Hypotension

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Definition

Hypotension is the medical term for low blood pressure.

Description

The pressure of the blood in the arteries rises and falls as the heart and muscles handle demands of daily living, such as exercise, sleep and stress. Some healthy people have blood pressure well below the average for their age, even though they have a completely normal heart and blood vessels. This is often true of athletes who are in superior shape. The term "hypotension" is usually used only when blood pressure has fallen so far that enough blood can no longer reach the brain, causing dizziness and fainting.

— Carol A. Turkington

Dictionary: hy·po·ten·sion  (hī'pə-tĕn'shən)

Abnormally low blood pressure.

For more information on hypotension, visit Britannica.com.

Diminished tension; lowered blood pressure. In animals almost the only occurrence is in severe peripheral circulatory failure, especially traumatic, toxemic or anaphylactic shock.

• postural h. — a slight fall in systolic blood pressure is normal upon rising. Abnormal postural hypotension involves a decrease in both systolic and diastolic pressures with changes in heart rate.