Low diastole during pregnancy | Diastole too low – Is that dangerous?

Low diastole during pregnancy

During pregnancy, especially in the last trimester, many women suffer from low blood pressure. This is preferably the case when lying on the back and when sleeping. This is due to the fact that the increasingly large and, above all, heavier embryo pushes down the central blood vessels aorta and the inferior vena cava.

As these vessels run directly in front of the spine, the vessels become narrowed, especially in the supine position, as the embryo follows gravity and presses on the mother’s back. The constriction of the vena cava means that less blood returns to the heart and the heart can no longer fill sufficiently. As a result, it pumps less blood into the circulation and the pressure drops. There is not really anything that can be done about this except to avoid lying on your back.

What diastolic value is considered dangerous?

The diastolic blood pressure value indicates the pressure in the blood vessels during the flaccid and filling phase of the heart. This diastolic value should ideally be less than 80mmHg and should not fall below 60mmHg. These values are referred to as hypotension, a low blood pressure.

Compared to high blood pressure, however, it is less dangerous and does not have long-term consequences. It only becomes dangerous for the body if the diastolic value drops very rapidly or remains much too low for a very long time. If the pressure in the blood vessels drops, not enough blood is transported and accordingly too little oxygen reaches the organs and the body periphery. A lack of oxygen in the brain manifests itself symptomatically in dizziness and fatigue. An oxygen deficiency in the extremities is manifested by cold hands and feet.

Symptoms of a too low diastole

Symptoms of low blood pressure include poor performance, concentration problems, fatigue, dizziness, ringing in the ears, shivering, cold hands and feet, blackness before the eyes when getting up, and even fainting (circulatory collapse). This amount of symptoms can occur, but do not have to. Many people suffer from hypotension (low blood pressure) and do not know about it.

The big difference to high blood pressure is the motto: Treatment is only given if the person suffers from it.This is because, in contrast to hypertension, there is no known permanent damage caused by an existing low blood pressure. Although the symptoms listed above may be interindividually distressing, structural changes or damage to the blood vessels are only associated with the existence of high blood pressure. Therefore, these symptoms are not dangerous.