You can raise low blood pressure through a combination of dietary changes, increased fluid intake, physical techniques, and in some cases medication. Blood pressure is considered low when it drops enough to cause symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting. A sudden drop of just 20 mmHg, say from 110 to 90 systolic, can be enough to make you feel faint.
Quick Physical Techniques for Immediate Relief
If you feel dizzy or lightheaded from a blood pressure drop, certain body positions and muscle-tensing movements can push blood pressure up within seconds. The American Heart Association recommends several of these “counterpressure maneuvers” as first-line responses.
Leg crossing with muscle tensing is one of the simplest: cross your legs while standing or lying down and tense your leg, abdominal, and buttock muscles simultaneously. Squatting works quickly because it compresses the blood vessels in your legs, forcing blood back toward your heart and brain. Once symptoms pass, stand up slowly. Arm tensing involves gripping your hands together, interlocking your fingers, and pulling your arms in opposite directions as hard as you can. Even clenching your fist at maximum force, with or without something in your hand, can provide a short-term boost.
These techniques are stopgaps. They’re useful in the moment, but if you’re regularly feeling faint, you need a longer-term strategy.
Drink More Water Than You Think
Dehydration is one of the most common and easily fixable causes of low blood pressure. When your blood volume drops, there simply isn’t enough fluid in your system to maintain adequate pressure. The general recommendation for people with chronic low blood pressure or orthostatic hypotension (the kind where you get dizzy when standing) is 2 to 3 liters of fluid per day. That’s roughly 8 to 12 cups.
Spread your intake throughout the day rather than drinking large amounts at once. Keeping a water bottle with you and sipping regularly is more effective than trying to catch up later. If plain water feels like a chore, electrolyte drinks can help because the sodium in them also supports blood volume.
Use Salt Strategically
Most health advice tells you to cut back on salt. But if your blood pressure runs low, sodium is one of the most effective tools you have. Salt helps your body retain water, which increases blood volume and raises pressure. Individuals with low blood pressure are generally advised to consume at least 6 grams of salt per day, which is more than most dietary guidelines recommend for the general population.
You can increase salt intake by adding it to meals, choosing salted snacks, or drinking broth. Olives, pickles, and cured meats are naturally high in sodium. If you have any kidney or heart conditions, talk with your doctor before deliberately increasing salt, because extra sodium can worsen those problems.
Eat Smaller, Lower-Carb Meals
Some people experience a noticeable blood pressure drop after eating, a condition called postprandial hypotension. It happens because your body diverts blood to your digestive system after a meal, temporarily reducing pressure elsewhere. Large meals and carbohydrate-heavy meals make this worse.
The fix is straightforward: eat six smaller meals throughout the day instead of three large ones, and keep those meals relatively low in carbohydrates. White bread, pasta, rice, and sugary foods trigger the biggest post-meal drops. Replacing some of those carbs with protein, fat, and fiber slows digestion and blunts the blood pressure dip. If you notice you feel especially lightheaded after lunch or dinner, this pattern is likely part of your problem.
Compression Stockings
Graduated compression stockings apply pressure to your lower legs, with the strongest compression at the ankle and gradually less pressure moving up toward the thigh. This design pushes pooled blood back up toward your heart, preventing it from collecting in your legs when you stand. They’re particularly helpful for orthostatic hypotension, where the issue is blood pooling in the lower body when you change position.
Look for medical-grade stockings rather than fashion compression socks. Your doctor can recommend the right pressure level for your situation. Putting them on first thing in the morning, before you’ve been upright long enough for blood to pool, gives the best results.
Medications for Persistent Low Blood Pressure
When lifestyle changes aren’t enough, two medications are commonly prescribed. Fludrocortisone works by increasing your blood volume, essentially helping your body hold on to more fluid. Midodrine takes a different approach: it narrows your blood vessels so the same volume of blood generates more pressure. Both are typically used for orthostatic hypotension that doesn’t respond well to extra fluids, salt, and compression.
These aren’t medications you’d take casually. They come with side effects and require monitoring. But for people whose blood pressure drops are frequent and disabling, they can make a significant difference in daily functioning.
Other Everyday Habits That Help
Beyond the major strategies, several smaller habits add up. Avoid standing for long periods without moving. If you have to stand, shift your weight, rise onto your toes, or tense your calves periodically. Get up slowly from sitting or lying positions, giving your cardiovascular system time to adjust. Avoid hot showers and baths, which dilate blood vessels and can trigger drops. Caffeine can temporarily raise blood pressure, so a cup of coffee before a meal may help offset postprandial dips.
Alcohol lowers blood pressure and causes dehydration, a double hit. If you’re already prone to low readings, even moderate drinking can make symptoms noticeably worse.
Signs of a Dangerous Drop
Most low blood pressure is uncomfortable but not life-threatening. However, certain symptoms signal that a drop has become severe enough to require emergency care. Watch for confusion (especially in older adults), cold or clammy skin, a noticeable loss of color in the skin, rapid shallow breathing, or a weak and fast pulse. These are signs of shock, which means your organs aren’t getting enough blood flow. Large, sudden drops can result from serious bleeding, severe infections, or allergic reactions, and they need immediate medical attention.