Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsLow Blood PressureBlood Pressure and DiabetesTreatmentWhen to See a Provider

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Low Blood Pressure

Blood Pressure and Diabetes

Treatment

When to See a Provider

This article will explore whether low blood pressure can be a symptom of diabetes, and the potential causes and treatment options for low blood pressure.

Adam Berry / Stringer

A blood pressure cuff on a desk in a provider’s office.

What Is Low Blood Pressure?

Normal blood pressure for adults is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). There is no specific numeric cutoff for “low” blood pressure. Rather, symptoms of low blood pressure are markers of a problem. These include:

Low blood pressure has many causes, including:

Is Low Blood Pressure a Sign of Diabetes?

More often, people with diabetes have high blood pressure. However, diabetes can also cause low blood pressure due to:

Dehydration

When blood sugar is very high, as occurs in untreated diabetes, it causes sugar to leak into the urine. The sugar in the urine also drags water with it, which can result in dehydration. When significant, dehydration results in low blood pressure.

A serious condition calleddiabetic ketoacidosis(DKA) leads to significant dehydration with high levels of sugar in the blood and urine. Symptoms of DKA include fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, frequent urination, and dry mouth.DKA is sometimes the first sign of type 1 diabetes in someone who has not been diagnosed.

Hyperosmolar hypoglycemic stateis a similar condition that occurs more often in people with type 2 diabetes. It causes severe dehydration.

Autonomic Neuropathy

People with longstanding diabetes can develop damage to the nerves from chronically high blood sugar levels.This can result inautonomic neuropathy, a condition that can cause episodes of low blood pressure. Low blood pressure can occur with standing (orthostatichypotension) or after eating (postprandialhypotension) and cause symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, and even falls.

In autonomic neuropathy, damaged nerves don’t appropriately transmit signals to blood vessels to constrict to appropriately maintain blood pressure levels. This can lead to abrupt drops in blood pressure, particularly when standing.

Medication Side Effect

If you take any of these medications, talk with your healthcare provider about possible side effects.

Treatment and Management of Low Blood Pressure

Determining the cause of low blood pressure is the first step in managing it. For example, if the cause is dehydration from excess fluid losses, getting better control of your blood sugar and staying well-hydrated can help.

For people who get low blood pressure after a meal (post-prandial hypotension) or after sitting or standing (orthostatic hypotension), the following may help:

If you feel faint or experience dizziness, it’s always safest to sit or lie down. This will help to avoid injury in the event of falls or fainting. In autonomic neuropathy, other treatments might be required, such as medications that can help raise blood pressure (e.g, midodrine and fludrocortisone).

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If you have signs of low blood pressure make an appointment with your healthcare provider to find out what is causing it. Low blood pressure can be dangerous. You should seek emergency medical attention if you experience the following symptoms:

Summary

A Word from Verywell

Episodes of low blood pressure can be frightening and affect your daily life. If you find yourself with frequent episodes of dizziness and vision changes that are linked to low blood pressure, talk to your provider about steps you can take to minimize your symptoms and keep your blood pressure at a normal level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Normal blood pressure is considered less than 120/80. Blood pressures lower than this can still be normal, and there’s no numeric cutoff for low blood pressure. Rather, it’s the symptoms of low blood pressure that can make it a concern.For example, low blood pressure can cause lightheadedness, vision changes, and fainting.Learn MoreOverview of Hypotension

Normal blood pressure is considered less than 120/80. Blood pressures lower than this can still be normal, and there’s no numeric cutoff for low blood pressure. Rather, it’s the symptoms of low blood pressure that can make it a concern.For example, low blood pressure can cause lightheadedness, vision changes, and fainting.

Learn MoreOverview of Hypotension

While diabetes is more often associated with high blood pressure, it can be linked to low blood pressure, too. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy can cause low blood pressure, particularly with standing or after meals due to damage to the autonomic nervous system.Additionally, dehydration can occur in diabetes when blood sugar is elevated, and this can be an early indicator of diabetes in people who have not been diagnosed.Learn MoreCardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy

While diabetes is more often associated with high blood pressure, it can be linked to low blood pressure, too. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy can cause low blood pressure, particularly with standing or after meals due to damage to the autonomic nervous system.Additionally, dehydration can occur in diabetes when blood sugar is elevated, and this can be an early indicator of diabetes in people who have not been diagnosed.

Learn MoreCardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy

10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Heart Association.Low blood pressure- when blood pressure is too low.National Library of Medicine, Medline Plus.Diabetic ketoacidosis.Endocrine Society.Hyperglycemia.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and nerve damage.National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus.Autonomic neuropathy.Food and Drug Administration.Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Autonomic neuropathy.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Orthostatic hypotension.Mar PL, Raj SR.Orthostatic hypotension for the cardiologist.Curr Opin Cardiol.2018 Jan;33(1):66-72. doi:10.1097/HCO.0000000000000467Mount Sinai.Low blood pressure.

10 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Heart Association.Low blood pressure- when blood pressure is too low.National Library of Medicine, Medline Plus.Diabetic ketoacidosis.Endocrine Society.Hyperglycemia.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and nerve damage.National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus.Autonomic neuropathy.Food and Drug Administration.Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Autonomic neuropathy.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Orthostatic hypotension.Mar PL, Raj SR.Orthostatic hypotension for the cardiologist.Curr Opin Cardiol.2018 Jan;33(1):66-72. doi:10.1097/HCO.0000000000000467Mount Sinai.Low blood pressure.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Heart Association.Low blood pressure- when blood pressure is too low.National Library of Medicine, Medline Plus.Diabetic ketoacidosis.Endocrine Society.Hyperglycemia.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and nerve damage.National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus.Autonomic neuropathy.Food and Drug Administration.Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Autonomic neuropathy.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Orthostatic hypotension.Mar PL, Raj SR.Orthostatic hypotension for the cardiologist.Curr Opin Cardiol.2018 Jan;33(1):66-72. doi:10.1097/HCO.0000000000000467Mount Sinai.Low blood pressure.

American Heart Association.Low blood pressure- when blood pressure is too low.

National Library of Medicine, Medline Plus.Diabetic ketoacidosis.

Endocrine Society.Hyperglycemia.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and nerve damage.

National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus.Autonomic neuropathy.

Food and Drug Administration.Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Autonomic neuropathy.

National Organization for Rare Disorders.Orthostatic hypotension.

Mar PL, Raj SR.Orthostatic hypotension for the cardiologist.Curr Opin Cardiol.2018 Jan;33(1):66-72. doi:10.1097/HCO.0000000000000467

Mount Sinai.Low blood pressure.

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