Low Blood Pressure (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Low Blood Pressure Overview
- Low Blood Pressure Causes
- The Arterial Wall
- Medications
- Pregnancy
- Endocrine
- Allergic Reactions
- Orthostatic Hypotension
- Diabetes
- Micturition Syncope (Fainting During Urination or Bowel Movements)
- Low Blood Pressure Symptoms
- Exams and Tests
- Low Blood Pressure Treatment
- Low Blood Pressure Complications
- Summary
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
- Pictures of Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension) - Slideshow
- Viewer Comments: Low Blood Pressure - Causes
Heart
The heart is an electrical pump. Problems with either the pump or the electricity can cause problems with low blood pressure.
- If the heart beats too quickly, blood pressure may fall because there isn't
enough time for the heart to refill in between each beat (diastole). If the
heart beats too slowly, there may be too much time spent in diastole when blood
is not flowing.
- If the heart muscle has been damaged or irritated, there may not be enough
pumping force to maintain blood pressure. In heart attack
(myocardial infarction), enough heart muscle may be stunned so that the heart is too weak to
pump effectively.
- The valves of the heart allow blood to flow in only one direction. If a valve fails, blood can regurgitate backwards, minimizing the amount that will flow out to the body. If a valve becomes narrowed (stenotic), then blood flow may be decreased. Both situations may cause hypotension.
Viewer Comments & Reviews
Low Blood Pressure - Causes
The eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:
What caused your blood pressure to be abnormally low?
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