Q: When sitting my blood pressure is 150/94 in that range and pulse rate 90 plus. Then if I stand 15 minutes or longer my blood pressure drops. It’s been 90/50, 100/60 and pulse rate will be 98 and higher. What could be happening?
A: It sounds like your heart is having trouble maintaining your blood pressure in an upright position. This may be due to medicines you are taking or could be a sign of a problem. Make an appointment to see your doctor.
Standing for a prolonged period without moving can cause venous pooling in the lower extremities. This decreases venous return to the heart which can cause BP to drop. Heart rate will increase to help maintain cardiac output. An extreme case of this occurs when soldiers stand at attention for prolonged periods. BP drops to the point where there is insufficient blood flow to the brain. The soldier faints.
However, mixing standing and walking around can prevent a large decrease in BP. When walking, the contraction of leg muscles, particularly the calves, squeezes the veins in the lower legs, which assists venous return to the heart.
Hi. It sounds like a condition that I have that is called POTS or dysautonomia. Please see your dr. The first thing they do is usually tilt table test. Do a search on both conditions and read up on it. Good luck to you.