How Low Blood Pressure can be Dangerous

Hypotension, also more commonly known as low blood pressure, is a dangerous and relatively common condition worldwide. While hypertension, or high blood pressure, is more commonly seen as a high risk condition because of its contribution as a risk factor for heart attack and stroke, low blood pressure can be equally dangerous if it drops below certain levels. Fortunately, low blood pressure does not typically require treatment.

Severely low blood pressure can have a number of dangerous effects, and if you ever experience one or more of the following conditions you should treat the situation as a medical emergency, according to the ADAM encyclopedia. High risk symptoms include blurry vision, dizziness, and confusion, and a combination of these could indicate severe hypotension.

ADAM suggests that there are a number of different factors that could contribute to severely low blood pressure. These include taking certain medications, especially those that treat anxiety, depression, heart problems, and pain, especially if one is taking more than one type of these medications together. Advanced diabetes can also contribute to low blood pressure, and those with advanced diabetes should monitor not only their blood glucose levels, but also their blood pressure. Severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis can also cause or contribute to unsafe drops in blood pressure, as can severe dehydration and fainting. Going into shock after a traumatic event, either emotional or physical, can also trigger drops in blood pressure. Lastly, heart failure, heart attacks, and other cardiac events can change blood pressure rapidly.

If you ever experience one of the aforementioned conditions, or especially if you experience more than one in a brief period of time, there is a good chance that you may experience a severe drop in blood pressure. If you undergo any of the symptoms of high risk blood pressure changes, contact a medical professional or emergency personnel immediately.