Low blood pressure, defined as a reading below 90/60 mmHg, can be raised through a combination of dietary changes, hydration, physical techniques, and in some cases medication. Most people searching for ways to raise their blood pressure are dealing with symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting, and the good news is that several effective strategies can be started at home today.
Drink More Water, and More Often
Dehydration is one of the most common and easily fixable causes of low blood pressure. When your blood volume drops, your heart has less fluid to pump, and pressure falls. For people with chronically low blood pressure or conditions like orthostatic hypotension (where blood pressure drops when you stand), the recommended daily fluid intake is 2 to 3 liters, or roughly 8 to 12 cups. That’s more than the general “eight glasses a day” advice most people hear.
Drinking water also has a surprisingly fast effect. Research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation found that water drinking acutely improves the body’s ability to maintain blood pressure when changing positions. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty. Spread your intake throughout the day, and drink a full glass of water before standing up from bed in the morning or after sitting for a long period.
Increase Your Salt Intake
This is the rare situation where eating more salt is medically encouraged. Sodium helps your body retain fluid, which increases blood volume and raises pressure. For people with orthostatic disorders, doctors routinely recommend more than 6,000 mg of salt per day (about 2,300 mg of sodium), which is actually the upper limit of what’s recommended for the general population. In other words, what’s “too much salt” for most people may be a therapeutic dose for you.
That said, modest increases are often enough to improve symptoms without overdoing it. Practical ways to add salt include salting your food more liberally, eating broth-based soups, snacking on salted nuts or olives, and drinking electrolyte beverages. If you have kidney disease or heart failure, talk with your provider before significantly increasing sodium.
Use Caffeine Strategically
A cup of coffee can raise your blood pressure by up to 10 mmHg, which is a meaningful bump when you’re starting from a low baseline. The effect kicks in within about 30 minutes, peaks around an hour, then gradually fades. For people with low blood pressure, a caffeinated drink before activities that trigger dizziness (like a morning shower or a long walk) can provide a useful buffer.
Keep in mind that regular caffeine use builds tolerance, so this strategy works best if you don’t already drink coffee all day. One or two cups timed around your most symptomatic periods will do more than constant sipping.
Eat Smaller, Lower-Carb Meals
Blood pressure naturally dips after eating because your body diverts blood flow to your digestive system. For some people, this drop is steep enough to cause dizziness, fatigue, or fainting, a condition called postprandial hypotension. Large meals high in carbohydrates tend to trigger the worst drops.
The fix is straightforward: eat six smaller meals throughout the day instead of three large ones, and keep carbohydrate portions moderate. Pairing carbs with protein and fat slows digestion and blunts the blood pressure dip. A sandwich with chicken and avocado will treat your blood pressure more kindly than a big bowl of pasta on its own.
Physical Techniques That Work Fast
When you feel a dizzy spell coming on, certain physical maneuvers can raise your blood pressure within seconds by squeezing blood from your legs and abdomen back toward your heart. The American Heart Association recommends several specific techniques:
- Cross your legs and squeeze. While standing or lying down, cross your legs and tense your leg, abdominal, and buttock muscles simultaneously.
- Squat down. Dropping into a squat position is one of the fastest ways to counteract a blood pressure drop. Tense your lower body muscles while squatting, then stand slowly once symptoms pass.
- Grip and pull. Hook your fingers together in front of your chest and pull your arms in opposite directions with maximum force.
- Clench your fist. Squeeze a fist as hard as you can, with or without holding an object.
These aren’t just tricks. They work by compressing blood vessels in large muscle groups, physically pushing blood upward and temporarily raising pressure. Practice them so they become automatic when you feel lightheaded.
Wear Compression Garments
Compression stockings prevent blood from pooling in your legs, which is one of the main reasons blood pressure drops when you stand. For people new to compression, Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends starting with 20 to 30 mmHg pressure. If that feels too tight or difficult to put on, 15 to 20 mmHg is a reasonable alternative. If 20 to 30 mmHg isn’t enough, you can move up to 30 to 40 mmHg, though higher-grade stockings can be challenging to pull on.
Waist-high stockings work better than knee-high ones because they also compress the abdominal area. Some people also benefit from abdominal compression binders for the same reason. Put them on before getting out of bed in the morning for the best effect.
Change Positions Slowly
Orthostatic hypotension, where blood pressure drops 20 mmHg or more in systolic pressure when you stand up, is the most common type of problematic low blood pressure. The simplest countermeasure is to never go from lying flat to standing in one motion. Sit on the edge of the bed for a minute. Flex your feet and calves. Then stand, holding onto something stable. The same principle applies when getting up from a chair or out of a hot bath.
Sleeping with the head of your bed elevated by 4 to 6 inches (using bed risers, not just extra pillows) can also help. This position keeps your body from losing as much fluid overnight, which means your blood volume is higher when you wake up.
When Lifestyle Changes Aren’t Enough
If you’ve tried hydration, salt, compression, and the other strategies above and still have symptoms, medication may be the next step. The two most commonly prescribed options work in different ways. One tightens blood vessels to increase resistance, raising pressure directly. The other helps your kidneys retain more sodium and water, expanding your blood volume. Both require a prescription and monitoring, since raising blood pressure too much or at the wrong times (like during sleep) creates its own risks.
It’s also worth identifying whether something you’re already taking is pulling your blood pressure down. Several common medication categories can cause or worsen low blood pressure, including those prescribed for high blood pressure (if the dose is too aggressive), certain antidepressants, prostate medications, and drugs for Parkinson’s disease. A dose adjustment sometimes solves the problem entirely.
Symptoms That Need Urgent Attention
Mild low blood pressure with occasional lightheadedness is manageable with the strategies above. But certain symptoms signal that your blood pressure has dropped to a level your body can’t compensate for: confusion, cold or clammy skin, rapid shallow breathing, blurred vision, or fainting. A blood pressure that drops suddenly after an injury, infection, or allergic reaction can indicate shock, which requires emergency care. If your symptoms came on abruptly, are getting worse, or include chest pain, treat the situation as urgent.