The causes of low blood pressure are many, and we will consider a few of them here. Low blood pressure can effect the way we live, think, and work. Low blood pressure can cause feelings of depression, tiredness, nausea, faintness, dizziness, and lightheadedness. Having low blood pressure basically means that the fuel your body needs in order to operate is too low. Try mowing your lawn when your lawn mower is low on fuel; it’s a sweaty, grueling job, if it can be performed at all. The same principle applies to your body. Understanding the causes of low blood pressure can help us understand how to keep our bodies running more smoothly and efficiently.
1. One cause of low blood pressure is, quite simply, not having enough blood! This can occur of course if you receive a wound and lose a lot of blood, or hemorrhage internally, which amasses blood in one place. It is possible to bleed dangerously externally and internally. Both of these states are causes of low blood pressure.
2. Another cause of low blood pressure is when your heart just isn’t pumping enough blood. This is a dangerous state to be in. Certain kinds of medications can slow your heart down, but a slow heart can also have to do with a poor diet. If you eat too many animal products, that is, cheese, whole milk, cream, meat, eggs, etc., fatty deposits build up in your arteries and slow your blood stream down. When your blood stream is slowed down, clots can form, and clots can lead to heart attack, stroke, and death. When it comes to medications, you should talk to your doctor to see which ones slow the heart down. You should also talk to your doctor before you make any major changes in diet.
3. Your blood vessels play an important role in regulating your blood pressure. From time to time they’ll constrict, and keep the blood flowing evenly. If your body does something to hamper this constriction process, low blood pressure is the result. Your body can hamper the constriction process by doing something as simple as standing up too quickly. Excessive heat and exercise can cause the blood vessels to not perform their job as well. Again (and this can’t be stressed enough) when it comes to important physical issues like low blood pressure, your doctor is the person to see. He or she will diagnose the causes of low blood pressure accurately, and also help you come up with a safe plan for getting to the point where your body is regulating your blood flow more evenly.
Other, simpler causes of low blood pressure include eating too much too quickly, exercising too much when your body isn’t prepared for it, standing up too quickly, waking up and getting out of bed too quickly and suddenly – in general, bringing a little shock to your body by a dramatic change in position, usually going from lying down or sitting to standing.
Be gentler to your body; wake up slowly, get out of bed slowly; and never be in too big a hurry to stand. As eating is a cause of low blood pressure, it may be a good idea to eat several small meals throughout the day rather than two or three large ones. As eating badly is a cause of low blood pressure, it is certainly a good idea to include lots of vegetables and fruit in those small and numerous meals. Before making a change in your diet, though, pay a visit to your doctor, and with his or her help figure out where you stand with medications, diet, and exercise.