Throughout life, stroke and pressure go hand in hand. Traditionally, it is believed that it is high blood pressure (hypertension) that is a harbinger of a serious disease that causes circulatory disorders in the head and, as a result, death of brain cells. And can there be a stroke at low pressure (that is, with hypotension)? Yes, it is quite possible. A stroke can be in a person who has low blood pressure (BP) and even normal.
The insidiousness of the disease lies in the fact that it is not so much the signs that appear at a particular moment in time that are dangerous, but the consequences that will "remind oneself" in the future in the form of paresis, paralysis and other extremely unpleasant phenomena.
What is hypotonic
Can a stroke occur at low pressure (with arterial hypotension)? As we said, yes, maybe. But first, let's try to figure out what hypotonics are. And how do they differ from hypertensive patients.
In people with hypotension, the level of blood pressure is extremely rarely higher than indications such as 100/60 mm Hg. Art. (and sometimes lower). Very often they have observed:
- malaise;
- fatigue (already in the morning);
- dizziness;
- drowsiness;
- reduced thermoregulation;
- very fast fatigue;
- weak pulse;
- irritability;
- poor blood circulation in the limbs;
- menstrual irregularities (in women) and potency (in men);
- severe headaches in general, as well as after drinking alcohol or in case of stressful situations;
- excessive sweating;
- nausea;
- poor adaptation to temperature changes, changing weather conditions, as well as increasing atmospheric pressure and humidity;
- not very good reaction of the body to too large physical loads;
- tendency to motion sickness in transport.
On a note! Very often pregnant women replenish the “army” of hypotonics. What pleases is that a similar phenomenon occurs exclusively for the period of bearing the baby. After his birth, everything is normal.
Possible causes of hypotension
What can trigger the appearance of such a disease:
- hereditary predisposition;
- nervous strain;
- pathological disorders in the cardiovascular system;
- the presence of injuries;
- insufficiently balanced diet;
- infectious diseases.
Hypotension Treatment
15-20 years ago, doctors did not at all listen to the complaints of hypotonics and attributed all the manifesting symptoms to the simple physiological properties of a particular individual. And today, doctors can do little to help such patients, since there are very few medications to treat the disease: these are mainly caffeine-based or vasodilator drugs. That is, you have to rely only on yourself, using that small arsenal of medicines or traditional medicine methods.
Nevertheless, what does happen to a person who has a constantly low blood pressure, even with a slight increase in it:
- severe throbbing headache;
- vomiting
- intestinal cramps having a wavy character may be observed;
- noise in ears;
- heart palpitations;
- a feeling of cold, sometimes reaching a shiver;
- hearing and vision loss;
- after the attack, there is heaviness in the whole body and trembling in the limbs.
Possible causes of stroke with hypotension
Could there be a stroke at low pressure? Of course, the pressure rises to normal or slightly higher. That is, there is a jump in blood pressure, provoked, possibly by physical exertion, heat, stressful situation, taking hypertensive drugs or overwork, which will be quite enough for the development of a stroke.
What else can cause a stroke with low blood pressure:
- thrombosis (i.e., bleeding disorder);
- heart failure of a chronic nature;
- rupture of an aneurysm in one of the vessels;
- the use of energy or "strong" drinks;
- addiction to tobacco products;
- malnutrition, which is expressed in the use of fatty and sweet foods, as well as fast food;
- inactive lifestyle, which is mainly expressed in lying or sitting.
How compatible are stroke and low blood pressure?
Speaking about whether there is a stroke at low pressure, it is worth talking about jumps in blood pressure, from which the load on the vessels rises significantly and anything can happen. They are the ones that represent the danger, and not just the stably high or stably low pressure.
The jump in blood pressure in hypotensive patients, as a rule, causes unpleasant symptoms and discomfort, which we will discuss later.
At what pressure difference is there a high risk of stroke?
Speaking about whether there can be a stroke under reduced pressure, you should first find out what the difference between systolic and diastolic pressure is critical and can cause brain cell death.
On a note! Recall that blood pressure is the force with which blood moves through the vascular system. This is known to all. Systolic pressure is a reflection of the tension between the heart muscle and blood vessels at the moment when the heart contracts. And diastolic pressure is the same, only at the moment of relaxation.
Statistics say that about 30-40% of the adult population of the planet suffers from such problems as jumps in blood pressure. Moreover, if hypertension is considered elevated blood pressure, 180 (200) / 110 (120) mmHg are considered. Art., then with hypotension in excess of the standards, indicators of 120 (140) / 80 (90) mm Hg are already considered, at which a person can have a stroke (at low pressure, a fairly common phenomenon). That is, an increase of only a few tens of units can cause a serious illness. Remember this.
On a note! By the way, the highest blood pressure indicators that were recorded in the world are 310/220 mm Hg. Art.
Symptoms of a stroke
Symptoms of a stroke at low pressure:
- Incomprehensible and confused speech. The patient cannot pronounce even the simplest words.
- Severe headache.
- Confusion. The patient cannot remember the obvious facts.
- Perhaps fainting.
- The presence of paresis of the facial nerves in the form of a "curve" of a smile on the face.
- “Drunk” gait and complete or partial disorientation in space.
- A sharp decrease in vision.
- Weakness in the whole body. Sometimes a complete loss of a person’s motor ability, that is, paralysis.
Possessing information about the signs of a stroke (at low pressure and at high too), a medical specialist can quickly determine exactly that part of the head that turned out to be subject to oxygen starvation. This is extremely important. Doctors have the term "golden hour": if during this time the necessary emergency measures are taken, then the patient has a chance for a relative recovery.
Suspected stroke first aid
Speaking about whether there is a stroke at low pressure, one can not help but talk about those activities that must be done immediately at the first sign of a disease:
- First of all, we urgently call an ambulance.
- Next, we provide the patient with complete peace.
- We carry out (of course, if you can) a suffering person a heart massage or artificial respiration.
Important! Without urgent hospitalization of a patient in a medical institution, he may experience a loss of brain function, paralysis and even the worst (that is, a fatal outcome), and then the question of whether there can be a stroke with low pressure will generally lose its relevance. There will be nothing to talk about.
Diagnosis of stroke with hypotension
The correct diagnosis of the disease and emergency measures to eliminate the consequences of the disease help to somehow minimize the consequences of damage to the human brain, and sometimes save his life. Continuing the conversation about whether a stroke is possible with low pressure, we want to talk about the main ways to diagnose a stroke:
- CT scan;
- MRI (i.e., magnetic resonance imaging);
- blood test (biochemical);
- the implementation of dopplerograms of arteries, encephalograms and coagulograms;
- angiography;
- electrocardiography and echocardiography of the heart muscle.
Stroke therapy
To the question of whether there can be a stroke with low blood pressure, we already answered, now let's figure out how to treat it. It all depends on how quickly the diagnosis of the disease is carried out and all the necessary measures are taken to eliminate the consequences of the disease. Otherwise, there is a high probability that brain cells will die, and a person is unlikely to be able to return to the usual way of life.
Sometimes, for the successful treatment of a stroke (ischemic), it is enough to adjust the brain and restore breathing. To do this, prescribe medications that prevent blood clots and thin the blood (for example, Warfarin and aspirin). In some cases, surgical intervention is required, for example, placing a stent in a vessel or removing a blood clot.
If the patient is diagnosed with hemorrhagic stroke, then the doctors will most likely take action to eliminate bleeding and reduce intracranial pressure.
Important! Patients who have already had a stroke have a high risk of getting a second stroke. Therefore, after a disease, a rather long period of rehabilitation is necessary.
Rehabilitation
The following recommendations should be followed during this period:
- Periodically go to an appointment with your doctor.
- It is unlikely that you can do without taking medications prescribed by your doctor. Take them without fail so that blood pressure is normal.
- Constantly monitor blood pressure. Keep in mind, if the values are very exceeded, then the likelihood of a recurrence of a stroke is high.
- Use traditional medicine recovery methods.
Important! People suffering from vascular atherosclerosis or diabetes, as well as having extra pounds, should be more attentive to their state of health, since in their case the risk of developing a stroke increases significantly.
Prevention
What needs to be done to protect yourself from such a serious illness as a stroke:
- Correct your diet. As much fruits and vegetables as possible; less fatty, sweet and salty. By the way, no fast food.
- Refuse strong and carbonated drinks.
- Exercise physical activity (of course, moderate).
- Refuse such a bad habit as smoking.
- Try to avoid emotional overload and stressful situations. As a last resort, ignore them.
- Massage or hydromassage is welcome. Good results are given by swimming and a contrast shower.
- Keep your blood cholesterol and your blood pressure under constant control.
- Do not run existing endocrine and cardiological diseases so that they do not become chronic.
Important! Remember: statistics say that even in the case of a favorable outcome for the treatment of a stroke, by the end of the first year, every second patient leaves for a “better world”. In 75-80% of cases, this disease is the reason that people become disabled.
Finally
Can there be a stroke with low pressure, high or normal? Maybe absolutely at any blood pressure. The main thing is to notice the first signs in time, provide first aid and call for help from doctors. Health to all of you!