Hypotension reading is much harder to quantify; let us see numbers for low blood pressure, too low blood pressure, and dangerously low blood pressure range.
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps. If this reading is, lower than certain BP range is considering as hypotension reading.
Blood pressure
Before going into the details of hypotension range of reading, we first know what blood pressure is and what this reading provides us.
In a blood pressure reading there are two numbers one over or next to the other, they are:
- Systolic pressure: The first number in a pressure reading refers to the amount of pressure in the arteries when the heart pumps blood to facilitate blood circulation to the entire body.
- Diastolic pressure: The second number in a pressure reading refers to the amount of pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats.
Although one can get an accurate blood pressure reading at any given time, the pressure is not static. Pressure is usually lowest at night and rises sharply on waking.
Pressure can vary considerably in a short time, sometime from one heartbeat to the next, depending on body position, breathe rhythm, stress, physical condition, medications you take, what you ate. & drank, and even time of day.
Low blood pressure reading
Hypotension is much harder to quantify; current guidelines identify normal pressure as 120/80 mmHg (healthy BP 110/70). Some medical experts define low blood pressure readings as a value that is lower than below said values:
- systolic pressure 90 mmHg or
- diastolic pressure 60 mmHg
Pressure reading with just only one number (systolic or diastolic) is in the low range is considered as low blood pressure. For example, if one has a systolic pressure of perfect 120, but the diastolic pressure of 50 is considering as hypotension.
Too low blood pressure reading
If the blood pressure drops well below low blood pressure range to a level of:
- Systolic pressure below 60 mmHg or
- Diastolic pressure below 40 mmHg
Then it is considering as too low blood pressure.
Dangerously low blood pressure
If the blood pressure fall below too low blood pressure range, which is dangerous to your health is considering as highly (dangerous) low blood pressure. The blood pressure reading that is considering being high-low blood pressure if:
- Systolic pressure drops below 50 mmHg or
- Diastolic pressure drops below 33 mmHg
A sudden fall in pressure can be more dangerous; a change (drop) of 20 mm Hg from 130 to 110 systolic can cause dizziness and fainting. It is because the brain fails to receive an adequate supply of blood.