sharp decline blood pressure may be accompanied by diseases of internal organs such as:, severe, thromboembolism pulmonary artery, and etc.

A sharp drop in blood pressure requires urgent medical attention!

Reasons sharp fall pressure may be poisoning (alcohol, food, drugs, medications), blood loss, acute infections, and etc.

Chronic hypotension (constantly low blood pressure). This form of hypotension is often called physiological hypotension, because. in many cases, it is a constant companion in the lives of many people, for example, residents of high mountains, tropics, cold parts of the Earth or athletes, as an image of the body’s adaptation to the lifestyle. In these cases, persistently low blood pressure is not considered a disease.

The main danger of chronic hypotension is the risk of developing ischemic stroke in old age.

At the same time, chronic arterial hypotension is a serious opponent for many young people, because frequent breakdowns of strength, in some cases developing into collapses, do not allow one to constantly work productively and achieve success in various fields life.

Primary (idiopathic or essential) hypotension. This condition of the body is classified as an independent disease. The cause and etiology are currently the subject of debate and disagreement, but among the identified causes is prolonged psycho-emotional stress (depression,).

It is very important to prevent this form of the disease from spilling over into a protracted period of oxygen deficiency throughout the body.

Secondary arterial hypotension. Unlike primary hypotension, secondary hypotension is a symptom of other diseases, including: arrhythmia, cardiovascular diseases, brain injury, osteochondrosis cervical region, respiratory diseases and endocrine system, circulatory disorders, side effects certain medications, tumors, alcoholism, etc.

Orthostatic hypotension- a sharp decrease in blood pressure with standing up abruptly a person after prolonged squatting or lying.

We have already discussed some of the causes of low blood pressure with you, dear readers, now let’s summarize the picture and find out what else can trigger the development of arterial hypotension.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system:, stenosis aortic valve, heart failure.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: intoxication, .

Other diseases and conditions of the body:, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, diseases of the endocrine system, blood loss, sepsis, burns, head injuries and spinal cord, .

Adaptation to living conditions: strong humidity, thin air, extreme cold.

Adaptation to constant physical activity, for example, in athletes, where low blood pressure is a protective mechanism of the body, as a result of which the rhythm of heart contractions decreases, which causes a decrease in pressure.

Pregnancy can also cause attacks of hypotension, because During this “interesting” period, a woman’s vascular tone may decrease.

Chronic low blood pressure can be transmitted genetically.

What is hypotension, and what are its causes we have already discussed, now let’s move on to consider the issue - “symptoms of hypotension”.

Of course, the most main feature arterial hypotension – low and low blood pressure – below 90/60.

Other signs of hypotension include:

Diagnosis of arterial hypotension

Diagnosis of hypotension is made using the following methods:

— questioning the patient for the presence of various symptoms in order to identify the cause of the disease;
— identification of the type of hypotension: physiological or pathological type;
- systematic;
— ;
— Doppler echocardiography;
— cardiointervalography, etc.

Treatment of hypotension (arterial hypotension) is carried out comprehensively and includes correction of the patient’s lifestyle with the addition of certain medications aimed at raising arterial tone. If the diagnosis has established that the cause of the disease is another disease, then treatment is aimed primarily at eliminating it.

Lifestyle correction includes:

— rational alternation of the working day with rest;
— healthy sleep;
- proper nutrition;
- exception bad habits;
- moderate physical activity ( physiotherapy);
- walks on fresh air;
— hardening of the body (contrast shower).

Let's look at them in more detail.

Step 1: Work day/rest. Normalization of working hours with rest is one of the main pillars on which the treatment of arterial hypotension is based. If the body is overtired, more vitality is consumed, it goes increased load on the heart, nervous system and for the entire body as a whole. If strength is not restored, the body becomes depleted and becomes vulnerable to various diseases.

Step 2: Healthy sleep. For an ordinary healthy person, sleeping for 6-8 hours is enough to restore strength. For hypotensive people, sleep should last at least 10-12 hours, especially if the weather is cold outside and the atmospheric pressure is low. When a person gets enough sleep, you shouldn’t jump out of bed right away, but it’s better to lie quietly for a few minutes, pull yourself up, then put your feet on the floor, and sit for another minute or two. Then you can calmly get up and go about your business. In this order, a person minimizes sudden changes pressure and all of this derivatives, in the form of darkening and floaters in the eyes.

Step 3: Proper nutrition. Food must be consumed 3-5 times during the day, without overeating, i.e. eat in small portions. It is not recommended to eat food just before bedtime. When choosing food products, emphasis should be placed on their capacity - and antioxidants.

When treating hypotension, special attention should be paid to replenishing the body with proteins and B vitamins, especially potassium and phosphorus.

Step 4: Bad habits. A patient with arterial hypotension mandatory You must stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.

Step 5: Moderate physical activity (physical therapy). Moderate physical activity on the body helps normalize metabolism, as well as remove metabolic products from the body. In addition, it stabilizes the work and strengthens cardiovascular system. When moving, blood circulation improves, vascular tone increases, and all organs receive the necessary dose of oxygen.

Recommended physical activity for hypotension is morning exercises, light jogging, swimming, brisk walking, cycling, physical therapy, and sports games.

Step 6 and 7: Walking in the fresh air and conditioning the body are integral additional measures when dealing with low blood pressure. They contribute to the overall strengthening of the body and all its parts, and also protect it from harmful environments and various diseases.

Hardening the body includes a contrast shower, dousing with cold water (over the head), a bathhouse and a sauna. Just keep in mind that the temperature difference should not be too large.

Medicines for arterial hypotension (hypotension)

Some hypotensive patients use short-term remedies to raise blood pressure - strong tea, coffee, various tablets to increase blood pressure, but, as a rule, after a few hours or the next day, the pressure is still low. The danger of this type of treatment for hypotension is the transition of the disease to chronic form, or exacerbation of the disease in the form of complications, which are described a little higher. This is due to the fact that the cause of the disease is not eliminated, and the lost time only complicates the overall health picture of the hypotensive patient.

To prevent this from happening, before taking pills or other medications for low blood pressure, consult with your doctor, who prescribes medications for hypotension only after the cause of the disease has been established.

Most medications used for hypotension, i.e. designed to increase blood pressure, contain caffeine, which is actually responsible for increasing blood pressure. Let's look at some of them.

Low blood pressure medications:“Askofen”, “Coffetamine”, “Ortho-taurine”, “Pyramein”, “Regulton”, “Saparal”, “”.

It is worth noting that with an overdose of caffeine, the reverse process can occur - increased heart rate, anxiety, frequent urination. Optimal dose caffeine – 0.1 g/day.

If the patient experiences a decrease in mental capacity, incl. memory impairment, decreased concentration, nootropic drugs are used. Their function is to reduce the need for oxygen by the body’s cells, as well as restore all vital processes necessary to maintain the health of a hypotensive patient.

Nootropic drugs for hypotension:“Aminalon”, “Vinpocetine”, “Cavinton”, “Xanthinol nicotinate”, “Niceroglin”, “Nootropil”, “Picamilon”, “Tanakan”, “Phenibut”, “Cinnarizine”, “Encephabol”.

Means to maintain brain function at low blood pressure (amino acids, proteins, etc.):"Glycine", "Citrulline", "Cerebrolysin".

Other medications for low blood pressure:“Heptamil”, “Gutron”, “Rantarine”, “Symptol”, “Ekdisten”.

Before using any of the above remedies for low blood pressure, be sure to consult your doctor. Self-medication may cause irreparable harm health!

Additional measures in the treatment of hypotension

- various types of massage: acupressure, hydromassage, reflexology;
— aromatherapy;
— aeroionotherapy (inhalation of ozonized air, as well as the use of darsonval to the heart area, scalp and neck);
- visiting a psychotherapist.

Treatment of hypotension with folk remedies

Important! Before using folk remedies for low and low blood pressure, be sure to consult your doctor!

Treatment of hypotension at home can be done by the following means:

Coffee with honey and lemon. Grind 50 g of roasted coffee beans, which can be done using a coffee grinder. Add ground coffee to 500 g, and squeeze out the juice from 1. Mix everything thoroughly. The product should be taken 1 teaspoon 2 hours after meals. The product must be stored in the refrigerator.

Schisandra. Pour the crushed fruits of Schisandra chinensis with 40° alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. Leave the product in a dark place for 2 weeks. Take tincture 25-40 drops per 1 tbsp. spoon of cold water 30 minutes before meals.

Ginger. Dissolve in 1 glass of sweet strong tea half a teaspoon of ginger powder. Take the product 3 times a day for 1 week.

Rhodiola rosea (golden root). Drink Rhodiola rosea extract 5-10 drops 20 minutes before meals, 2-3 times a day for 10-20 days.

Low blood pressure charges

Note 1: h. – parts.
Note 2: Take all the listed fees 1/3-¼ cup 3-4 times a day for 1-2 months. Then we take a break for a month and the course can be repeated.
Note 3. To prepare the mixture, you need to pour 2 tablespoons of it into a thermos and pour 2 cups of boiling water, then let it brew for 12 hours.

Collection No. 7: blueberry leaves (1 tsp), lingonberry leaves (1 tsp), black currant leaves (1 tsp), thick-leaved bergenia (2 tsp), forgotten kopeck (1 tsp), golden root (1 tsp), fireweed narrow-leaved (1 tsp), thyme (0.5 tsp). Three tbsp. spoons of the collection are poured with a liter of water and boiled over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Next, the product is infused for 30 minutes and taken 2-3 glasses a day, like regular tea, with added sugar or.

Most drugs whose action is aimed at normalizing blood pressure are aimed at lowering it. Therefore, treatment of hypotension mainly includes lifestyle correction and the use of traditional recipes.

Right way of life

First of all, treatment of chronic hypotension involves lifestyle changes.

Moderate and enjoyable exercise is mandatory. It is advisable to spend them in the fresh air. A well-structured daily routine is also an integral part of treatment.

• All information on the site is for informational purposes only and is NOT a guide to action!
• Can give you an ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS only DOCTOR!
• We kindly ask you NOT to self-medicate, but make an appointment with a specialist!
• Health to you and your loved ones!

Extremely important good rest and dream. For hypotensive people, the duration of sleep should be 10-12 hours - in this case, the body will have the opportunity to regain strength.

Quitting smoking and alcohol is also necessary - this will allow you to establish autonomic regulation over time.

People with low blood pressure are not allowed to take sleeping pills. If you have problems falling asleep, it is recommended to soak your feet in a bath of cool water for a few minutes before going to bed. The water should reach ankle level. After this, rub your feet with a terry towel until they are warm, put on woolen socks and lie down to rest.

Fresh air has a beneficial effect on the condition of people with low blood pressure, so frequent and long walks are recommended for such people. It is highly advisable to walk for half an hour every day before going to bed.

Cool air is especially beneficial, but you need to carefully “insulate” yourself: your hands, feet, and head must be warm. Since the heart will be forced to work harder when the extremities are cooled, the first sign of impaired regulation in this case will be dizziness.

Rubbing and dousing with cool water, as well as pine and salt baths are good. You can walk barefoot in the dew. Massage and hydromassage sessions are recommended. At the same time, there is no need to use all these methods uncontrollably.

Psychotherapy techniques will also help control your well-being - avoiding stressful situations should be conscious; other methods of psychotherapy (for example, auto-training, meditation) are also effective.

Methods related to art show their effectiveness: classical music, visiting theaters, painting exhibitions, etc.

How to get out of bed after waking up

People with low blood pressure may find it difficult to get up in the morning. A sudden movement from a horizontal to a vertical position leads to the development of dizziness, darkening of the eyes, and sometimes loss of consciousness.

To prevent your blood pressure from dropping sharply during the ascent, you don’t need to get up right away. It is recommended to stretch and get a massage ears, do a couple of exercises while lying straight in bed.

The purpose of such gymnastics is to normalize blood circulation after a night's rest:

1. Raising and lowering the lower limbs from a supine position. The legs need to be fixed in a vertical position for a short time.
2. From the same position - the “bicycle” exercise.
3. Performing the “scissors” exercise with the upper and lower limbs.
4. Slow rise and fall upper limbs. You can use weights: dumbbells or plastic bottles filled with water.
5. Boxing with hands.
6. Raising your arms up and quickly lowering them down (drop them).
7. Press your knees to your stomach, clasp them with your hands, and try to break the formed ring.

Recommended ones include breathing exercise, which is also performed while lying in bed. It is repeated 5-7 times: first, they inhale deeply, sticking out the stomach, then exhale, drawing it in. The result of the exercise is improved blood flow and increased tone of the nervous system.

But even after such preparation there is no need to get up suddenly. The right thing to do would be to sit on the edge of the bed for a couple of minutes with your legs dangling, then slowly stand up, stand, and walk on the massage mat.

Pills

For hypotensive patients, drugs related to antioxidants, nootropics, cerebroprotectors, and antidepressants are relevant.

The specific drug is prescribed by the doctor, but examples include the following medications:

• for pain (headache, menstrual) Citramon is used;
• with high fatigue, VSD, in women during PMS - Ortho-taurine;
• Saparal is characterized by a tonic effect; it can be prescribed as a prophylactic against mental and physical fatigue, asthenia, depression, hypotension;
• for dizziness, impaired concentration, and the need to stabilize intellectual and emotional processes, Nootropil can be prescribed;
• glycine is used to improve metabolic processes in brain tissue, helps fight depression, sleep disorders, and irritability.

How to help yourself in case of an attack

When an attack approaches (its precursors may be severe headaches, high heart rate, deterioration in health) you need to sit down and lower your head below your knees. You should breathe evenly, but not deeply. After returning to normal health, it is recommended to allow yourself a short half-hour rest.

Self-help methods include massage. There are several biological active points, which need to be massaged during an attack of hypotension.

One of them is located between upper lip and the base of the nose. The second is on the little finger, next to the nail, with inside(from the side of the ring finger). Massage on the fingers is performed alternately - on one and then on the second hand.

In case of vascular spasm, massage not only of the little fingers, but also of the neck and back of the head will help alleviate the condition. To relieve a headache, it is recommended to put mustard plasters on the calf area. The procedure should not be long - after 5 minutes they should be removed. If it is not possible to perform such a procedure, then you can immerse your hands up to the elbows in hot water.

If you suddenly lose strength, you can use a heating pad. It is applied to the nose, forehead, neck, and back of the head. If you are at work, you can warm your hands and nose with a cup of hot tea.

You can also use aromatherapy methods. It’s good if you always have a handkerchief on hand with a few drops on it. essential oil cloves, lavender or rosemary. It takes about 5 minutes to inhale the aroma.

The following exercise will also help remove weakness. You need to sit in a chair with your legs apart and your arms crossed behind your head. After taking a deep breath, you need to bend over to your knees, then straighten up and exhale sharply. Repeat the exercise 3 times.

Not everyone knows that you shouldn’t lie down when your blood pressure drops. It is better to move slowly and do light work (without bending).

If the attack began on the street, you should not take a break from walking and sit down to rest; on the contrary, it is better to continue at an accelerated pace. A good option will go into the establishment and drink a cup of coffee or tea with sugar and lemon.

Physical activity to treat hypotension

In case of primary hypotension, regular physical activity has special meaning. The optimal activities would be walking, swimming, cycling, and play sports.

Most of the symptoms that accompany low blood pressure go away on their own after exercise. This is due to increased vascular tone and improved blood circulation. This must be remembered when hypotension occurs in older people - recommendations to rest more often are not always correct.

To alleviate the condition, you can try another breathing exercise: take a deep breath through one nostril, then exhale through the other and hold your breath for a few seconds. The exercise is performed regularly: 5-6 repetitions at least 3 times a day.

Nutrition

There is no specific diet designed specifically for people with low blood pressure. However, it is extremely important to eat regularly, 4-6 times a day, in small portions.

The basis of the diet should be vegetables, legumes, seafood, eggs, chicken and veal, hard cheeses, liver, chocolate, and prunes.

People with low blood pressure should receive the required amount of vitamins and microelements, vitamins C, P and B vitamins are especially important for them. Therefore, they should eat regularly buckwheat porridge, zucchini, eggplant, oatmeal, carrots, rice, beets, cabbage, apricots, citrus fruits, black currants.

It is also useful to drink coffee, but there are some restrictions: no more than 2 cups and not on an empty stomach.

It is equally important that the body receives a sufficient amount of fluid - for hypotensive patients this is at least 1.5-2 liters per day.

It’s good to add spices to food, but only if there are no gastroenterological restrictions. Cayenne and red peppers, chili peppers, tarragon, ginger, cinnamon, and coriander will be useful.

Consumption of sweets, as well as dairy and wheat products, should be kept to a minimum. It is also necessary to abandon semi-finished products with food additives, sugar and its substitutes, as well as soy and products made from it.

In spring and autumn period People with low blood pressure should support their body with stimulating drinks. This can be green tea, juices from carrots, grapes, grapefruit, rosehip and chamomile decoctions, as well as dry white wine.

Products with tonic properties include: sour apples, celery, White cabbage, leaf salad. It is useful to eat a teaspoon of honey in the morning and before bed.

The following products will help increase blood pressure:

• Ginger. Half a teaspoon of powder is dissolved in a glass of sweet tea. It is recommended to drink this drink 3 times a week. It is necessary to monitor the dosage, as exceeding it may result in arrhythmia.
• Strong sweet tea and a sandwich with butter and cheese.
• Increased blood pressure is caused by eating fatty and salty foods, so pickled cucumbers or nuts can help. However, consuming them in excessive quantities can lead to kidney problems.
• It is also recommended for hypotensive patients to prepare a mixture according to the following recipe: roast and grind 50 grams of coffee beans, add half a kilogram of honey, juice of 1 lemon. Eat the mixture daily, one teaspoon at a time, 2 hours after meals. The container with the mixture is stored in the refrigerator.

What needs to be excluded

You need to not only know how to treat hypotension, but also what to avoid so as not to provoke worsening. It is very important to control the psycho-emotional state, so physical and emotional stress should be avoided.

It is necessary to avoid long car trips and air flights, exercises on vibration simulators, and visits to attractions that involve intense rotational movements.

There is no need to get carried away with massaging your back and shoulder area, as this can cause dizziness and faintness.

Those who often have attacks need to carefully choose the field of activity: you cannot perform work at heights, in conditions high temperature, in stuffy rooms, in transport, contact with electromagnetic radiation, mercury, vibrating objects.

You cannot take drugs based on nitroglycerin or Viagra.

Home Remedies

Yoga

Yoga helps to activate blood circulation and recharge your energy. Hypotonic patients need to change positions at the slowest possible pace, smoothly. This is especially important to pay attention to when moving to a vertical position.

The effect of performing yoga exercises (taking asanas) is a sharp improvement in blood circulation in certain areas. Simultaneously with the normalization of blood circulation, the walls of blood vessels are trained.

Hypotensive patients are characterized by problems associated with impaired cerebral blood supply. Therefore, for these people it is especially important to pay attention to working with the spine and inverted asanas.

Another cause of hypotension may be stressful conditions, so familiarity with relaxation techniques will come in handy. In addition, you can use special breathing practices.

Another technique of yoga practice is mudras - this is a certain position of the fingers.

With low blood pressure, you can use the mudras “Turtle”, “Earth”, “Life Saving”, “Three Columns of Space”.