Low blood pressure, generally defined as a reading below 90/60 mmHg, can be raised through a combination of dietary changes, physical techniques, and lifestyle adjustments. A drop of just 20 mmHg in systolic pressure is enough to cause dizziness or fainting, so even small improvements matter. The right approach depends on whether your blood pressure runs low all the time, drops when you stand up, or falls after meals.
Increase Your Salt and Fluid Intake
Salt is one of the most effective tools for raising blood pressure because sodium helps your body hold onto water, which increases blood volume. For people with orthostatic hypotension (the kind where blood pressure drops when you stand), medical guidelines from the American Society of Hypertension recommend 2,400 to 4,000 mg of sodium per day. The Heart Rhythm Society goes higher for certain conditions, recommending 4,000 to 4,800 mg daily. A common clinical approach is adding 1,000 to 2,000 mg of sodium to your diet three times per day, spread across meals and snacks.
For context, the average American already consumes about 3,400 mg of sodium daily. If your blood pressure is chronically low, you may actually need more than the standard “limit your salt” advice that applies to most people. Salted nuts, broth, olives, pickles, and simply salting your food more generously can help. If you have any kidney or heart conditions, though, increasing salt requires medical guidance since it can worsen fluid retention.
Water itself has a surprisingly direct effect on blood pressure. Research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation found that drinking about 480 mL (roughly two cups) of water produced a measurable rise in blood pressure, and in some patients with autonomic dysfunction, the increase was dramatic: systolic pressure jumped by more than 100 mmHg. Aim for 2 to 3 liters of fluid daily, and drink a glass or two of water about 15 minutes before standing or doing activities that trigger symptoms.
Physical Maneuvers That Work Quickly
When you feel lightheaded from a blood pressure drop, certain body positions can push blood back toward your heart and brain within seconds. The American Heart Association recommends several of these counterpressure maneuvers:
- Leg crossing with muscle tensing: Cross your legs and squeeze your thigh, buttock, and abdominal muscles simultaneously. This works while standing or lying down.
- Squatting: Lower yourself into a squat, which compresses the blood vessels in your legs and forces blood upward. Tense your lower body and abdomen while squatting, then stand slowly once symptoms pass.
- Arm tensing: Grip your hands together, interlocking your fingers, and pull your arms in opposite directions as hard as you can.
- Fist clenching: Squeeze your fist at maximum contraction, with or without holding a small object like a ball.
These techniques are especially useful in the moment, such as when you stand up too fast or feel faint in a warm environment. They’re not a long-term fix, but they can prevent a fall or a fainting episode while you work on other strategies.
Adjust How and When You Eat
Blood pressure commonly drops after meals, a condition called postprandial hypotension. After you eat, your body diverts blood to the digestive system. Normally, your heart rate increases and blood vessels elsewhere tighten to compensate. When that compensation fails, blood pressure falls.
Eating six smaller meals instead of three large ones reduces the amount of blood diverted to digestion at any one time. Avoiding large amounts of refined carbohydrates in a single sitting also helps, since carbs tend to cause the largest post-meal blood pressure drops. Drinking water before or during meals can partially offset the effect as well.
Use 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 orthostatic hypotension, thigh-high stockings with a pressure rating of 23 to 32 mmHg are the range studied in clinical settings and shown to be effective. Waist-high compression garments or abdominal binders add further benefit because the abdomen holds a large volume of blood that can pool when you’re upright.
Put them on before getting out of bed in the morning, since that’s when blood pooling is most likely to cause problems. They’re uncomfortable in warm weather, so many people use them selectively on days when symptoms are worse or when they know they’ll be standing for long periods.
Elevate the Head of Your Bed
Sleeping with your head slightly elevated trains your body to better regulate blood pressure when you stand in the morning. The mechanism involves reducing nighttime urine production and helping your body retain more fluid overnight. Studies show that elevating the head of the bed by about 6 to 15 degrees consistently improves standing blood pressure tolerance, with angles of 12 degrees or higher producing the most reliable results. In practical terms, placing 6-inch blocks or risers under the legs at the head of your bed achieves roughly the right angle. Pillows alone don’t work as well because they bend your neck without tilting your whole body.
Medications for Persistent Low Blood Pressure
When lifestyle changes aren’t enough, medications can raise blood pressure more reliably. The most commonly prescribed option works by tightening blood vessels, increasing resistance in the circulatory system and raising both standing and resting blood pressure. It has a short duration of action (about three hours), so it’s typically taken two or three times a day. The last dose should be taken in the early evening to avoid dangerously high blood pressure while lying down at night, which is the most significant side effect.
Another common approach uses a medication that helps your kidneys retain sodium and water, expanding blood volume over time. Your doctor will choose based on what’s driving your low blood pressure: if the problem is blood pooling in your legs, vessel-tightening medications are the priority; if the problem is low blood volume overall, sodium-retaining medications may work better.
Why Blood Pressure Runs Low
Low blood pressure isn’t always a problem. Many people, especially younger women and athletes, have naturally low readings and feel perfectly fine. It only becomes a concern when it causes symptoms like dizziness, fainting, fatigue, blurred vision, or difficulty concentrating.
When symptoms are present, the drop often has a specific trigger. Dehydration is the most common and most fixable cause. Prolonged bed rest, pregnancy, blood loss, and certain medications (particularly blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, and drugs for prostate conditions) also lower blood pressure. Endocrine problems like adrenal insufficiency and thyroid disorders can be underlying causes, as can neurological conditions that affect how your nervous system controls blood vessel tone. If your blood pressure is persistently low enough to cause symptoms, identifying the root cause matters because it changes which treatments will actually help.