Low blood pressure and orthostatic syndrome (arterial hypotension)

On low blood pressure (= arterial hypotension) is particularly common among tall, slender adolescents during puberty, especially among girls.

Often the low blood pressure with one Orthostatic hypotension coupled, which leads to dizziness and weakness to the point of fainting after getting up or standing for a long time.

Although bothersome, both clinical pictures are mostly harmless.

Leitbeschwerden

Low blood pressure: “Starting difficulties” in the morning with tiredness and reduced performance, cold hands and feet, tendency to freeze
Orthostasis syndrome: when getting up from lying down or standing for a long time, especially in hot weather, dizziness, flickering and blackening in front of the eyes. In pronounced cases, short-term loss of consciousness, after which no signs of disease can be seen

When to the doctor

The next few days, though

Your child not only has problems starting in the morning, but is "not fit" throughout the day.
Additional complaints arise, such as: B. weight loss.

Today if

Your child will not only become "dizzy" or "dizzy" when standing for a long time, but also under everyday stress, such as climbing stairs or cycling (possible sign of a heart failure or a heart disease).
The dizziness has a "direction", so the child z. B. has the feeling that it always turns to the left or moves up and down in the elevator (which indicates a disturbance of the balance organ).

The most important thing from medicine

Which values for pulse and blood pressure are normal?

In general, the younger the child, the higher their pulse and the lower their blood pressure compared to an adult. However, pulse and blood pressure are influenced by numerous factors. Both increase with excitement and exertion, however, with a young person who does a lot of endurance sports, the resting heart rate can certainly be below 50 beating decrease per minute.

Where does low blood pressure come from??

A permanently low blood pressure practically does not exist. If once If a "too low" blood pressure is measured, but your child is doing well, you can safely forget the measured value.

Even if a child sometimes complains of circulatory problems, the majority of the children have no pathological cause, and it is often unclear whether the often changing symptoms are related to the "low blood pressure".

With orthostasis syndrome, when you sit up suddenly or stand for a long time, your blood pressure drops so much that the organs and therefore the brain are no longer adequately supplied with blood. The child becomes "dizzy" or "dizzy", it flickers and turns black in front of its eyes, and it often whistles in the ears. It looks pale and can do something sweat. In severe cases, the child passes out and typically slowly falls to the ground. If you lay it down and raise your legs a little, it comes to itself within a few seconds and is "completely normal" again.

Most of the time, the orthostasis syndrome (especially around puberty) is an expression of the not yet "grown" cycle without an organic disease.

Injuries are possible when "tipping over" as part of an orthostasis syndrome, but are rare. "Correct" bluing, stiffness or strong, uncontrollable muscle twitches indicate other causes, such as epilepsy.

Low blood pressure or orthostasis syndrome are rarely signs of a disease. The most common cause is anemia.

Heart disease, such as congenital heart defects, cardiac arrhythmia or a weak heart of another cause, can also lead to low blood pressure because the heart simply does not pump enough blood into the body. Very rarely, low blood pressure is based on hormone disorders (more on metabolic and hormonal disorders).

Acutely, low blood pressure can occur when there is a lack of fluids such as vomiting, diarrhea or blood loss, as well as infections. Once the disease has been overcome, the blood pressure rises again.