Low Blood Pressure (Read 4208 times)

Last time I was at the doctor the nurse commented on my blood pressure. She said. "Wow, you're blood pressure is really low compared to the last time you were here." She said it was 100/55. I'm not fit. I'm about 30/40 pounds overweight and just keeping this body moving while I run/walk is a struggle. The doctor didn't mention a word to me about it and I didn't really think much of it (I was there for a broken ankle.) I was strolling though Walgreens the other day and stopped at the little machines and checked my blood pressure. It was 96/55. I feel tired all the time but I just attributed it to the new school year, coaching, etc. I have a long line of familiy history with heart disease...mom had her first of three heart attacks at 41 and a grandpa died at 45 of a heart attack and my grandma at 88. Is my low blood pressure a good thing in relation to my families history of heart disease or a bad thing?

Last time I was at the doctor the nurse commented on my blood pressure. She said. "Wow, you're blood pressure is really low compared to the last time you were here." She said it was 100/55. I'm not fit. I'm about 30/40 pounds overweight and just keeping this body moving while I run/walk is a struggle. The doctor didn't mention a word to me about it and I didn't really think much of it (I was there for a broken ankle.) I was strolling though Walgreens the other day and stopped at the little machines and checked my blood pressure. It was 96/55. I feel tired all the time but I just attributed it to the new school year, coaching, etc. I have a long line of familiy history with heart disease...mom had her first of three heart attacks at 41 and a grandpa died at 45 of a heart attack and my grandma at 88. Is my low blood pressure a good thing in relation to my families history of heart disease or a bad thing?

Hmmm...100/55 is about the same as mine. I think mine was 100/60 last time I had it checked. I mostly need to be careful not to stand up too fast or I see stars and need to grab something to keep from falling. In terms of heart disease issues, lower BP should be a lot safer than the alternative. Hopefully Trent will wander in with some advice.

Thanks for all the info everyone.

My mom was found unconscious last month after months and months of being dizzy. After tons of testing they realized her blood pressure, which is normally very low, was dipping even further and along with that her heart rate was falling. One of the things her doc recommended was to increase the salt in her diet. I don't think I'd consider really low BP a good thing. My Pop Pop has struggled with really low BP for a long time. He's tired and icky a lot and has had heart attacks.

squeaky - I dont think so, my BP is very low usually 90-100/55-60 and my RESTING pulse is 48-52 (pulse in docs office after caffeine about ready to get stuck with a needle--completely random, I'd probably be around 90 also). Dh has a moderate BP 110-60 and a very low resting pulse - he has measured as low as 38 but it is usually 42/43 I dont ever seem to get dizzy spells. Every once in a rare while. But like my salt (but not salsa on POTATO chips )

The OP's bp is considered in the normal range. Mine is usually about that low as well. It's possible your pulse is higher because your heart is trying to compensate for the lower bp (my doctor told me that's possible). I had open heart surgery three years ago for a mitral valve repair (congenital). It took at least a year for my system to get back to normal. I played around a lot with the salt and water combinations. I think at one point I was actually drinking too much water AND consuming too much salt. I've cut back on both and feel much better. A nurse recently told me not to consume too much of each -- just more water or more salt but not both. So maybe try increasing your water intake. If that doesn't feel better, cut back on it and then increase your salt. You might find a combination that works. (Note: My cardiologist said that even a pulse around 90 is considered normal, but probably not much higher than that). Lower blood pressure is actually a better indicator of longevity than a low resting heart rate.