hypotension

IPA/ˌhaɪpəʊˈtenʃn/
KK[hˌaɪpotˈɛnʃən]IPA/ˌhaɪpəʊˈtenʃn/

hypotension — noun

1. a medical condition in which a person's blood pressure stays at a level lower th

1.nounB2
Definition

a medical condition in which a person's blood pressure stays at a level lower than is normal or healthy, which can make them feel weak, dizzy, or tired because not enough blood reaches the brain and other organs.

Example

Dr. Garcia checked the patient's chart and noticed a pattern of hypotension after surgery.

noun used as uncountable: 'a pattern of hypotension'

The elderly man was diagnosed with postural hypotension because he felt dizzy when standing up.

collocation: postural hypotension

Common collocations
  • postural hypotension
  • orthostatic hypotension
  • have hypotension
  • cause hypotension
  • suffer from hypotension
  • diagnose hypotension
  • treat hypotension
  • severe hypotension
  • chronic hypotension
  • hypotension symptoms
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • hypertension

    the opposite condition — abnormally high blood pressure

Usage Note

Frequently used in medical contexts. Can be modified by adjectives specifying the type, such as 'postural hypotension' (triggered by standing up) or 'orthostatic hypotension' (same meaning, more technical). The opposite condition is 'hypertension' (high blood pressure).

Common Mistakes

My grandmother has a hypotension.
My grandmother has hypotension.
'hypotension' is an uncountable noun and does not take the article 'a'.
The doctor said she has low pressure.
The doctor said she has low blood pressure.
In English, 'low pressure' alone without 'blood' sounds unclear; Taiwanese learners may drop 'blood' because 低血壓 literally translates as 'low blood pressure'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Hypotension' and 'low blood pressure' refer to the same condition, but they differ in register: 'hypotension' is the formal medical term used by doctors, researchers, and in clinical notes, while 'low blood pressure' is the everyday phrase patients and families use. 'Hypertension' is the opposite condition — abnormally high blood pressure — and is far more common in general conversation. When speaking with a doctor, a patient might say 'I have low blood pressure,' and the doctor would write 'hypotension' in the chart. A useful mnemonic: 'hyper-' means too much or above (like hyperactive), while 'hypo-' means too little or below (like hypothermia).

hypotension ↗low blood pressurehypertension ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hypotension symptoms
  • hypotension treatment
  • hypotension patient
  • hypotension medication

Verbs

Adverbs

Phrases

  • postural hypotension
  • orthostatic hypotension
  • a case of hypotension
  • signs of hypotension

Prepositions

  • with hypotension
  • for hypotension
  • of hypotension

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The term comes from Greek 'hypo-' meaning 'under' or 'below normal', combined with English 'tension' (from Latin 'tensio' — a stretching), referring to the pressure in the arteries. It was adopted into medical English in the late 19th century as doctors began measuring blood pressure and naming abnormal ranges.