In
Physiology and
Medicine , refers to an abnormally low
Blood Pressure . It is often associated with
Shock , though not necessarily indicative of it. Hypotension is not to be confused with
Hypertension .
Orthostatic Hypotension or
Postural Hypotension is a common cause of low
Blood Pressure . It is caused by a change in body position, when a person moves to a more vertical position, an example of this is when someone moves from sitting to standing or from lying down to sitting/standing.
Tilt-table testing can confirm this.
Reduced blood volume, called
Hypovolemia is the most common cause of hypotension. Hypovolemia is often induced by excessive use of
Diuretics ; relative hypovolemia is caused by vasodilator therapy with
Nitrate Preparations and
Calcium Channel Blockers or with
ACE Inhibitors .
It has been recorded as a side-effect of certain forms of
Anesthesia , such as
Curare , in which event it is often treated by the
Anesthesiologist .
Another -- albeit rare -- form, is "
Postprandial hypotension," which occurs 30-75 minutes after eating. It is not well understood.
For most individuals, a healthy
Blood Pressure lies between 90/50
MmHg to 135/90 mmHg. A small drop in blood pressure, even as little as 20 mmHg, can result in transient hypotension.
Low blood pressure is often accompanied by:
