What is the Difference Between High Blood Pressure and Low Blood Pressure

The key difference between high blood pressure and low blood pressure is that high blood pressure is a condition where blood pressure typically rises higher than a systolic value of 140 mmHg and a diastolic value of 90mmHg, while low blood pressure is a condition where blood pressure typically falls below a systolic value of 90 mmHg and a diastolic value of 60 mmHg.

High blood pressure and low blood pressure are two types of abnormal blood pressures that lead to various pathological conditions in the human body. Blood pressure is defined as the force generated by blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as it travels throughout the body. But blood pressure can change throughout the day for various reasons. Having consistently high or low blood pressure may be a sign of a serious health condition.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is High Blood Pressure 
3. What is Low Blood Pressure
4. Similarities – High Blood Pressure and Low Blood Pressure
5. High Blood Pressure vs Low Blood Pressure in Tabular Form
6. Summary – High Blood Pressure vs Low Blood Pressure

What is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is a condition in which the blood pressure typically rises higher than a systolic value of 140 mmHg and a diastolic value of 90mmHg. Blood pressure is normally recorded with two numbers or values. The systolic pressure is the force at which the heart pumps blood around the body, while the diastolic pressure is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels. The ideal pressure is usually between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. The high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90mmHg or a higher value. The common factors that cause high blood pressure include a diet high in salt, fat, or cholesterol, chronic conditions such as kidney and hormone problems, diabetes, and family history.

The symptoms of high blood pressure include severe headaches, nosebleed, fatigue or confusion, vision problems, chest pain, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, blood in urine, pounding in the chest, neck, or ears, dizziness, nervousness, sweating, trouble sleeping, facial flushing, and blood spot spots in eyes. Moreover, a blood pressure test diagnoses elevated blood pressure. In addition to medical history, physical examination, ambulatory monitoring, lab tests (blood tests and urine tests), electrocardiogram, and echocardiogram can also be included in the diagnosis of this condition. Furthermore, the treatments may include lifestyle changes (healthy heart diets with less salt, regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting the amount of alcohol), medications (diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, renin inhibitors, vasodilators, central acting agents) and radiofrequency ablation of kidney’s sympathetic nerves.

What is Low Blood Pressure?

Low blood pressure is a condition in which the blood pressure typically falls below a systolic value of 90 mmHg and a diastolic value of 60 mmHg. The symptoms of low blood pressure may include light-headedness or dizziness, feeling sick, blurred vision, feeling weak, confusion, trouble concentrating, pallor, rapid, shallow breathing, weak and rapid pulse, clod and clammy skin, fainting, and nausea. The causes of low blood pressure include aging, being pregnant, medical conditions such as diabetes, heart and heart valve conditions, endocrine disorders, dehydration, blood loss, septicemia, severe allergic reactions, lack of nutrients in the diets, and some medicines.

Low blood pressure can be diagnosed through physical examination, medical history, blood tests, electrocardiogram, and tilt table test. The treatments for low blood pressure include using more salts, drinking more water and less alcohol, water compression stockings, medications (midodrine (Orvaten), paying attention to body positions, eating small low-carb diets, and exercising regularly.

What are the Similarities Between High Blood Pressure and Low Blood Pressure?

• High blood pressure and low blood pressure are two types of abnormal blood pressure.
• They may be a sign of a serious health condition.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through blood pressure tests.
• They are treated through medicines and lifestyle changes.

What is the Difference Between High Blood Pressure and Low Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is a condition in which the blood pressure typically rises higher than a systolic value of 140 mmHg and a diastolic value of 90 mmHg, while low blood pressure is a condition in which blood pressure typically falls below a systolic value of 90 mmHg and a diastolic value of 60 mmHg. This is the key difference between high blood pressure and low blood pressure.

The following table summarizes the difference between high blood pressure and low blood pressure.

Summary – High Blood Pressure vs Low Blood Pressure

High blood pressure and low blood pressure are two types of medical conditions characterized by abnormal blood pressure values. In high blood pressure, the blood pressure is typically higher than a systolic value of 140 mmHg and a diastolic value of 90 mmHg. In low blood pressure, the blood pressure typically falls below a systolic value of 90 mmHg and a diastolic value of 60 mmHg. This is the key difference between high blood pressure and low blood pressure.

Reference:

1. “High Blood Pressure (Hypertension).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 1 July 2021.
2. “Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 14 May 2022.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Human-body-anatomy-overview” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “THE MALL – Normal” By jpmatth  (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) via Flickr