The goal in testing for low blood pressure is to find the underlying cause. This helps determine the correct treatment and identify any heart, brain or nervous system problems that may cause lower than normal readings. To reach a diagnosis, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following tests:
Blood pressure test. Blood pressure is measured with an inflatable arm cuff and a pressure-measuring gauge.
A blood pressure reading, given in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), has two numbers. The first, or upper, number measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats (systolic pressure). The second, or lower, number measures the pressure in your arteries between beats (diastolic pressure).
- Blood tests. These can provide information about your overall health as well as whether you have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), high blood sugar (hyperglycemia or diabetes) or a low number of red blood cells (anemia), all of which can cause lower than normal blood pressure.
Electrocardiogram (ECG). During this painless, noninvasive test, soft, sticky patches (electrodes) are attached to the skin of your chest, arms and legs. The patches detect your heart's electrical signals while a machine records them on graph paper or displays them on a screen.
An ECG, which can be performed in your doctor's office, detects irregularities in your heart rhythm, structural abnormalities in your heart, and problems with the supply of blood and oxygen to your heart muscle. It can also tell if you're having a heart attack or if you've had a heart attack in the past.
Sometimes, heart rhythm abnormalities come and go, and an ECG won't find any problems. If this happens, you may be asked to wear a 24-hour Holter monitor to record your heart's electrical activity as you go about your daily routine.
Echocardiogram. This noninvasive exam, which includes an ultrasound of your chest, shows detailed images of your heart's structure and function.
Ultrasound waves are transmitted, and their echoes are recorded with a device called a transducer, which is held outside your body. A computer uses the information from the transducer to create moving images on a video monitor.
Stress test. Some heart problems that can cause low blood pressure are easier to diagnose when your heart is working harder than when it's at rest. During a stress test, you'll exercise, such as walking on a treadmill. You may be given medication to make your heart work harder if you're unable to exercise.
When your heart is working harder, your heart will be monitored with electrocardiography or echocardiography. Your blood pressure also may be monitored.
- Valsalva maneuver. This noninvasive test checks the functioning of your autonomic nervous system by analyzing your heart rate and blood pressure after several cycles of a type of deep breathing: You take a deep breath and then force the air out through your lips, as if you were trying to blow up a stiff balloon.
Tilt table test. If you have low blood pressure on standing, or from faulty brain signals (neurally mediated hypotension), your doctor may suggest a tilt table test, which evaluates how your body reacts to changes in position.
During the test, you lie on a table that's tilted to raise the upper part of your body, which simulates the movement from horizontal to a standing position.
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