Re: Low Blood Pressure

Posted By CCF CARDIO MD-APS on November 03, 1998 at 07:55:02:

In Reply to: Low Blood Pressure posted by Sydney on October 31, 1998 at 15:26:51:






I am a 24 yr old overweight (100 lbs) female.  In the last few weeks my blood pressure has been somewhat low (85/58 down to 80/50).  This is not an every day reading.  At times my bp can be normal (117/72 to 120/76).  I have experienced fatigue and light headedness when going from sitting to standing position.  Sometimes I am so fatigued that I feel that I really can't function.  The times when the bp's were low, I was told to drink lots of fluids, but didn't always help.  My question is:  Is this a concern or is it normal??  I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Sydney



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Dear Sydney,
You should increase salt and fluid intake in order to keep that blood pressure up.  The blood pressure is not
a concern at all, a  lot of young women have this problem, especially when they rise to quickly from a chair or the bed (i.e. when they have low normal blood pressure.)
What is a problem is that fatique is a very non-specific symptom and could be related to your blood pressure being low normal most times, however, some other possilities need investigation before you can just say that it is related to the
blood pressure.  You should see a general physician to have a history and physical, with potentially a check of your blood count and or thyroid, depending on the 'full story' or what the doctor suspects might be the cause of the fatique. Good Luck and write back if you have any further questions.
Information provided in the heart forum is intended for general medical informational purposes, actual diagnosis and treatment can only be made by your physician(s).