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Low Blood Pressure

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What is Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)?

Low blood pressure, or hypotension, occurs when blood pressure falls below 90/60 mm Hg and causes symptoms or complications. Understanding hypotension and how to manage it is essential for maintaining healthy blood flow and organ function, particularly for older adults.

What Are the Symptoms of Low Blood Pressure?

If you have low blood pressure, you may experience:

Dizziness or lightheadedness
Fainting
Blurred vision
Confusion
Fatigue
Cold, clammy, pale skin
Headache
Nausea

If you experience frequent or severe symptoms, contact your primary care physician for evaluation, and you may be referred to the heart care experts at UR Medicine

What Causes Low Blood Pressure?

Low blood pressure is most commonly caused by:

Medications – including medications for high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, Parkinson’s disease, or erectile dysfunction
Orthostatic (Postural) Hypotension – a sudden drop in blood pressure after standing, due to blood pooling in the legs
Postprandial Hypotension – blood pressure drops 1–2 hours after eating, especially high‑carbohydrate meals

Other causes can include:

Dehydration
Heart conditions
Endocrine disorders
Severe infections or allergic reactions
Anemia
Pregnancy

Treatments for Low Blood Pressure

Most people with long-term low blood pressure can be safely treated with medicine and lifestyle changes.

Increase fluid intake
Move slowly when changing positions—e.g., sit up on the bed before standing
Compression socks to encourage blood return from the legs
Modify risk factors, such as meal size or timing (for postprandial hypotension)
Review medications that may contribute to low blood pressure

If symptoms persist despite lifestyle changes, your provider may prescribe medications to treat hypotension. These therapies are tailored to individual needs.

What Sets Us Apart?

At UR Medicine Cardiac Care, you’ll find every kind of heart care specialty, from high and low blood pressure, to heart failure, to women’s heart health. We provide a multidisciplinary team to support you throughout your cardiac wellness journey.

Our experts at UR Medicine are involved in clinical studies to bring the most advanced treatments to our patients. As an academic medical center, we’re committed to bringing you the best treatments that aren’t always available at other hospitals. In fact, UR Medicine leads the region in the number and scope of specialized cardiology services.

The most cardiologists. We have more board-certified heart specialists on staff than any other medical center in the region.

Women's heart program. Women's symptoms of heart attack can be completely different from men's. Our Women's Heart Program provides the specialized care women need to prevent and treat heart disease.

Leader in clinical research. Our researchers have developed heart care advances and devices that are used around the world.