Low blood pressure, also known as hypotension, is usually considered a sign of good health and low risk for cardiovascular disease. However, there are times when persistently low blood pressure or a sudden drop can be a sign of an underlying health issue that needs medical attention. Knowing when low blood pressure becomes a problem can help ensure timely intervention and proper care.

Blood pressure readings consist of two numbers:

Systolic pressure (the top number) indicates the pressure in your arteries when your heart pumps blood. Diastolic pressure (the bottom number) reflects the pressure in your arteries while your heart is resting between beats.

The normal reading is usually 120/80 mmHg or less. Hypotension is clinically defined as having blood pressure readings less than 90/60 mmHg. In some patients, low blood pressure will have no adverse health consequences and therefore does not need to be treated. In extreme cases, however, it can limit the flow of oxygen and nutrients to vital organs, resulting in potentially life-threatening complications, such as shock.

Causes of Low Blood Pressure

Hypotension can result from many factors. Some of the factors that cause hypotension are as follows:

• Insufficient fluid intake or excessive fluid loss can lead to decreased blood volume and hence hypotension.
• An injury or internal bleeding may result in hypotension. This happens because blood pressure becomes significantly reduced.
• Some hormonal changes along with the increased blood requirement during pregnancy also causes hypotension.
• Issues like heart failure or arrhythmias can impair blood circulation and result in low blood pressure.
• Certain drugs, including diuretics, antidepressants, and blood-pressure-lowering medications, can induce hypotension.

Symptoms of Hypotension

While low blood pressure may not always cause symptoms, it can sometimes be associated with:

- Dizziness or fainting

- Fatigue and weakness

- Blurred vision

- Nausea

- Confusion or difficulty concentrating

- Shallow breathing

- Palpitations

If the person experiences these symptoms, with the recorded blood pressure reading, the medical services have to be consulted.

Types of Low Blood Pressure

1. Orthostatic Hypotension: This is a kind of hypotension that appears as a result of decreased blood pressure when a person is standing up from lying down or sitting position and primarily affects elderly people.

2. Postprandial Hypotension: This is a drop in blood pressure after eating, more common in older people.

3. Neurally Mediated Hypotension: It is triggered by standing for long periods. This type can affect younger people and is associated with miscommunication between the brain and heart.

When Is Low Blood Pressure Dangerous?

There is no such thing as a universal threshold for very low blood pressure, but a blood pressure reading below 90/60 mmHg can be dangerous and require prompt medical assessment if accompanied by symptoms of fainting, confusion, or shortness of breath. Sudden falls in blood pressure may point to potentially serious underlying causes, which can include:

• Internal bleeding
• Sepsis (severe infection)
• Allergic reactions

Management and Treatment

Treatment of hypotension depends on its cause:

• Hydration Drinking more water can help against dehydration-related hypotension.
• Compression Stockings: These can improve circulation and reduce blood pooling in the lower limbs.
• Dietary Changes: Increasing salt intake under supervision can help increase blood pressure
• Medication Changes: The physician may need to reduce dosages of some medications or replace prescriptions.

For more severe cases, physicians might also administer fludrocortisone or midodrine to increase blood pressure. Shock from hypotension should be treated promptly to ensure proper function of organs.

Can Hypotension Cause Fatigue?

Chronic fatigue syndrome has also been associated with low blood pressure. Prolonged tiredness, despite adequate rest, may require reassessment of blood pressure levels. Fatigue secondary to hypotension will impact functionality and thus requires assessment and treatment of the cause.

When to Seek Medical Care

If your blood pressure readings are low consistently and without symptoms, you probably have nothing to worry about. If you do have symptoms like dizziness, fainting, or confusion, you need to go to the doctor. Blood pressure checks are usually conducted regularly. Once you are aware of your own normal baseline, you will know right away when there is something wrong.

Lifestyle Tips That Support Normal Blood Pressure

1. Other than directly treating hypotension, a healthy lifestyle overall would promote balanced blood pressure levels.
2. Exercise regularly; it promotes cardiovascular health and can help regulate blood pressure.
3. Focus on nutrient-dense foods rich in iron, B vitamins, and electrolytes to support circulatory health.
4. Excessive alcohol consumption dehydrates the body and lowers blood pressure.
5. Practices like yoga and meditation can help maintain a healthy blood pressure range.

Endometriosis is a chronic disease affecting about 1 in 10 women worldwide. Diagnosis and treatment remain challenging, particularly for women with severe pain and other complications.

Now, US researchers have developed a targeted nanotherapy that showed promising results against endometriosis in early testing.

Scientists at Washington State University found that the treatment reduced endometriosis lesions, symptoms and pain sensitivity after a single dose in mice.

The findings were published in Advanced Healthcare Materials. Researchers hope to eventually test the treatment in humans.

How Does The Drug Work?

Also read: Endometriosis Can Take Years To Diagnose But This AI Tool Can Identify Its Signs In 18 Milliseconds

The drug, niclosamide, was previously used to treat intestinal tapeworm infections in humans and is still used in animals.

Earlier research found that niclosamide could reduce endometriosis lesions and inflammation. However, it is not suitable for long-term use, limiting its potential as a treatment for a chronic condition.

To overcome this, researchers developed a nanotherapy that delivers niclosamide directly to cells associated with endometriosis.

“We found the disease-specific immune cell, and then we had a drug, but we couldn’t target the cell with the drug alone,” said Kanako Hayashi, professor at WSU’s School of Molecular Biosciences.

“So we used this nanocarrier that delivers the drug specifically to the disease site,” Hayashi said.

Single Dose Reduced Lesions In Mice

The team used a nanosized molecule called a dendrimer to bind with niclosamide and deliver it in a more soluble form.

In mice, a single injection reduced the size and number of lesions and lowered pain sensitivity.

“Although we still need to clear multiple phases, this study is telling us the efficacy is strong, and this nanocarrier is stable, so far, for two weeks—and we think we can go longer,” Hayashi said.

If the treatment remains stable for longer periods, researchers believe it could potentially be given less frequently. Hayashi said a monthly injection could be possible in the future, but this would depend on further testing.

READ: Endometriosis Taught Me To Always Listen To My Body, Says Model Padma Lakshmi

Can It Be Used In Humans?

Not yet. The treatment has only been tested in mice and must undergo further safety and efficacy testing before human trials.

Researchers also do not yet know whether it would ultimately be given as an injection or IV infusion.

What Is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis affects an estimated 190 million women worldwide. It occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.

It can cause severe pelvic pain, painful periods, pain during sex and infertility. Symptoms are sometimes dismissed as a “bad period,” contributing to delays in diagnosis.

There is currently no cure, although treatments can help manage symptoms.

How Is Endometriosis Treated?

Treatment depends on symptoms, disease severity and fertility goals.

Hormonal medicines can help control pain and disease activity but may cause side effects and can affect fertility while being used.

Painkillers, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, may help manage discomfort.

Laparoscopic surgery can remove lesions and endometriotic cysts and may help restore pelvic anatomy. It can also improve fertility in some women, although the disease can recur.

Lifestyle measures such as regular exercise, stress management and dietary changes may also support symptom management.

Lung development of the fetus depends on the physical and genetic health of the parents.

At birth, breathing begins with air from the environment, containing oxygen and other gases, and is influenced by known and unknown forces of nature. The air then passes through well-developed nostrils, which regulate the air temperature and prevent foreign bodies from entering the body and help protect against diseases.

Breath travels through the nasal passages, sinuses, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), trachea (breathing tubes), bronchi, small airways, air sacs, interstitial membrane, into thin-walled blood vessels that transport oxygen and collect gases and other substances to be expelled from the body.

The diaphragm, the muscle that separates the lungs from the abdomen, is the most powerful breathing apparatus.

The lungs in the early stages of life undergo dramatic changes from newborn→ infancy→ childhood→ puberty→ teenage→ adults→ middle age→ seniors. Factors influencing lung health risks keep changing with age, depending on genetics, environment & external factors.

• Genetics or abnormalities – disorders at birth, transmitted from parents. Stress, environment, nutritional deficits, and accidents play an important role in lung and airway development. Also, anatomical abnormalities of the airways since birth, whether corrected or correctable or left alone.

• Allergy—genetic or acquired is lifelong unless well managed

• Chronic health conditions – Asthma can occur during childhood, pregnancy, post-pregnancy, or later in life and is generally manageable. Diabetes can develop during childhood, in young adulthood, or later in life, but it can be managed effectively. Hypertension, including pulmonary hypertension, can occur at any age and may be caused by blood clots, underlying diseases, primary conditions, or genetic factors.

• Environmental factors and unhealthy habits – smoking, pollution, gases, drugs, near-drowning. Recreational drugs, or side effects of medications used for diseases of the body, can have a telling effect on the lungs and airways.

• Nutrition – inadequate nutrition of mother and child can cause damage till old age

• Occupational lung disease – at any stage – workplace, smoking, birds, pets, pollution, construction activity, dusty atmospheres and travel, which may cause difficulty in breathing till later in life, leading to chronic obstructive lung disease that may cause morbidity.

• Infections – Can occur during childhood or throughout life, affecting both healthy individuals and those with reduced immune function, which may be due to co-existing diseases, medications that suppress the immune system to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, congenital immune deficiencies, or acquired immune deficiencies resulting from medications, external factors, or underlying diseases.

• Prophylactic medication, vaccines, and early treatment of airway diseases help in later life.

• Autoimmune diseases–arthritis, thyroid, etc.- where the body's defense mechanism has become rogue and fights itself, can develop from childhood till late in life.

• Accidents – happen at any age, damaging the breathing apparatus and requiring emergency treatment

• Cancer in any part of the body, including radiation, may affect the lungs at any age

• Body’s failure of in-built Immunity (innate) or acquired immunity mechanism; sunlight is nature’s gift to mankind; it improves lung resistance at all ages

• Snoring as an indicator for suspected obstructive sleep apnea

For Better Lung Health

• Exercise – yoga, sports, walking, physical and breathing exercises help to improve the performance of the respiratory tract throughout life

• Education – helps in understanding the causes, prevention, and timely treatment. It helps in averting damage to the airways in the future.

• Availability of health care facilities in urban & rural areas – can make a difference in the development, prevention, and treatment of respiratory disorders.

• Breastfeeding of the baby is important as it helps in the development and growth of the lungs, immunity, and fighting against damaging forces in nature, in the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, and a horde of known and unknown mechanisms which harm airways. Cough and sneeze reflexes begin to develop, which are powerful forces used to throw out unwanted particles and organisms from the airways.

The lungs and airways perform non-respiratory functions of protecting the body against harmful insults, both from within and external threats, and it also protects against insults received from other organs of the body. The lungs have a powerful defense mechanism protecting the body and also have hormonal, physical, and immunological defense mechanisms.

A small lump in the neck is easy to overlook, especially when there is no pain. In many cases, it has a simple explanation, such as an infection or a swollen lymph node. Thyroid nodules are also common, and most of them are not cancerous.

The thyroid is a small gland at the front of the neck. When cancer develops in the thyroid, a lump or swelling may sometimes be the first noticeable change. It may remain painless, which is one reason people tend to wait before getting it checked.

What changes are worth noticing?

The way a lump changes over time can provide an important clue. A swelling that suddenly becomes larger, feels harder, remains in place for several weeks deserves attention.

Other changes can include persistent hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, a feeling of pressure in the neck or, less commonly, difficulty breathing. Swollen lymph nodes on the side of the neck can also occur. These symptoms are not specific to thyroid cancer and may be related to other causes, but they should not be dismissed if they persist.

Also read: Thyroid Medicine Recall Gets US FDA’s Highest Risk Rating: What To Know

How is the lump checked?

A doctor will first examine the neck and assess the size and location of the swelling. An ultrasound is often used to look more closely at the thyroid and any nodules present.

If a nodule has features that call for further investigation, a fine-needle aspiration may be advised. A small sample of cells is taken with a thin needle and examined to determine whether further treatment or monitoring is required.

When is it time to see a doctor?

A painless lump does not automatically mean cancer, and discovering a thyroid nodule is not a reason to panic. At the same time, a swelling that stays for over three weeks, grows or is accompanied by changes in swallowing or voice should be evaluated.

Early assessment can help identify whether the lump is related to the thyroid, an infection or another condition, and whether any follow-up is needed.

By Dr Akshat Malik, Senior Consultant, Head & Neck Oncology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi