A blood pressure of 40/41 indicates that you have very low blood pressure or sometimes called SEVERE HYPOTENSION, which is a critical health condition that may need immediate hospitalization.
This article tells you:
- What does a 40/41 blood pressure mean?
- What should you do if you have 40/41 blood pressure?
- Some easy to do home remedies and supplementations.
- Frequently asked question that will answer many of your queries regarding your 40/41 blood pressure.
What does a 40/41 blood pressure mean?
A blood pressure value of 40/41 indicates that you have severe hypotension, which is a medical condition that needs urgent medical care.
In the clinic, this condition is stabilized by administering a drug that reduces the ability of blood vessels to contract, thereby helping to recover the standing blood pressure.
This medical condition arises when the value of readings for blood pressure is less than 80/60, which is life-threatening if the blood pressure goes below 50/35.
The ideal blood pressure for an individual is between [90/60] and [120/80]. But for any reason, if the blood pressure falls below the specified readings, then the person can be said to be suffering from hypotension.
In case of severe hypotension, the heart is in such a state it cannot pump blood to different parts of your body. While other organs can sustain this for some time, the human brain cannot survive without oxygen for more than 4 more minutes.
While low bp is a critical emergency, severe hypotension is, and therefore, it must be reported to a medical professional immediately.
Severe low blood pressure, in some cases, could also have other clinical implications like organ damage or internal bleeding; therefore, critical medical attention is important.
In fact, the affected person will face some physiological symptoms that will automatically force them to avail of medical care.
Some of the symptoms you may feel when you 40/41 mm/Hg are:
- Extreme confusion
- Lightheadedness
- Loss of balance
- Nausea, dizziness, and fainting
- Weak pulse
- Blurred vision
- Loss of skin color and cold skin
- Fatigue
- Lack of concentration or peripheral sense
- Dehydration
What should you do if you have 40/41 blood pressure?
Here is a set-by-step procedure to follow when you figure out you have a blood pressure of 40/41.
1. Your doctor has to diagnose
If your blood is 40/41 and you have checked the same in your home setup, it is highly recommended to get it checked at your doctor’s office.
A trained professional has to clinically assess your condition and confirm that your 40/41 is, in fact, clinically valid.
There are instances when your reading at home setup might give you a reading which is incorrectly reported. It could be because of an error in reading it, damage to your device, your physical or mental condition on that particular day, etc.
Therefore, a doctor has to assess it over the course of 7 – 30 days periodically before he/she can confirm the accurate stage of your blood pressure.
In some cases, a patient might report wrong blood pressure in a hospital setup, called white coat hypertension. Here the patient may show higher blood pressure than their actual because of the anxiety inside a hospital environment.
In contrast, some patients may have masked hypertension in which the person may show lower blood pressure at clinical setup, but at home, they may have higher blood pressure.
All these conditions are linked to physiology and psychology and, therefore, better to be validated by a doctor.
2. If at home you need to this
If you think you have severe hypotension, the first and foremost thing is to get in touch with your local medical care facility.
Since confusion and vertigo may happen, it is advised not to drive yourself to the hospital.
Unless your blood pressure hasn’t dipped to dangerous levels, you may make reasonable changes in your lifestyle to improve your blood pressure to a significant level.
Here are some of the changes that you can bring into your lifestyle to improve your health and your blood pressure level:
- Increase the consumption of sodium salts.
- Increase the consumption of water, and keep yourself hydrated at all times.
- Eat low-carb healthy meals and exercise daily.
- Maintain a healthy body weight.
- Ensure a good emotional atmosphere around you (no stress and anxiety).
- Quit smoking and limit the consumption of alcohol.
3. You may have to use these medications
Undoubtedly, at this point, you may want to use some medications for the good of your health. However, based on the diagnosis, it should be prescribed by your doctor.
Following are the prescribed medicines that are greatly helpful for people suffering from low blood pressure.
- Corticosteroids: These are the types of medicines that control the amount of sodium present in our blood. By regulating that particular concentration of sodium in blood, they raise the blood pressure of the individual.
- Alpha-adrenergic Agonists: These are the types of medicines that promote the contraction of blood vessels. As a result of this contraction, the pressure of blood over the vessels increases, and the body supports an ideal blood pressure.
- Angiotensin II: This type of medicine increases the extent of retention of sodium in the kidneys, and that contributes to the rise of blood pressure in the body of a person.
- Decongestants: These medicines help reduce the size of the swollen blood vessels and result in the contraction of the said blood vessels. This, as a result, leads to an increase in blood pressure.
- Immunosuppressants: These medicines promote the solubility of the sodium ions in your blood, as a result increasing its concentration. This contributes to rising in the BP of the individual.
4. Diet check for 40/41 blood pressure
Like how you would be managing your diet for hypertension, even hypotension patients need to have a check on their dietary habits. Some of the foods are a big no-no, while certain foods need to be included on a strict note.
Let us have a brief look into it:
- Drink more: Hydration is key for all health conditions, so you should drink lots of fluids to increase blood volume.
- Sodium: Table salts are rich in sodium, a necessary component that helps retain water in the blood to increase its volume.
- Vitamin B12: When you are deficient in this vitamin, you may experience anemia and hypotension. Try adding eggs, cereals, meats, etc., into your diet.
- Caffeine: Caffeinated beverages are good stimulants that temporarily cause a surge in blood pressure and adrenalin levels.
- Say no to junk food: you should avoid the consumption of foods that are rich in carbs. Take small meals multiple times a day for the best of benefits.
5. Risk factors
Some of the comorbidities associated with low blood pressure include heart attack, cardiac arrest, heart valve disorder, bradycardia, and hormonal imbalance.
When you have 40/41, then you may want to rectify the root cause by visiting your physician.
Age is one of the major risk factors, and people older than 65 may have a sudden drop in blood pressure after eating food or while standing up.
In some cases, neural, mediated blood pressure decrease is noted in children and young adults as well.
Even stress is linked to hypotension in some patients. Since the human body reacts differently to different situations, not necessarily depression and anxiety lead to hypertension, but hypotension too.
Some of the medications that you might be using can cause severe hypotension. Therefore, it is important to inform your doctor about your pre-existing medical conditions when getting a new prescription.
6. Natural supplements for your rescue
Sometimes managing blood pressure is all about supplementing your body with the right diet. Food is undoubtedly the best primary source to supplement your body.
However, in the current scenarios, we all know how much adultered our foodstuff is, and most of us are pushed towards processed foods to feed ourselves in this fast-paced world.
All these food are high in sugar and sodium and doesn’t contain any vital nutrients that are important for a healthy heart.
This is where some of the nutraceutical-based blood pressure supplements come in handy. These products combine all critical nutrients your heart craves, thereby assisting the better function of your cardiovascular system.
Generally, these supplements are a concoction of herbs, plant-based products, dairy products, and some animal products. They are 100% organic and natural and don’t contain any harmful chemicals.
If you are hearing about these segments of products for the first time, to start with, you may blindly go for Blood Pressure Support from Vita Balance Inc, Blood Pressure Optimizer from HFL, or Corsanum, marketed by PLT Group.
Blood Pressure Support | Blood Pressure Optimizer | Corsanum |
 |  |  |
Blood Pressure Support combines hawthorn berry, olive leaf, hibiscus, and some vitamins like C, B6, B12, niacin, and folate alongside a bunch of other medicinal herbs to support the healthy working of the heart. | Blood Pressure Optimizer has MegaNatural®-BP grape seed extract and Celery3nB™ celery seed extract alongside common vitamins and minerals, which can help increase your cardiovascular elasticity. | Corsanum is a refined combination of olive, iron, and grapevine alongside regular products like coriander, hawthorn, and oregano, all of which are foods known to maintain cardiovascular health. |
The only one thing to keep in mind is that choose the best blood pressure lowering pills, because when it comes to the heart, there is no taking of risk!
Severe hypotension might look scary, but consistent monitoring and timely medical care can easily be handled.
If you are someone suffering from hypotension for quite some time, it is better to inform your kin, peers, and colleagues about the condition so that, in the unlikely event, people can make a smart choice.
If you follow your diet correctly, use some supplementation, and exercise daily, then hypotension can slowly be eliminated from your life.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. What is the blood pressure, and what are the normal values?
Blood pressure is the pressure that is exerted by the blood flowing through arteries over those. Alongside that, this is the efficiency with which the blood is pumped by the heart to all the parts of the body through the circulatory system.
The normal values for blood pressure are between [90/60] and [120/80]. If a person has a blood pressure equivalent to this much, then it means that the blood will be flowing through the arteries relatively easily.
2. What is considered to be high blood pressure?
Blood pressure over the value of [130/80] is considered high blood pressure. This signifies that high pressure is being exerted by the blood flowing through the vessels over those.
And therefore, it is difficult for the human heart to be able to pump blood to all the parts of the body rather efficiently. This is a problem that can arise when the size of the vessels is contracted compared to the original size.
3. What is considered to be low blood pressure?
A blood pressure lesser than the value of [90/60] is termed low blood pressure. This type of value means that low pressure is put forward by the blood over the vessels that are carrying it. It can also be taken as a measure that, the blood is not able to reach all the parts of the body.
Or, the heart is not capable of circulating blood to all the parts of the body in an effective way. This problem in blood pressure is mainly the effect of dehydration and pregnancy.
4. What are hypertension and hypotension? Are they both the same as high and low blood pressure?
Hypertension is the condition that emerges when a person is having high blood pressure. Because of contraction in vessels, the blood can not flow through the vessels efficiently, and therefore, high pressure is exerted over the blood vessels, this particular condition is high blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension.
Hypotension is the condition that comes into effect when the blood pressure of a person is lower compared to the ideal value of blood pressure. This means that the heart is unable to pump blood through the blood vessels to all the body parts. This type of situation when observed is called low blood pressure, or hypotension.
5. What will happen to your general health when you have high blood pressure?
High blood pressure puts you at an imminent risk of arteries rupture because of the high pressure applied over those by the circulating blood. This can, in turn, affect the circulation of blood to all the parts of the body, and your heart itself. And, the latter part can lead you to some serious heart diseases. The high pressure applied over the heart walls can put you close to the risk of heart attack and heart failure.
6. What causes high blood pressure and low blood pressure?
The medical conditions of high blood pressure and low blood pressure are both effects of the lifestyle that we lead. This means that if we adapt to a lifestyle that is in line with our body and overall physical fitness, then we will have ideal blood pressure.
But, if our lifestyle is deviated from what we had started, some medical conditions can arise. High blood pressure and low blood pressure are some of those problems.
7. What are the risks of having high blood pressure?
The most serious risk that is faced by an individual that is suffering from high blood pressure is the risk of heart attack, heart failure, or some chronic disease related to the heart.
Moreover, there are also the additional risks of strokes, vision loss, diabetes, kidney failure, unresponsiveness to external stimuli, chronic chest pain, artery damage, and vascular dementia.
8. What can I do to lower my blood pressure?
To lower your blood pressure, the foremost step should be to limit the intake of sodium salts. Then, it will be good for you to opt for a healthy lifestyle; eat healthy meals and exercise daily. Try to maintain your weight to healthy proportions. Limit the intake of alcohol and caffeine-related beverages, and quit smoking.
Also, you need to have an adequate amount of rest every day and keep your stress and anxiety in proper check. If you continue to face high blood pressure problems even after making these changes in your lifestyle, it will be good for you to consult with a physiotherapist to discuss your blood pressure medications.
9. What are the risks of having low blood pressure?
The harmful effects that are associated with low blood pressure are not as prominent as what is associated with high blood pressure, but they can serve to be just as much harmful in the long run. Low blood pressure can lead to lightheadedness, dizziness, and confusion for a prolonged period.
This is a condition that can make you weak physically as well as mentally. Low blood pressure leads to a depletion in the effectiveness of motor senses, and the subject is likely to faint from time to time. This condition can also lead to blurred vision and can damage peripheral nerves over a long time.
10. What can I do to increase my blood pressure?
Increase the usage of table salts in your diet, and drink plenty of water. Limit your intake of alcohol as it is a dehydrating agent. Increase your diet by taking small meals multiple times with low carbs. Exercise daily and try to take up a lifestyle that will be good for your health and physical well-being.
Try to maintain a body weight that will be good as per your physical stature and age. Avoid changing positions abruptly, and wear compression stockings to improve blood flow in the legs. Also, consult a physiotherapist regarding your medications for low blood pressure.
11. Can smoking and alcohol affect my blood pressure?
Smoking and alcohol have an active impact on the blood pressure levels of an individual. These can lead to an effective change in the size of arteries that carry blood to all the parts of the body.
Heavy intake of alcohol can increase blood pressure in individuals to a significantly high level and this can even lead to long-term blood pressure issues in the individual. On the other hand, smoking is as bad as it can be. It leads to the contraction of blood vessels, which increases the pressure of blood over the heart walls. This puts you at risk of heart disease.
12. How to correctly check my blood pressure at home?
If you want to check your blood pressure at home, you can use portable blood pressure monitors to do so. These are highly adaptable and can help provide you with your blood pressure levels closest to accurate.
But if you are seeking precision in the readings, then it will be good if you were to follow certain measures. For once, avoid intake of caffeine and alcohol before taking the reading. And, have a proper rest of nearly 10 minutes before measuring your blood pressure.
13. Why is it important to visit a doctor to confirm high/low blood pressure?
It is important to visit a doctor regarding blood pressure for the sake of the precision of the outcome or the result of the readings. Moreover, in a proper medical facility and care of professionals, you will be able to get guidance about how to keep your blood pressure in check if it is not per your ideal blood pressure.
Also, you can get a consultation regarding the changes that you will need to make in your lifestyle to bring your blood pressure back in check.
14. Should you be worried about high blood pressure during pregnancy?
High blood pressure during the latter half of the pregnancy is not that rare of an occurrence. However, it is not something to make light of either. If not treated properly, or significant steps are not taken regarding it, this high blood pressure may pose danger to the health of the parent as well as the baby.
This type of high blood pressure or hypertension is called gestational hypertension, and it is not long-lasting. It goes away after the delivery of the baby.
15. What are some of the symptoms to watch out for in high blood pressure?
The symptoms of high blood pressure are not something that can be ignored readily. These symptoms include severe headache, anxiety attacks, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, blood spots in the eyes, intense fatigue, blurred or distorted vision, and vomiting or nausea. These symptoms are not something to be taken lightly.
High blood pressure is not an incurable problem, but measures are needed to be taken against it in the due time. So, don’t make light of the symptoms and consult a physiotherapist regarding these.
16. What foods should you eat to lower blood pressure?
To lower blood pressure eat a diet that is rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Besides this, it is good to take short meals that are low in curbs. Instead of deep-fried products, it will be good if you were to incline towards a diet that is mainly consisting of vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and other leafy green vegetables.
Consume lots of low-fat poultry and dairy products. These will help enable a healthy diet for you and help you lean towards a healthy lifestyle.
17. What are the best herbs and spices for high blood pressure?
Many known herbs and spices are proven to have a significant effect on high blood pressure. Significantly, basil, parsley, Chinese cat’s claw, celery seeds, Brahmi, thyme, garlic, and ginger are the herbs that are most commonly made use of by people that are suffering from high blood pressure. Along with these, cardamom, cloves, ajwain, green oat, and flaxseeds are the spices that help manage high blood pressure.
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