My father has low blood pressure in his left arm..50 pts difference than the right arm. What causes it?

Question

He also has a blockage in his leg. Is the low number in his blood pressure for his left arm due to the blockage. The point difference in the right vs. left arm can range from 30-50 pts.

Answer 1

This is caused by assymetry in hemisphericity of the left and right brain hemispheres.

Our bodies have 2 subsystems of our nervous system called the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous symtems. Also known as fight or flight system and the feed and breed system respectively. The cerebral cortex inhibits (slows down) the fight or flight system and therefore slows the heart rate down, breaths per minute, rate and amplitude of the pulse, etc. All the things that get excited in stressfull situations.

If you look closely at your father's eyes, you will observe that the pupil on the same side as the increased blood pressure will also be dilated. If it is, a simple exercise to help balance out the hemesphericty is to have him play catch with a ball using the opposite hand. This will activate the cerebrall cortex and therefore inhibit the fight or flight system and ultimately (very slowly however) balance out the hemisphericity

Answer 2

# In such cases resting BP is taken with HgApparatus, over all four limbs, in lying/sitting/standing positions. and also after activity. # general Med and Health check will send to the Heart Specialist who will [XRays,ECGs, Echos, Dopplers , MRIs, caths,...]endeavor to FIND THE CAUSES of whatever block obstruction kink dilation tumor congenital and what. The eye grounds show the real state of the blood vessels. In an efficient clinic all this will take 12 hours. The special procedures depend on each finding. BUT the fear of law suits make the docs unduely cautios, if only take you into confidence.Even for a GP like me this is a serious one and you are reporting so cool?

Answer 3

Certainly circulation problems (i.e. peripheral vascular disease) can lead to the differences in the blood pressures your father has in both arms. It is not uncommon that the difference in reading between each arm be slight to signifcant in number. I would hope your father is seeking treatment for the blockage in his leg.