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Is Blood Pressure Value Of 84/66 A Cause For Concern?

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Posted on Fri, 4 Nov 2016
Question: My wife is 73 and about 3:00 am she is throwing up which continues. She is unable to keep food or liquids down except small amount of Sprite. Her blood pressure is 84/66 which is lower than normal. She had an Angiogram/Stent in May of this year. No noticeable fever and we do not think it is food related, but possible.

The Angiogram revealed other arteries to the heart relatively good for her age. Only one stent required. I'm somewhat concerned about her low BP

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Answered by Dr. Scott Rebich (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Usually related to medication and dehydration.

Detailed Answer:
Hi there,

Did she recently have any medication changes such as more anti-hypertensives? What type of medications are she on? What does her blood pressure normally run? Did she have any chest pain or shortness of breath?

Low blood pressure is only significant when there is a drop of greater then 20 with symptoms which means if her blood pressure is normally 100 systolic (top number) and it dropped to 80 with symptoms of dizziness, lightheadedness, syncope or passing out, nausea or vomiting, or blurry vision. Therefore, her blood pressure drop is significant due to nausea and vomiting. It usually resolves on its own however.

Some heart conditions that can lead to low blood pressure include extremely low heart rate (bradycardia), heart valve problems, heart attack and heart failure. These conditions may cause low blood pressure because they prevent your body from being able to circulate enough blood. However, it is usually associated with significant chest pain, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing.

Several endocrine diseases such as thyroid, diabetes, and adrenal dysfunctions are also associated with low blood pressure.

Dehydration is also a common cause of low blood pressure. When you become dehydrated, your body loses more water than it takes in. Even mild dehydration can cause weakness, dizziness and fatigue. Fever, vomiting, severe diarrhea, overuse of diuretics and strenuous exercise can all lead to dehydration. Far more serious is hypovolemic shock, a life-threatening complication of dehydration. It occurs when low blood volume causes a sudden drop in blood pressure and a reduction in the amount of oxygen reaching your tissues.

Severe infection can happen when an infection in the body enters the bloodstream. This condition can lead to a life-threatening drop in blood pressure called septic shock.

There are several medications associated with low blood pressure.

I would recommend to continue to check her blood pressure every hour. If it continues to be low and she continues to have symptoms such as nausea, lightheadedness, dizziness, vomiting, syncope then I would recommend going to the hospital. In addition, if she develops fevers or confusion, I would take her to the hospital Emergently. Is she has any chest pain, go to the emergency room.

Let me know if you have additional questions.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Veerisetty Shyamkumar
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Answered by
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Dr. Scott Rebich

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :2015

Answered : 283 Questions

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Is Blood Pressure Value Of 84/66 A Cause For Concern?

Brief Answer: Usually related to medication and dehydration. Detailed Answer: Hi there, Did she recently have any medication changes such as more anti-hypertensives? What type of medications are she on? What does her blood pressure normally run? Did she have any chest pain or shortness of breath? Low blood pressure is only significant when there is a drop of greater then 20 with symptoms which means if her blood pressure is normally 100 systolic (top number) and it dropped to 80 with symptoms of dizziness, lightheadedness, syncope or passing out, nausea or vomiting, or blurry vision. Therefore, her blood pressure drop is significant due to nausea and vomiting. It usually resolves on its own however. Some heart conditions that can lead to low blood pressure include extremely low heart rate (bradycardia), heart valve problems, heart attack and heart failure. These conditions may cause low blood pressure because they prevent your body from being able to circulate enough blood. However, it is usually associated with significant chest pain, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. Several endocrine diseases such as thyroid, diabetes, and adrenal dysfunctions are also associated with low blood pressure. Dehydration is also a common cause of low blood pressure. When you become dehydrated, your body loses more water than it takes in. Even mild dehydration can cause weakness, dizziness and fatigue. Fever, vomiting, severe diarrhea, overuse of diuretics and strenuous exercise can all lead to dehydration. Far more serious is hypovolemic shock, a life-threatening complication of dehydration. It occurs when low blood volume causes a sudden drop in blood pressure and a reduction in the amount of oxygen reaching your tissues. Severe infection can happen when an infection in the body enters the bloodstream. This condition can lead to a life-threatening drop in blood pressure called septic shock. There are several medications associated with low blood pressure. I would recommend to continue to check her blood pressure every hour. If it continues to be low and she continues to have symptoms such as nausea, lightheadedness, dizziness, vomiting, syncope then I would recommend going to the hospital. In addition, if she develops fevers or confusion, I would take her to the hospital Emergently. Is she has any chest pain, go to the emergency room. Let me know if you have additional questions.