Low blood pressure, generally defined as a reading below 90/60 mmHg, doesn’t always need treatment. But when it causes dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting, there are several things you can do right away and over time to bring your numbers up and keep symptoms under control.
What to Do in the Moment
If you suddenly feel dizzy, lightheaded, or like you might faint, your first move is to sit or lie down. This alone helps blood flow back toward your brain. If you can’t sit down, there are specific muscle-tensing techniques (called counter-pressure maneuvers) that can raise your blood pressure within seconds:
- Leg crossing: Cross one leg over the other and squeeze the muscles in your legs, abdomen, and buttocks. Hold as long as you can or until the symptoms pass.
- Arm tensing: Grip one hand with the other and pull them against each other without letting go. Hold until your symptoms disappear.
- Hand grip: Squeeze a rubber ball (or any firm object) in your dominant hand for as long as possible.
These techniques work by forcing blood out of your large muscle groups and back into circulation. They’re especially useful if your blood pressure tends to drop when you stand up, a condition called orthostatic hypotension. You meet the criteria for orthostatic hypotension if your top number drops by more than 20 mmHg, or your bottom number drops by more than 10 mmHg, within three minutes of standing.
Drink More Water
Dehydration is one of the most common and fixable causes of low blood pressure. When your blood volume drops, there’s less fluid pushing against your artery walls, and your pressure falls. The general recommendation for people with chronic low blood pressure is 2 to 3 liters of fluid per day. That’s roughly 8 to 12 cups.
Drinking water also has a surprisingly fast effect. Research published in Circulation found that water drinking acutely improves the body’s ability to tolerate standing upright. If you know certain situations trigger your symptoms (standing for long periods, hot environments, getting out of bed), drinking a glass of water beforehand can help.
Adjust How and What You Eat
Blood pressure commonly dips after meals because your body diverts blood to your digestive system. This is called postprandial hypotension, and it’s particularly common in older adults. A few dietary changes can reduce the drop significantly:
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Six small meals spread through the day cause less blood flow diversion than three large ones.
- Cut back on carbohydrates at meals. Carb-heavy meals tend to cause the biggest post-meal dips.
- Drink 12 to 16 ounces of water before eating. This pre-loads your blood volume so there’s more to go around when digestion kicks in.
- Have caffeine with breakfast or lunch. A cup of coffee or tea before a meal can temporarily raise blood pressure enough to offset the post-meal drop.
Add More Salt
This is the rare situation where extra salt is actually helpful. While most health advice tells you to limit sodium, people with chronically low blood pressure often benefit from increasing it. The general guideline is at least 6 grams of salt per day for people with low blood pressure readings. That’s roughly a teaspoon. You can get there by salting your food more liberally, eating broth-based soups, or snacking on salted nuts and crackers. If you have any kidney or heart conditions, check with your doctor before increasing your salt intake, since extra sodium can worsen those problems.
Compression Socks and Garments
When you stand, gravity pulls blood into your legs and feet. In people with low blood pressure, this pooling can be enough to cause symptoms. Compression socks counteract this by gently squeezing your lower legs and pushing blood back upward. They typically raise blood pressure by about 5 to 10 mmHg, which can be the difference between feeling fine and feeling faint. Waist-high compression garments work even better because they also prevent pooling in the abdomen, but many people find knee-high socks comfortable enough for daily use.
Sleep Position Matters
If your blood pressure tends to drop when you first get out of bed in the morning, raising the head of your bed can help. The recommended angle is about 10 degrees, which translates to roughly a 9-inch elevation at the head end. You can achieve this with bed risers, a wedge pillow, or blocks under the headboard legs. Sleeping at this slight incline trains your body to better regulate blood pressure during position changes, so the transition from lying down to standing is less dramatic.
When you do get up in the morning, take it slowly. Sit on the edge of the bed for a minute or two before standing. Flex your feet and tense your leg muscles a few times while seated to get blood moving.
When Low Blood Pressure Needs Medical Treatment
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, medications can help. The most commonly prescribed option for orthostatic hypotension works by tightening blood vessels, which raises pressure throughout the body. This type of medication is typically taken before periods of activity rather than around the clock.
Your doctor may also review your current medications. Many common drugs, including those for high blood pressure, heart conditions, depression, and prostate problems, can lower blood pressure as a side effect. Sometimes adjusting the dose or timing of an existing medication is all it takes to resolve the issue.
Low blood pressure becomes a true emergency when it’s accompanied by confusion, cold or clammy skin, rapid shallow breathing, or a weak and rapid pulse. These signs suggest your organs aren’t getting enough blood flow, and they warrant immediate medical attention. A single low reading without symptoms, on the other hand, is generally not cause for alarm. The number matters far less than how you feel.