Warning Signs Of Hypotension (Low Blood Pressure)

Nausea

Nausea is a less common symptom of hypotension, but it's still a key marker. It's often accompanied by dizziness and lightheadedness. Affected individuals might feel as though they're unsure whether or not they're going to pass out or throw up. Nausea is defined as discomfort in the stomach and a sensation of needing to vomit. Some individuals experience nausea without actually vomiting, but it can be a precedent to vomiting stomach contents. It's rare for hypotension to cause vomiting on its own, but it is possible depending on how badly the dizziness and clamminess upset the sense of equilibrium in the patient's body. There's a hypotension condition called neutrally mediated hypotension that can lead to nausea. Rather than feeling nauseous and dizzy when standing, as with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), blood pressure only drops after patients have been standing for a long time. This can lead to what seems like spontaneous dizziness, fainting, and nausea. It can be hard to diagnose this condition if individuals don't often stand for long periods, since a diagnosis tends to happen after a pattern is established.

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Clammy Skin

Clammy skin can accompany drops in blood pressure. This happens when the skin suddenly becomes colder than usual and becomes unusually moist. It's common for clammy skin to make individuals look pale. Hypotension is one of many issues that can lead to clamminess, and any kind of circulatory issue can lead to clammy skin. When the body recognizes there is a crisis, it releases large amounts of adrenaline, which causes blood to decrease its flow toward the limbs, skin, and other peripheral body areas. Though this can make affected individuals feel weak and ill, it's actually a survival mechanism. The body is directing blood toward vital organs instead to keep them functioning as well as possible. Episodes of clamminess aren't always a sign there's an underlying cardiovascular illness. Anxiety attacks often lead to this reaction due to the change in heart rhythm. Low blood sugar can also have this effect, as can low levels of oxygen in the blood.

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