Patient/caregiver was educated upon risk factors and causes for orthostatic hypotension as follows:
- Arrhythmia: Ineffective and disorderly activity of heart in individuals with history of arrhythmia result in compromised pumping of blood into circulation. This can reduce the blood volume to upper portions of body, head, and brain, contributing to orthostatic hypotension.
- Heart failure: Poor blood and oxygen supply to the heart muscle in individuals with history of heart failure and cardiomyopathy results in damage to the heart muscle. Damaged heart muscle cannot contract effectively and has poor pumping activity, reducing the output of blood from the heart. This reduces the volume of blood in circulation, which contributes to low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension.
- Pregnancy: Women of child-bearing age group can be at increased risk for hypotension due to pregnancy. Significant blood volume could get redistributed during pregnancy, due to growth of uterine and fetal tissues, which could result in fluid volume deficit. This can lower the blood pressure, contributing to orthostatic hypotension.
