Patient/caregiver was educated upon risk factors and causes for orthostatic hypotension as follows:
- Low blood volume: Blood Pressure is the force exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. High blood volume increases the force, resulting in hypertension and low blood volume decreases the force, resulting in orthostatic hypotension. Any factors that can contribute to low blood volume can lower the blood pressure and result in orthostatic hypotension.
- Loss of blood: Any cause of blood loss, such as, acute injury, surgery, internal bleed in the intestines, can contribute to low blood volume, which lowers the blood pressure, resulting in orthostatic hypotension.
- Postprandial state: Individuals can experience hypotension immediately after meal. During this state, more blood could be directed to the gut to help digestion and absorption. This can reduce the blood volume to upper portions of body, head, and brain, resulting in orthostatic hypotension.
