How can I find out if my Dad's blood pressure is dangerous?

Question

My dad's blood pressure is 85/50. I know nothing about this and I need to know if this is dangerous or not!! Help please!

Answer 1

I think your dad is not doing physical exercise, is his job sedentary in nature? does he have symptoms like faintness or giddiness or he gets irritated very soon,does he takes sleeping pills. There are lots of reasons for the above reading.
If your dad is feeling fine with this BP, leave him alone or you can consult a cardiologist for further evaluation.

Answer 2

If you are sure your Dad's blood pressure was taken properly, then your Dad's blood pressure is low and he should be seen immediately by a physician. This can be dangerous, he could start getting dizzy, fainting, etc. He could be very dehydrated. It could be coming from a number of things, again please re-check his blood pressure to be sure you have the correct numbers. What kind of medications is he on? See the symptoms also below, is he having any of these symptoms? Also he will have a lower blood pressure if he is very athletic. Also the closer the top number is to the bottom number and if they keep coming closer together, he could have a stroke.

If blood pressure gets severely low, there's a significant danger that the body will not receive enough oxygen to carry out normal function. Decreased oxygen to the body can result in impaired functioning of the heart and brain and cause difficulty with breathing. In addition, someone with low blood pressure can lose consciousness or go into shock, where the organs shut down.

Normal BP: Less than 120 SYSTOLIC 80 DIASTOLIC
Prehypertension: 120-139 SYSTOLIC 80-89 DIASTOLIC
Stage 1 hypertension: 140-159 SYSTOLIC 90-99 DIASTOLIC
Stage 2 hypertension: 160 and above 100 SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC

What Are the Symptoms of Low Blood Pressure?
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Unsteadiness
Dimming or blurring of vision
Weakness
Fatigue
Cognitive impairment
Nausea
Head or neck discomfort
Cold, clammy skin
Headache
Fainting

Click these links for more info
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/Hypotension-Orthostatic
http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/understanding-low-blood-pressure-symptoms

Answer 3

The cutoff for hypertension(high blood pressure) is 150/100 generally.

Mine runs low 110 for 68 and I am perfectly healthy. Low blood pressure probably assures one of not having a stroke but your dad's is a bit low.

Make sure your bp cuff's gauge is accurate or if you do not wish to visit a urgent care center and your dad is not feeling ill go to Wal-Mart. Their bp machines I have found to be fairly accurate.

If still quite low I would take the former answer's suggestion and get a healthcare professional's advice. Good Luck!

Answer 4

Low blood pressure is not generally worry some UNLESS, you become symptomatic, which it sounds like you may be. You should inform your parients, if you haven't already, of this ongoing issue. Also, this needs to be brought to the attention of your doctor. An appointment to see him/her would be in order, and at the very minimum a phone call to his/her office. They will be able to help in getting this issue straightened out. In the mean time, take your time when changing from a sitting/lyeing down position to a standing position. If bending or stooping, try to keep your head above the level of your heart, and you may wish to have something close by to help catch your balance if you should become dizzy or stumble.

Answer 5

That is low. Is he taking any beta blockers? If so, it may need to be adjusted. The normal BP for an adult is 120-140/60-90. I would keep a log of his blood pressure, so you can see what it's really doing. This will serve as a reference for his Dr. It's normal for it to go up with stress and activity, and to go down when sleeping or after taking medication, but if there is no normalcy, his medication may need to be adjusted.

Answer 6

That is a little low. Normally when your blood pressure is that low, you experience some symptopms like fainting, going into shock and sometimes heart failure. You may want to call his doctor to find out when you can bring him in or if you can't wait go to a primacare or emergency room.

Answer 7

In healthy people, especially athletes, low blood pressure is a sign of good cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) health. But low blood pressure can be a signal of an underlying problem - especially in the elderly. In this population, low blood pressure may cause inadequate blood flow to the heart, brain and other vital organs.

A good artical to read is:
http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/understanding-low-blood-pressure-basics

Answer 8

That's kind of low. It depends on a lot of factors, but if he has a regular doctor, call him or her and say what his blood pressure is.

Answer 9

Seems a little low. Pulse pressure looks pretty good. When I had low numbers like that Cardiac Rehab would make me drink a cup of water and they would take it again in 10 min. Then they would let me go home ( it always came back up).

Answer 10

This is on the low side so he should see a doc to be sure things are ok. If he just checked his BP and it was this low have him recheck it in a couple of hours and if it hasn't gone up any then have him see a doc at urgent care right away.