Low blood pressure in pregnancy: dizziness and fainting

When it comes to blood pressure, it is often high blood pressure that we hear about. That is probably because high blood pressure has the potential to cause a lot of complications, while low blood pressure can be unpleasant, but is not often dangerous. Still, many women suffer from low blood pressure, and the likelihood of having this condition, medically referred to as hypotension, increases for pregnant women. When a woman's blood pressure drops really low, feelings of dizziness can results and low blood pressure can even make you faint in extreme cases.

If you are pregnant, your doctor or midwife will usually measure your blood pressure at prenatal appointments. The chances are that you will already know about your low blood pressure before you start noticing any symptoms. When symptoms do show up, a tingling feeling in your hands or feet, and being dizzy, are bound to be the first. If your blood pressure drops really low, you can faint. Do you need to be worried about having low blood pressure? What can you do about it? In the majority of cases, low blood pressure is no big deal. But if you are dizzy and fainting, it is definitely time to intervene.

Natural methods of making your blood pressure go up a bit include eating more salt and licorice, but that is not very good for your baby, so you should avoid it in pregnancy. Boosting your fluid intake can sometimes make your blood pressure go up, because it can be caused by dehydration. Staying active and exercising a bit can help, but it is very important to take a break and sit down whenever you start feeling faint or dizzy. The sad fact of the matter is that women do sometimes do need medication to make their blood pressure go up. If your blood pressure consistently stays low, your healthcare provider might want to discuss medication with you.