Low blood pressure symptoms (hypotension) are side effects of bulimia and anorexia. what causes low blood pressure in people with eating disorders, and what’s really going on inside the bodies of anorexics and bulimics?
Low blood pressure symptoms are probably more common in anorexia sufferers. Self starvation and malnutrition have their own symptoms and side effects. All of this adds to the already-complicated treatment of anorexia or bulimia.
One of the things that happens during starvation is muscle atrophy — which means that the muscles are shrinking or deteriorating. Keeping in mind that the heart is a muscle, you can see where this is going.
because of the reduced size of the heart, blood flow is diminished, which results in symptoms of low blood pressure, as well as (but not limited to) reduced body temperature and dehydration.
Hypotension, like most eating disorders, can be difficult to detect in the sense that sometimes the individual shows no symptoms, and may appear to be perfectly well. some people might get a low blood pressure headache, while others could be burdened with symptoms and be catastrophically unwell.
If you experience any of the following low blood pressure symptoms, it might be a good idea to see your physician to ensure that there’s nothing serious going on.
if you have (or have had) and eating disorder, hopefully you’re already being monitored closely by a doctor to make sure that things don’t get worse.
- Headache
- Dizziness, feeling “wobbly”
- Fainting
- Fast, shallow breathing
- Increased anxiety attack symptoms; feelings of panic or doom
- Feeling cold
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feelings of nausea
If you feel any numbness, weakness, chest pain, or experience fainting spells call 911 immediately. These symptoms are similar to that of a heart attack or stroke, and you should be seen by a doctor ASAP.
When it comes to low blood pressure readings, everyone is different. Having a lower BP can actually be a good thing because your risk of getting heart disease or stroke will be significantly reduced.
What doctors consider to be a clinically low blood pressure reading is something around 90/60. if your BP is less than that, it’s probably not enough to set off the alarm bells because this could be normal for you.
when headaches, dizziness and/or fainting occur, those could be signs of a sudden drop in blood pressure, and would be cause for concern.
One of the benefits of regular, annual check-ups with your doctor is that he/she will become familiar with your vital signs and normal heart rate. He/she can establish a baseline for what is normal in your situation, and if anything seems off, your doctor should pick up on it fairly quickly.