Drinking more water, eating more salt, wearing compression stockings, and using specific body postures can all raise blood pressure in the short term. For most people searching this question, the underlying concern is blood pressure that drops too low, particularly upon standing, causing dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting. The practical toolkit runs from things you can do in the next five minutes to prescription medications reserved for more stubborn cases, and which approach fits depends heavily on why your pressure is falling in the first place.
Why You Might Need to Raise It
Most health messaging focuses on getting blood pressure down, so the idea of deliberately pushing it up can feel counterintuitive. But low blood pressure is a genuine clinical problem for a sizable number of people. The most common scenario is orthostatic hypotension, where blood pressure drops sharply when you stand up, causing symptoms that range from subtle cognitive fogginess and unexplained falls to full-on near-fainting episodes.1The Lancet Neurology. Orthostatic hypotension: management of a complex, but common, medical problem Other people experience postprandial hypotension, where pressure plummets after eating, or they simply run low chronically due to dehydration, medication side effects, or an underlying condition like adrenal insufficiency.
All the strategies below share a common goal: getting more blood into circulation, tightening up blood vessels, or both. Some work within minutes; others take days or weeks to have full effect. The right combination usually involves layering several approaches rather than relying on any single one.
Drink a Glass of Water
This is one of the simplest and fastest interventions available, and the magnitude of its effect surprises most people. In a study of patients with autonomic failure, drinking roughly half a liter of tap water raised systolic blood pressure by more than 30 mmHg within about half an hour. Even in healthy elderly adults, the same amount of water produced a rise of about 11 mmHg. The effect did not appear in younger healthy adults.2PubMed. The pressor response to water drinking in humans: a sympathetic reflex? The mechanism appears to be a rapid increase in sympathetic nervous system activity triggered by water hitting the stomach and upper intestine, not simply a matter of adding fluid volume to the bloodstream. Plasma norepinephrine rose in both patient and elderly groups, while blood volume itself did not change significantly during the observation window.
For anyone prone to drops in blood pressure upon standing or after meals, drinking two glasses of water 15 to 30 minutes beforehand is one of the most accessible preventive measures. It costs nothing and has essentially no downside for people with normal kidney and heart function. Just keep in mind that the effect fades after an hour or two, so timing matters.
Increase Your Salt Intake
If you have been told your blood pressure is too low, a physician may recommend increasing dietary sodium, the exact opposite of the usual public health advice. Sodium raises blood pressure through several pathways: it promotes water retention, increases the resistance in peripheral blood vessels, and alters sympathetic nervous system activity.3PubMed Central. Sodium Intake and Hypertension For people with orthostatic hypotension, the added fluid volume helps fill the vascular space so there is less of a pressure drop when gravity pulls blood toward the legs on standing.
Practical ways to add salt include liberally salting meals, snacking on salted nuts or olives, and in more severe cases, taking salt tablets. Most clinicians who manage orthostatic hypotension aim for somewhere around 6 to 10 grams of sodium chloride per day, well above the standard dietary guidelines for the general population. This is a targeted medical recommendation, not blanket dietary advice. If you have heart failure, kidney disease, or existing high blood pressure at rest, increasing sodium without medical guidance can be dangerous.
Physical Maneuvers That Work Immediately
When you feel lightheaded upon standing, certain body positions can buy you time by squeezing blood back toward your heart. Crossing your legs and tensing your thigh muscles, squatting, or bending forward at the waist all temporarily increase blood return from the lower body. These “counter-maneuvers” are particularly useful in the moment, before you can sit back down or reach for water.
Compression stockings work on a similar principle but passively. By applying pressure to the legs, they reduce the amount of blood that pools in the lower limbs when you stand. A systematic review of non-drug interventions for orthostatic hypotension found that lower-limb compression stockings delayed the maximum drop in mean arterial pressure and appeared to reduce venous pooling on standing.4JBI Evidence Synthesis. Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions to treat orthostatic hypotension in elderly people and people with a neurological condition: a systematic review Waist-high stockings tend to work better than knee-high ones because they compress the large venous reservoirs in the thighs and abdomen, but many people find them uncomfortable, especially in warm weather. Abdominal binders are an alternative for people who cannot tolerate stockings.
Adjust What and How You Eat
Meals themselves can cause blood pressure to fall, a phenomenon called postprandial hypotension that is especially common in older adults. Digestion diverts blood flow to the gut, and in people whose cardiovascular reflexes are sluggish, the rest of the body does not compensate well. The carbohydrate content of a meal appears to be a major driver. In elderly patients diagnosed with postprandial hypotension, a low-carbohydrate meal produced a peak systolic pressure drop of about 28 mmHg, while normal- and high-carbohydrate meals caused drops of roughly 39 and 40 mmHg respectively. Symptoms were also less frequent and less severe after the low-carbohydrate meal.5PubMed. The influence of low-, normal-, and high-carbohydrate meals on blood pressure in elderly patients with postprandial hypotension
The practical takeaway is straightforward: if your blood pressure tends to dip after eating, try smaller, more frequent meals with less starch and sugar. Replacing some of the bread, rice, or pasta on your plate with protein and fat can meaningfully reduce the postprandial pressure drop. Drinking water before or with the meal adds the sympathetic pressor effect described earlier, and the combination of both strategies is more effective than either alone.
Caffeine and Other Dietary Stimulants
Coffee raises blood pressure acutely, which is why some people with chronic low blood pressure drink a cup before situations they know are risky, like a long morning meeting or a walk in the heat. Caffeine increases sympathetic nervous system tone and blocks adenosine receptors, both of which contribute to a short-term pressure increase.6Journal of Urban Health Research. The Effect of Coffee Consumption on Acute Increased Blood Pressure in Normotensive Teens The effect tends to be most pronounced in people who do not drink coffee regularly; habitual users develop partial tolerance. Still, even for regular coffee drinkers, a cup timed before standing up from a prolonged seated position can offer a modest buffer.
Licorice is a less well-known dietary pressor agent, but it is potent enough to cause genuine hypertension if consumed in large amounts over time. The active compound in real licorice root inhibits an enzyme that normally deactivates cortisol in the kidneys, effectively letting cortisol act like a mineralocorticoid hormone that retains sodium and water and raises blood pressure.7PubMed. Licorice-induced hypertension and syndromes of apparent mineralocorticoid excess Some clinicians have historically used licorice extract as a low-tech way to raise blood pressure in patients with chronic hypotension, though it carries risks of low potassium and should not be self-prescribed at high doses. Note that most licorice-flavored candy sold in the United States uses anise flavoring rather than real licorice root, so it will not have this effect.
Prescription Medications
When lifestyle measures are not enough, physicians have a few pharmaceutical options. Fludrocortisone is a synthetic mineralocorticoid that works by increasing sodium and water retention, expanding blood volume. In a study of patients with syncope and presyncope, fludrocortisone produced significant increases in overall systolic blood pressure and minimum systolic blood pressure, and reduced the frequency of pressure dips below 100 mmHg. Symptoms of presyncope improved in about three quarters of patients who started or increased the drug.8Blood Pressure. The effect of fludrocortisone and midodrine on ambulatory blood pressure biomarkers and symptoms of syncope
Midodrine, a direct blood vessel constrictor, is another commonly prescribed agent. The same study found that midodrine also raised systolic blood pressure, though fewer of the measured outcomes reached statistical significance compared to fludrocortisone. Presyncope symptoms improved in about two thirds of patients on midodrine. Both drugs are widely used, and the choice between them often depends on the individual’s pattern of blood pressure drops and whether they have specific contraindications.
For neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, where the autonomic nervous system itself is damaged by conditions like Parkinson’s disease or multiple system atrophy, droxidopa is an additional option. Droxidopa is an oral precursor to norepinephrine, meaning the body converts it into the same chemical that nerves normally release to tighten blood vessels. It was approved by the FDA specifically for short-term treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension.9PubMed Central. Droxidopa in neurogenic orthostatic hypotension
The Supine Hypertension Trap
Here is the frustrating paradox that makes managing low blood pressure trickier than it sounds: many of the same people who have dangerously low blood pressure while standing develop dangerously high blood pressure while lying down. The medications used to raise standing blood pressure, including fludrocortisone and midodrine, can worsen this supine hypertension because they act on the whole cardiovascular system, not just the standing position.10PubMed Central. Management Strategies for Comorbid Supine Hypertension in Patients with Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension This is especially common in patients with neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, where the autonomic nervous system cannot properly adjust vessel tone depending on body position.
Practical ways to manage this include elevating the head of the bed by 10 to 15 degrees so you are never truly flat, timing the last dose of pressor medication well before bedtime, and eating a small carbohydrate-containing snack before sleep to trigger a mild postprandial drop. Clinicians who treat these patients often describe it as walking a tightrope: enough pressure support to keep you functional during the day without pushing nighttime readings into stroke territory. If you are on any medication to raise blood pressure, monitoring it in both positions is essential.
Cold Exposure Raises Blood Pressure Rapidly
If you have ever noticed your blood pressure climbing in winter or felt a flush of alertness from splashing cold water on your face, there is solid physiology behind it. Cold exposure applied to the whole body or even just the face increases blood pressure by tightening peripheral blood vessels, a reflex designed to conserve body heat by redirecting blood toward the core. In experimental settings, both whole-body and face-only cooling raised mean arterial pressure significantly, driven by an increase in total peripheral resistance. Face cooling caused mainly skin-level constriction, while whole-body cooling added constriction in the skeletal muscle vasculature as well.11PubMed Central. Control of blood pressure in the cold: differentiation of skin and skeletal muscle vascular resistance Cold exposure also boosts sympathetic activity and plasma norepinephrine.12PubMed. Acute effects of exposure to cold on blood pressure, platelet function and sympathetic nervous activity in humans
This is worth knowing for two reasons. First, if you are prone to low blood pressure, environmental heat is your enemy. Hot baths, saunas, and prolonged sun exposure dilate blood vessels and can trigger dramatic drops. Conversely, a cool environment or a cold washcloth on the neck may help if you feel symptoms coming on. Second, if your blood pressure is already normal or high, be aware that winter cold and cold-water immersion will push it higher, which matters for people with cardiovascular risk.
Dehydration and Heat Make Everything Worse
Dehydration is one of the most common and most correctable causes of low blood pressure. When you are dehydrated, blood volume drops, and the heart has less fluid to pump with each beat. During upright exercise in a dehydrated state, stroke volume and cardiac output both fall, mean arterial pressure drops, and the heart compensates by beating faster, though not enough to fully restore pressure.13PubMed. Supine exercise restores arterial blood pressure and skin blood flow despite dehydration and hyperthermia Add heat to the equation and the problem compounds: blood vessels in the skin dilate to shed heat, stealing volume from the central circulation.
For people with chronic low blood pressure, staying ahead of fluid losses is a daily task. That means drinking consistently throughout the day rather than waiting until you feel thirsty, being especially vigilant in hot weather or during illness that involves vomiting or diarrhea, and monitoring urine color as a rough hydration gauge. Pale yellow generally signals adequate hydration; dark amber is a red flag.
Does Exercise Help or Hurt?
The relationship between exercise and blood pressure in people who already run low is more complicated than “exercise is good for everything.” Resistance training can increase blood volume over time and build leg muscle mass, both of which theoretically help support standing blood pressure. A study of intense resistance exercise found that leg muscle volumes increased and blood volume went up after training. However, the training did not consistently improve the ability to tolerate upright postures without presyncope symptoms.14PubMed. Resistance exercise training and the orthostatic response That is a nuanced finding: bigger muscles and more blood did not automatically translate into fewer dizzy spells on standing.
Aerobic exercise can also cause transient drops in blood pressure after a session, which can be problematic for people already running low. On the other hand, regular cardiovascular exercise improves the efficiency of the body’s blood-pressure-regulating reflexes over the long term. If you are prone to orthostatic hypotension, the safest approach is to exercise in cooler environments, stay well hydrated, avoid abrupt transitions from lying or sitting to standing immediately after finishing a workout, and consider exercising in a recumbent position (such as a recumbent bike or swimming) where gravity is less of a factor.
When Low Blood Pressure Signals a Deeper Problem
Sometimes chronically low blood pressure is not a standalone condition but a symptom of something else that needs treatment in its own right. Addison’s disease, or primary adrenal insufficiency, is a classic example. The adrenal glands fail to produce enough cortisol and aldosterone, leading to low blood pressure that can become acutely dangerous during an adrenal crisis, with symptoms including orthostatic hypotension, fever, and dangerously low blood sugar.15PubMed. Addison’s disease Treatment involves replacing the missing hormones, and once that is done, the blood pressure problem tends to resolve.
Neurological conditions that damage the autonomic nervous system, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy, and certain peripheral neuropathies, can also produce severe orthostatic hypotension by impairing the reflexes that normally tighten blood vessels when you stand. In these cases, the strategies discussed above still apply, but the underlying nerve damage limits how much improvement they can deliver, and medication is more often necessary.16PubMed Central. Droxidopa for neurogenic orthostatic hypotension: a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial Medications themselves can also be culprits: blood pressure pills taken for hypertension, prostate drugs, certain antidepressants, and diuretics are all common causes of pressure that drops too far. A simple medication review with your doctor, adjusting doses or switching agents, sometimes solves the problem entirely without needing to add anything new.
Sleep Position and Nighttime Blood Pressure
Blood pressure naturally dips during sleep, reaching its lowest point in the early morning hours. For people whose daytime pressure is already marginal, this nocturnal dip can set the stage for a dramatic drop when they first stand up in the morning. That groggy, head-spinning sensation when you swing your legs out of bed is often the day’s most dangerous moment for someone with orthostatic hypotension.
Elevating the head of the bed by four to six inches, using a wedge pillow or placing blocks under the headboard legs, keeps the body at a slight angle overnight. This reduces the nocturnal blood pressure dip and prevents the kidneys from dumping as much fluid overnight, both of which make the morning transition to standing less jarring. It also helps mitigate the supine hypertension problem mentioned earlier by keeping gravitational stress on the system even during sleep. Some patients find that sitting on the edge of the bed for a minute or two, flexing their ankles and clenching their fists, before standing up is enough to avert the worst of the morning drop.
Disrupted sleep may also play a role. Research on selective slow-wave sleep deprivation found that losing the deepest stage of sleep blunted the normal nocturnal blood pressure dip during the first half of the night, suggesting that sleep architecture and blood pressure regulation are intertwined in ways researchers are still sorting out. For people with low blood pressure, poor sleep quality may subtly worsen daytime cardiovascular instability, giving yet another reason to prioritize good sleep hygiene alongside the more targeted interventions above.