Hypotension

Hypotension is blood pressure that is abnormally low for a person’s age, health, and circumstances. It may cause no symptoms or reduce blood flow to organs.

Blood pressure: The force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels. Hypotension is defined by blood pressure falling unusually low for the individual.
Syncope: A brief loss of consciousness caused by temporary insufficient blood flow to the brain. A sudden pressure drop can trigger fainting by reducing cerebral perfusion.
Sphygmomanometer: An instrument that measures blood pressure, usually with an inflatable cuff. Reliable readings are needed to identify and track hypotension.
Hypertension: Blood pressure that is persistently higher than recommended thresholds. It is the high-pressure counterpart, but unlike hypotension it usually carries long-term vascular risk.
Orthostatic hypotension: A sustained fall in blood pressure after standing from sitting or lying down. It is a distinct form caused by an inadequate response to upright posture.
Shock: A life-threatening state in which inadequate tissue perfusion causes cellular dysfunction. Severe hypotension can accompany shock, though low pressure alone does not establish it.
Mean arterial pressure: The average arterial pressure during one cardiac cycle. Clinicians use it as one indicator of pressure available to perfuse organs.
White coat hypertension: Elevated clinic blood pressure that is not present in usual out-of-clinic measurements. It shows why a single reading, whether high or low, may misrepresent a person’s usual pressure.
Baroreflex: A rapid feedback system that adjusts heart rate and vessel tone in response to changes in blood pressure. Its failure can prevent the usual pressure correction when a person stands.
Postprandial hypotension: A fall in blood pressure after eating, especially common in older adults. This timing-specific pattern shows how digestion can expose limited circulatory compensation.

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