The causes of low blood pressure and dizziness in the elderly are commonly physiologic, acute cardiovascular disease, postural hypotension, etc., and the specific treatments are different.
1. Physiological: the elderly thin body can lead to low blood pressure, generally strengthen the nutrition, consumption of lean meat, eggs, milk, fish, etc. can be relieved.
2. Acute cardiovascular diseases: such as acute myocardial infarction, acute heart failure and so on lead to the reduction of blood volume, low blood pressure, often accompanied by dizziness, fatigue, etc., should be treated as soon as possible for the cause of the disease, such as acute myocardial infarction need to implant a stent to open the coronary artery, acute heart failure need to be inhaled oxygen, the use of furosemide and other diuretics to reduce the cardiac load, sodium nitroprusside and so on to dilate blood vessels.
3. Postural hypotension: within 3 minutes of changing from prone to upright position, systolic blood pressure decreases ≥20 or diastolic blood pressure decreases ≥10mmHg, prevention includes standing slowly, squatting as soon as possible when symptoms such as dizziness appear, non-pharmacological treatments include appropriate exercise and eating small meals, and if necessary, using drugs such as hydrocortisone or midodrine.
4. Vasovagal reflex hypotension: vasodilatation of low blood pressure, or even syncope, generally can avoid triggering factors such as emotional excitement, etc., β-blockers to control the heart rate can be relieved, if necessary, with fludrocortisone to promote sodium and water retention, increase blood volume to raise blood pressure.
5. Pharmacogenetic: the elderly combined with hypertension, taking too much antihypertensive drugs will lead to hypotension, it is recommended to immediately stop antihypertensive drugs, follow the doctor’s instructions to adjust the drug.
Part of the elderly hypothyroidism can also lead to low blood pressure, can take levothyroxine sodium tablets and other drugs to treat. It is recommended that if the elderly have low blood pressure with dizziness, they should go to the hospital to find out the cause and follow the doctor’s instructions for treatment.