He said these could indicate the possibility of other diseases either of the heart, the hormones or the brain.
"If blood pressure drops suddenly or is accompanied by symptoms such as those listed above, including blurring vision and a cold clammy skin then these symptoms need to be taken seriously," he said.
Bhagat said a sudden fall in blood pressure could be dangerous. He said low blood pressure could be a sign of serious and even a life-threatening disorder.
He said if the heart is very slow or one has heart valve problems, or heart failure this might result in an inability of the heart to pump sufficiently and drop the blood pressure. Hormonal problems such as an under-active thyroid or inability of the body to retain salt can cause pressure to drop.
Oblivious to many people some over the counter medications often taken by patients in the belief that they are doing themselves good can be responsible for lower blood pressure. He said such medications, included water pills (diuretics).
He said sometimes it is during pregnancy that one's blood pressure drops. Bhagat said severe infections, excessive blood loss, dehydration, excessive heat and having vitamin deficiency such as vitamin B12 can be other causes of a lower blood pressure.
Low blood on standing is the type that is especially common in the older population above the age of 65. "In these people the blood pools in the legs and therefore not enough blood gets to the brain, causing symptoms of light-headedness, blurred vision and dizziness," he said. Bhagat however said that medication also needs to be ruled out as a possible cause. There can be lower blood pressure even with a variety of brain disorders in dizziness and occasional fainting and even after eating a large meal full of carbohydrates.
Most cases, he said are not serious enough to warrant treatment or a visit to the doctor. When blood pressure is measured as 90/60mmHg, this does not qualify as blood pressure requiring treatment.
However, if required and a patient complains of symptoms then a test for low circulating blood count, low sugar or abnormal profiles and salt deficiency in the system can be done by the doctor. Specialists may perform sometimes even complicated tests.
He said a solution could be in the use of more salt to raise the blood pressure because salt will retain more water and allow a greater volume to circulate in the body. Drinking more water will also raise the blood pressure sufficiently to remove symptoms of dizziness and tiredness. He said that even elasticised compression stockings may be worn from the ankle through to the hips to squeeze the blood back to the heart and prevent blood from pooling in the legs. Bhagat said that a specialist could provide medication to raise blood pressure.
