My husband is 83 years young.But has very low blood pressure..It stays about 104/76.?

With his blood that low he stays sleepy.Last Sunday it was 88/71 so I took him to Hospital and they gave him and IV and sent him home.He has been on a low salt diet so wondering if he had more salt if that would help.
Answer:
My dear,
A BP of 104/76 mm/Hg is not all that low. Here is a high to low list of what is what for adult BP:CATEGORY - SYSTOLIC / DIASTOLIC
Hypertension - 140 mmHg or higher / 90 mmHg or higher
Prehypertension - 120鈥?39 mmHg / 80鈥?9 mmHg
Normal - 90鈥?20 mmHg / 60鈥?0 mmHg
Hypotension - 90 mmHg or lower / 60 mmHg or lowerAs you can see from the list 104/76 mmHg is very good. It's smack in the middle of normal. It's even more impressive at his age.You were right to be concerned and seek help for him when it dropped to 88/71 mmHg. However, since the doctors only gave him an IV I suspect he had become dehydrated. That can cause a drop in BP. Be sure he drinks enough liquids (water is best)For more information on Low Blood Pressure see the links below.Terry

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go to americanheart.org to help u out

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83 years old. 83. I know this might sound harsh but normally when people get old their heart slows down. You should enjoy the time you have with him now

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You said they gave him an IV, what kind, is he dehydrated? that causes low blood pressure also. Low blood pressure is usually anything less than 90/60. 104/76 is not too low, but the 88/71 was extremely low as you know. Low blood pressure is generally considered dangerous when it drops suddenly or is accompanied by symptoms, such as dizziness or fainting. Severely low blood pressure can indicate serious heart, endocrine or neurological disorders and can deprive the brain and other vital organs of oxygen and nutrients, leading to shock, which can be a life-threatening condition.I don't know what other health problems your husband has or medications he is on or what kind of diet your doctor has him on. I don't know if it is a good idea to increase his salt intake unless you ask the doctor about this. Since we don't know the full extent of his health, you should ask his doctor before changing diet, etc. Also take his blood pressure daily and keep a record to show the doctor also. I know this is not a straight forward yes or no answer, but just trying to help. Best wishes to you. Click on the below links if you would like more info regarding low blood pressure.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.j...
http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-b...
http://www.medicinenet.com/low_blood_pre...

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very normal when you get older everything slows down.

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A pressure of 104/76 is actually pretty normal. I would just make sure he is drinking enough, dehydration is a common cause of low BP. Also, keep in mind, high blood pressure is a common cause of strokes so low is probably better than high in his case.

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I have bad news - with a BP of 104/76 he might last forever. If his BP goes low, Terry gave you the ranges - Try giving him a cup of water or two. This is particularly true if he is taking a diuretic. If you are holding back on fluids sometimes that stuff can dry you out. Another thought, my father had trouble because he was having to frequently go to the bathroom, you know the prostrate thing. He was on diuretics too. He stopped drinking water (much). He dried out so much he started having leg cramps and getting dizzy.

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