Patient/caregiver was educated upon risk factors and causes for orthostatic hypotension as follows:
- Dehydration: Any cause of fluid loss in the body, such as, warm climate with excessive sweating, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, can contribute to low blood volume, which lowers the blood pressure, resulting in orthostatic hypotension.
- Poor fluid intake: Senior citizens are poorly sensitive to thirst and so, can be deficient on intake of recommended fluid volume, leading to low fluid volume. This can lower the blood pressure, resulting in orthostatic hypotension.
- Frequent urination: Individuals with history of repeated UTIs, poorly controlled diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, and diuretic intake can present with increased frequency of urination, contributing to fluid loss and volume deficit. This can lower the blood pressure, contributing to orthostatic hypotension.
- Varicose veins: Individuals with history of varicose veins can have difficulty draining the blood in the deep veins. As a result, increased volumes of blood get accumulated in the veins, become stagnant, and does not return to the circulation. Poor volume in circulation can lower the blood pressure, contributing to orthostatic hypotension.
