Circulation and Blood Pressure: When the Body Loses Its Balance

The circulatory system ensures that blood, oxygen, and nutrients are reliably transported throughout the body. Blood pressure plays a key role in this process: it describes the pressure with which blood flows through the arteries.

Blood pressure is not always the same. It changes with physical activity, rest, stress, sleep, heat, or cold. Short-term fluctuations are normal. However, if blood pressure remains consistently high, or if symptoms such as dizziness and weakness occur when blood pressure is low, it is advisable to seek medical evaluation.

What is blood pressure?

In order for blood to travel from the heart to the organs and tissues, it must flow through the blood vessels under pressure. This pressure is generated by the interaction of:

• the heart's pumping power
• the diameter and elasticity of blood vessels
• the amount of blood
• regulation by the nervous system, hormones, and the kidneys

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, abbreviated as mmHg.

When taking a reading, two numbers appear, such as 120/80 mmHg.

What do the upper and lower values mean?

What blood pressure readings are considered a guideline?

When blood pressure is measured at a doctor's office, readings below 140/90 mmHg are considered normal. When measuring blood pressure at home, readings should generally be below 135/85 mmHg.

A single elevated reading does not automatically mean you have high blood pressure. To make a diagnosis, repeated measurements are necessary at different times and on different days.

The target values that individuals should aim for depend, among other things, on age, health status, comorbidities, and medications. An individual assessment is performed by a healthcare professional.

Individual results are not a substitute for a diagnosis.

Why does blood pressure fluctuate?

Fluctuations in blood pressure are a normal part of everyday life. The body constantly adjusts blood pressure to suit the situation at hand.

Blood pressure may rise temporarily in the following situations:

• physical exertion
• Sports
• Stress
• Fear or Excitement
• Pain
• Cold
• Caffeine or Nicotine

It may decrease in the following cases:

• Rest and Sleep
• Heat
• Dehydration
• standing for a long time
• getting up quickly
• certain medications
• Infections or other illnesses

Not every fluctuation is a cause for concern. The key factor is whether symptoms occur, whether the levels have changed permanently, or whether other risk factors are present.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, medically known as hypertension, often goes unnoticed for a long time. Many people with high blood pressure feel healthy and have no obvious symptoms. That is why the only reliable way to detect high blood pressure is through regular monitoring.

Chronic high blood pressure puts a strain on the heart and can damage blood vessels and other organs. It is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Possible Causes and Risk Factors

In most affected individuals, no single cause can be identified. Often, several factors interact.

These include:

• genetic predisposition
• advancing age
• Overweight
• Lack of exercise
• high-sodium diet
• Smoking
• heavy alcohol consumption
• prolonged stress
• Diabetes
• abnormal blood lipid levels
• certain medications
• Kidney or hormonal disorders
• Sleep Apnea

Some of these factors can be influenced, while others cannot. A medical evaluation can help identify possible causes and assess your personal risk.

Low Blood Pressure

Low blood pressure, medically known as hypotension, is often not a health problem if it does not cause any symptoms. Some people naturally have lower blood pressure.

However, symptoms can occur if the brain and other organs do not receive sufficient blood flow for a short period of time—especially when standing up quickly or standing for long periods.

Common symptoms include:

• Dizziness
• Going dark before one's eyes
• Unsteadiness when standing up
• Fatigue
• Concentration problems
• Cold hands and feet
• Paleness
• Heart palpitations
• Feeling of weakness
• Tendency to faint

Circulatory problems when standing up

If a person feels dizzy or sees black spots when standing up, this may be due to what is known as an orthostatic circulatory reaction. When moving from a lying or sitting position to a standing one, more blood pools in the legs for a brief moment. The body must quickly adjust the heart rate and vascular tone.

If this adjustment does not occur quickly enough, blood pressure may drop temporarily.

Possible triggers include:

• getting up quickly
• Dehydration
• standing for long periods of time
• Heat
• Infections
• prolonged bed rest
• certain medications
• Blood loss
• Cardiovascular or metabolic diseases

Recurring or severe symptoms should be evaluated, especially if they lead to falls or fainting.

What can help with low blood pressure?

If you have low blood pressure that causes symptoms, simple measures can help support your circulation:

• get up slowly
• Move your feet and legs before getting out of bed
• drink enough
• exercise regularly
• Strengthen the leg and core muscles
• Avoid standing still for long periods of time
• Engage your calf muscles when standing for long periods
• Choose small, balanced meals
• Use contrast showers or Kneipp treatments, provided they are well tolerated
• Be especially careful to stay hydrated in hot weather

A higher salt intake should not be recommended across the board. It may be appropriate for some individuals, but should first be discussed with a doctor, especially for those with heart, kidney, or blood pressure conditions.

Dizziness and circulatory problems

Dizziness is often associated with circulation, but it can have many other causes. These include, for example, inner ear disorders, migraines, medications, infections, anemia, heart rhythm disorders, or neurological causes.

Therefore, dizziness should not automatically be attributed to low blood pressure.

It is especially important to get checked out if you experience dizziness:

• occurs suddenly and intensely
• returns
• is associated with fainting
• occurs along with chest pain or shortness of breath
• is accompanied by paralysis, speech difficulties, or vision problems
• occurs after a fall or a head injury

Blood Pressure Log

A blood pressure log helps you identify changes and patterns. It is helpful to include the following information:

• Date
• Time
• first and second measured values
• Pulse
• specific symptoms
• Medications
• extraordinary stress or strain
• Notes on the Measurement Situation

Individual outliers are less meaningful than the trend over several days.

Exercise for Circulation and Blood Pressure

Regular exercise supports the heart, circulatory system, blood vessels, and metabolism. In cases of high blood pressure, it can be an important part of treatment. In cases of low blood pressure, it trains the circulatory system’s ability to adapt and strengthens the muscle pump.

Suitable examples include:

• brisk walking
• Hiking
• Cycling
• Swimming
• Nordic Walking
• Dancing
• moderate strength training
• Climbing stairs
• Active Breaks in Everyday Life

The intensity of the exercise should be appropriate for your personal fitness level and health. If you have very high blood pressure, heart problems, or have been physically inactive for a long time, you should seek professional guidance when starting out.

Diet and Blood Pressure

A balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and high-quality vegetable oils supports overall cardiovascular health.

If you have high blood pressure, it’s especially important to be mindful of your salt intake. A large portion of your salt intake doesn’t come from the salt shaker, but rather from:

• Ready-to-eat meals
• Deli Meats
• salty snacks
• Bread and Baked Goods
• Cheese
• Sauces and Seasonings
• highly processed foods

Fresh herbs, spices, onions, garlic, and vegetables can add flavor without the need to add a lot of salt.

Fluids and Circulation

Adequate fluid intake is important for blood volume and circulatory function. Fluid requirements increase during hot weather, exercise, fever, diarrhea, or vomiting.

Suitable beverages include:

• Water
• Mineral Water
• unsweetened herbal tea
• Unsweetened fruit tea

Anyone who must limit their fluid intake due to a heart or kidney condition should follow their doctor's advice.

Stress and Blood Pressure

Stress activates the autonomic nervous system. This can cause a temporary increase in heart rate and blood pressure. This is a normal reaction.

It can become a problem if stress persists over time and you are unable to relax. Relaxation exercises are not a substitute for blood pressure treatment, but they can help you better manage stress and tension.

The following may be helpful:

• Breathing Exercises
• regular breaks
• Exercise
• progressive muscle relaxation
• Meditation
• enough sleep
• social interactions
• realistic daily planning

When should a doctor evaluate your blood pressure?

A medical evaluation is recommended in the following cases:

• repeatedly elevated blood pressure readings
• recurrent dizziness
• frequent blackouts
• Fainting
• new episodes of heart palpitations
• severe fatigue or poor performance
• Side effects after starting or changing a medication
• significant fluctuations in blood pressure
• low blood pressure accompanied by significant symptoms
• Uncertainty in Self-Measurement

Blood pressure medications should only be adjusted in consultation with a doctor.

When is immediate help necessary?

Immediate medical attention is required in the following cases:

• Chest pain or a strong feeling of pressure in the chest
• severe shortness of breath
• Loss of consciousness
• sudden onset of paralysis
• Speech or vision problems
• sudden, very severe headaches
• severe confusion
• very high blood pressure along with acute symptoms
• Heart palpitations or an irregular heartbeat accompanied by dizziness, weakness, or shortness of breath