Avoidance of salt causing low blood pressure.

Q: Ok, I really need advice as to what I should do; I used to have high blood pressure when I was in my late twenties-mid thirties. However, now I seem to have the opposite, when I avoid salts (which I was instructed to do so by my doctor), I do not eat very much sodium, except for my cheerios, 2% milk, I eat lots of vegetables and because I am a diabetic, I know the importance of watching my BP, however, I have been experiencing low readings, and this really has me worried, I am at 117/57 today, and the bottom number really scared me, and yesterday, it was 115/66, these readings are not my normal for me, as I am used to having it at 110/74/ 111/78, and these have been what I used to have until the last couple of weeks. I know I should be adding a little more salt in my diet, however, I have done a great job at maintaining a healthy weight, and my sugar readings are in great check, because I am pretty fit, could the problems I am having with my BP be a medical condition? I am really afraid to see what the issue may be. I know that these are not normal readings, because of the way my BP numbers used to be. Please let me know what you think. Thank you in advance, Susan.

A: Blood pressure does not stay constant. It varies throughout the day. I would not be too concerned about your current readings unless you are having symptoms related to low blood pressure. Common symptoms of low blood pressure are dizziness, feeling faint and blurred vision. To read more about symptoms of low blood pressure see this page on the Mayo Clinic site.

However, you do have diabetes. Even with good control, diabetes can damage organs in your body. You should discuss your blood pressure readings and any symptoms with your doctor.

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