Low blood pressure, also known as hypotension, is a condition where blood pressure is much lower than normal. It can happen either as a condition on its own or as a symptom of a wide range of conditions. Low blood pressure might cause no noticeable symptoms, or it might cause dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, and injury from falls. The effects of low blood pressure depend on why it is happening, how fast it develops, and what caused it. Slow decreases in blood pressure happen normally, so hypotension becomes more common as people get older. Fast decreases in blood pressure can mean certain parts of your body aren’t getting enough blood flow. That can have effects that are unpleasant, disruptive, or even dangerous.

Complications of low blood pressure include dizziness, weakness, fainting, injury from falls, heart problems, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, and shock. A sudden fall in blood pressure can be dangerous, and a change of just 20 mm Hg can cause dizziness and fainting. Extreme low blood pressure can lead to a condition known as shock, which can cause symptoms such as turning pale, skin that feels cold, fast breathing, weak and quick pulse, and confusion.

Its important to find out whats causing low blood pressure so that it can be treated, if necessary. Treatment usually starts with finding out why it’s happening. If a provider can treat that cause directly, hypotension will usually get better on its own. For example, hypotension can happen because of an injury and blood loss. Repairing that injury and replacing the lost blood with a blood transfusion will stop hypotension as long as the repair to the injury holds. If you have low blood pressure but don’t have symptoms, this condition usually isn’t harmful and shouldn’t impact your life. If you do have symptoms, the underlying cause is usually what determines the outlook for this condition[[2]](https://my.clevelandclinic...