What does pressure 120 over 50 mean and why is this condition dangerous?

Pressure is a vital indicator indicating the condition of the entire cardiovascular system in general and the arteries in particular.

In most cases, when talking about the value of pressure, only blood pressure is meant; its other types are not taken into account. This is what shows how healthy a person is. Venous and capillary - to a lesser extent.

Based on specific blood pressure indicators, three conditions are distinguished: hypotension or hypotension, when the blood pressure level drops to less than 100 per 70, hypertension or hypertension, when the tonometer shows over 140 per 90, and normal pressure, approximately 120 per 80 or 130 per 90 in an adult.

You need to understand that the indicators of the so-called “working” pressure are purely individual values. One person has 120 over 80 as normal, another has hypertension. In the opposite direction, what has been said is rarely true: indicators above 140 to 90 are already hypertension.

A pressure of 120 over 50 is the so-called isolated diastolic hypotension, when only the diastolic (lower) reading drops significantly, while the systolic (upper) reading is at the normal level.

This is a dangerous condition, fraught with complications. Normally, the difference between the lower and upper values ​​of the tonometer is no more than 60 units.

Classification of blood pressure levels

Normal, generally accepted blood pressure values ​​are as follows:

• The normal indicator is 120-130 to 80-90. Most common.
• 140 by 90. Upper limit.
• 150 to 100, first degree hypertension.
• 160 to 100-110. Hypertension of the second degree.
• Over 170 to 110 - third degree hypertension.
• Blood pressure below 110 over 90 is a low reading (but not yet hypotension).
• 100 to 70, mild hypotension.
• 90 to 70-60, moderate hypotension.
• 70 to 50, severe hypotension.

Anything below is already critical numbers that can cause death.

Causes of development of isolated diastolic hypotension

The development of diastolic hypotension is possible for various reasons and in different variations.

Blood pressure of 120/50 is not normal during pregnancy either, due to the large difference between the upper and lower values, although expectant mothers are characterized by low blood pressure with baracardia.

With a pulse of 50-60 beats. per minute

A condition in which the heart rate drops below 60 beats per minute is called bradycardia. This is very significant, especially against the background of isolated hypotension.

Most often we talk about the following pathologies:

• A blood pressure of 120 over 50 may indicate hypothyroidism. A disease in which an insufficient amount of thyroid hormones is released into the bloodstream: T3, T4, TSH (pituitary hormone). This condition occurs with insufficient iodine intake and various accompanying pathological processes. Each specific case needs to be examined separately.

• Recent myocardial infarction. Dangerous, life-threatening disease. It is characterized by ischemia of cardiac muscle tissue with increasing symptoms of cardiac failure.

As a rule, after experiencing such a condition, isolated diastolic hypotension occurs against the background of bradycardia (often) or normal heart rhythm.

Patients of this profile need to be closely monitored, preferably in a hospital setting, since repeated heart attacks, which are already fatal, are possible.

• Heart failure. A condition most typical for elderly patients. Congestive heart failure is determined by a violation of the contractile function of the heart muscle and the inability of adequate blood supply. Hence the low blood pressure at the time of relaxation of the heart.

• Condition after a stroke. For approximately 3-6 months after a stroke, diastolic hypotension is observed.

This is an abnormal but characteristic phenomenon that needs to be corrected with medications. And with great caution: a recurrent stroke is possible.

Most often the pressure is 120 to 50 mmHg. Art. manifests itself in the morning and evening. In any case, this is dangerous because the diastolic reading is extremely low.

Attention:

Such a sharp gap between systolic and diastolic pressure in itself can provoke a heart attack or stroke.

Pulse 90 or more beats per minute

A pulse over 90 beats per minute is tachycardia (the opposite process to the already mentioned bradycardia). This does not bode well for either the heart or blood vessels.

Moreover, if the heart beats quickly and ejects a large volume of blood, but the diastolic pressure is at a level close to critical, this is a clear indication of a pathological process.

What exactly can provoke isolated hypotension of this type:

• Atherosclerotic changes in the aorta or other arteries. The aorta is the main and largest artery of the human body.

Atherosclerosis of this anatomical structure is common and is observed mostly in elderly people. Exceptions to the rules are possible.

The essence of the process is as follows. Formed plaques (occluded areas) or areas of stenosis (narrowing) of blood vessels obstruct blood flow, causing the upper pressure to rise, but may remain at normal levels.

At the same time, the heart, under the influence of excess load, cannot adequately perform its functions, therefore, at the moment of relaxation, the pressure drops to minimum levels.

Read more about aortic atherosclerosis and methods of its treatment here.

• Diabetes mellitus of the first and second types. Causes a slowdown in blood flow and, as a result, disrupts normal blood pressure. In general, diabetes is an extremely harmful disease. It destroys all body systems, including the cardiovascular system.
• Poor blood circulation in the brain. If the cerebral structures responsible for regulating vascular tone do not receive enough nutrients and oxygen, they begin to work chaotically, giving false signals. Normalization of blood supply and elimination of ischemia is required.

A common culprit for disrupting the circulation of hematological fluid is osteochondrosis or a hernia of the cervical spine.

• Reception disturbance in the cardiac system. There are special receptors in the heart and blood vessels that respond to changes in pressure and normalize indicators at the reflex level.
• Kidney diseases. The kidneys can be the culprit of blood pressure disorders, in both directions. This usually occurs in old age. But options are possible. Conditions such as pyelonephritis, nephritis, glomerulonephritis are dangerous.
• Changes in the elasticity of arteries. In such a situation, the regulation of vascular tone is disrupted.

As a rule, blood pressure at 120/50 is an indication of a disease of one kind or another. Diagnosis required.

Features of therapy

Treatment is prescribed by a doctor after determining the root cause of the pathological condition. When blood pressure is 120/50, a full clinical and laboratory examination is necessary: ​​CBC, OAM, coagulogram, regular tonometry, including Holter, ECG, EEG, stress tests, testing for thyroid hormones.

What to do at home?

If an attack of lightheadedness occurs suddenly and causes a sharp deterioration in well-being, at home you can lie down in a comfortable position with your legs raised above your head (a cushion under your feet), ventilate the room, suck on a pinch of salt without drinking water. You can wash your face with cool water, drink strong coffee or tea, the maximum medicine is a Citramon tablet. There is no talk of folk recipes at all.

Provided the condition normalizes (tonometry) within half an hour, you need to find time and, without delay, consult a doctor for advice. If the condition does not return to normal, you should call an ambulance. A further drop in blood pressure can lead to death.

healthy lifestyle

If, after examination by a doctor, no pathologies of internal organs are identified, and blood pressure remains at 120/50, then the main treatment will consist of lifestyle adjustments:

• it is necessary to sleep at least 8 hours/day; at work, fifteen-minute breaks are recommended every three hours, plus an hour for lunch;
• In the morning, a contrast shower is required, but the water should be of moderate temperature (hot water will have the opposite effect);
• In the morning it is better to get to work on foot or start the day with a walk;
• Every morning you need to do breathing exercises:
• You must be in the fresh air for at least two hours every day, on sunny days - with a hat on your head;
• for hypotensive people, the most useful sports are ice skating, skiing, swimming, and cycling;
• massage (rubbing, kneading) of the hands, calves, feet - extremely useful in the absence of contraindications;
• tonic drinks will increase vascular tone, but everything is good in moderation: excessive consumption of coffee and tea will lead to the body becoming accustomed to tonic substances and will minimize or nullify the beneficial effect of them (you can pay attention to ginger tea, but it also needs breaks in taking ).

Medicines

Any medications to correct blood pressure 120/50 are prescribed by a doctor after identifying the root cause, since in this case it is necessary to treat it first. Treatment regimen for diastolic hypotension:

Treatment with freshly squeezed juices gives a good healing effect.

Why is this condition dangerous?

In most cases, a pressure of 120 over 50 poses a danger to the life and health of the patient, moreover than with classic hypotension with low systolic and diastolic pressure.

The following pathological conditions are possible and even probable:

• Stroke. Simply put, acute cerebrovascular accident. There are two types: ischemic, in which the nutrition of certain areas of the brain is disrupted (as a result, cerebral structures die) and hemorrhagic (hemorrhage into the structures of the brain). Perhaps both the first and the second.
• Myocardial infarction. Acute circulatory disorder in the heart muscle. Accompanied by severe changes throughout the body.
• Bleeding in the eyes. The so-called hemophthalmos. It poses a tremendous danger to visual function.

Other, unnamed phenomena, such as fainting and subsequent injuries, are also possible. To prevent dangerous consequences, it is recommended to promptly contact your doctor.

Symptoms

The most striking sign of a decrease in diastolic pressure is fatigue, drowsiness and a dull pain in the head. With a sudden change in body position, your vision may become dark and you may feel dizzy.

Patients experience a feeling of lack of air, nausea and tremors in the hands. This pressure is characterized by numbness of the limbs and pressing pain in the chest.

Neurosis phenomena are often added, such as irritability, rapid mood swings, depression, tearfulness and anxiety.

What to do at home?

There aren't many options. Isolated hypotension requires competent and comprehensive treatment under the supervision of a cardiologist, and possibly other specialists. The best thing a patient can do is make an appointment with a specialized doctor.

Poor health with isolated hypotension can be relieved by resorting to certain measures.

In case of an acute attack of blood pressure disorders, it is recommended:

• Take a lying position. Bend your legs to provide the brain with enough blood and, accordingly, prevent syncope (fainting).
• Remove constricting clothing from the neck, as well as jewelry. They compress the arteries, preventing blood from circulating normally.
• Watch your breathing. It should be uniform.
• It is important to wet your face with water and apply a cold compress to your head. Especially in the warm season.
• You must eat any salty dish (for example, eat pickled cucumber, etc.)
• It is recommended to drink coffee and tea.
• You can take an aspirin or Citramon tablet. They have a good and safe effect on lower blood pressure, but an increase in systolic readings is likely. We need to be careful.

A lower pressure of 50 means that taking medications is possible. However, they should not be used for a long time; it is dangerous and impractical.

In a situation where the tonometer readings continue to drop, you need to call an ambulance. Such conditions cannot be eliminated at home; in addition, you need to find out what caused them. In the hospital it will be possible to talk about something specific.

There is no talk of any folk remedies. It can only make things worse. In any case, you cannot do without medical help.

Symptoms

Reduced diastolic pressure leads to a deterioration in a person’s well-being. Most often people experience the following symptoms:

• Pain in the head area;
• Nausea, which may be accompanied by vomiting;
• Weakness and absent-mindedness;
• The appearance of spots before the eyes;
• Breathing disorder;
• Numbness of the limbs;
• Pain in the chest area;
• Depression;
• Heaviness in the temples;
• Decreased performance;
• Meteosensitivity;
• Dizziness, loss of consciousness;
• Impaired memory and attention;
• Cardiopalmus;
• Frequent yawning.

Since the pathology is associated with slowing blood flow, a person’s activity decreases. The addition of symptoms of neurosis is also observed.

When diastolic pressure begins to actively decrease, a hypotensive crisis may develop, which is accompanied by weakness, fainting, shortness of breath, and tachycardia. This state lasts for several minutes.

Necessary examinations

You need to be examined along several lines at once: cardiological, neurological and endocrine. They do this almost simultaneously.

The diagnosis is made by exclusion, after a thorough examination of various statuses.

At the initial appointment with any specialist, an oral interview begins; this is necessary to establish the symptoms of the process and subsequently compare objective diagnostic data with the patient’s subjective feelings.

Next, an anamnesis of the person’s life is collected. It is necessary to establish the following factors: the presence of bad habits, heredity, brain injuries in the past, etc.

The research itself is very variable and includes the following activities:

• Measuring blood pressure levels. Allows you to establish the fact of its reduction. It is performed several times, on different hands with an interval of 5-15 minutes.
• Daily monitoring. The monitor (automatic tonometer) studies pressure dynamics over a full day. Required in all cases. This is the gold standard for cardiac testing today.
• Electrocardiography. Necessary for assessing the state of the cardiovascular system. If the specialist has sufficient experience, the ECG results will tell him a lot.
• Encephalography. Allows you to assess the state of the nervous system. Stress tests (study of blood pressure dynamics under the influence of physical activity).
• Blood test for thyroid and pituitary hormones (T3, E T4, TSH, cortisol). In the system, the specified measures are enough for an accurate diagnosis. It is possible to expand the list of studies at the discretion of the specialist.

Prevention

In order to prevent low blood pressure, it is necessary to get proper rest, lead a healthy lifestyle, and normalize the period of sleep and wakefulness. If there are no contraindications, you can practice hardening. This will help tone the blood vessels and normalize the activity of the heart. It is also important to engage in moderate strength training. This will make it possible to improve metabolism, activate the activity of all organs and systems, and saturate the body’s cells with oxygen.

Don't forget about proper nutrition. It is recommended to exclude harmful foods from the diet. You also need to avoid stressful situations and nervous tension, and get rid of bad habits. A contrast shower also helps tone blood vessels.

Treatment

Since isolated hypotension itself is secondary in most cases, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease that caused the pressure of 120/50. Then the tonometer readings will return to normal.

Symptomatic treatment consists of taking certain medications (Citramon, aspirin) in doses determined by the doctor.

A pressure of 120 over 50 means that a pathological process is occurring in the body, and as a special case of diastolic hypotension requires mandatory treatment. All activities are agreed upon with a specialist.

The prognosis is favorable in most cases. It is important to show attention and persistence.