Low blood pressure, or hypotension, doesn’t always need treatment. If your readings run low but you feel fine, there’s usually nothing to worry about. But if low blood pressure is causing dizziness, fainting, fatigue, or blurred vision, there are concrete steps you can take to bring your numbers up and feel better. The key is a combination of simple daily habits, dietary changes, and knowing when something more serious might be going on.
What Counts as Low Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is considered low when it drops enough to cause symptoms, though a general threshold is a reading below 90/60 mmHg. A specific and common form, called orthostatic hypotension, is defined as a drop of 20 mmHg or more in systolic pressure (the top number) or 10 mmHg or more in diastolic pressure (the bottom number) within three minutes of standing up. If you already have high blood pressure while lying down, the threshold is a systolic drop of 30 mmHg or more.
The numbers matter less than how you feel. Some people walk around at 85/55 with no issues. Others get lightheaded, nauseous, or faint at 95/60. Your symptoms are the real guide.
What to Do Right Now if You Feel Dizzy
If you’re standing and start to feel lightheaded or faint, don’t try to tough it out. Cross your thighs like a pair of scissors and squeeze them together. Or place one foot up on a chair or ledge and lean forward as far as you can. Both of these moves push blood from your legs back toward your heart and brain, and they can work within seconds.
If you can, sit or lie down. Once you’re lying flat, your blood pressure will typically stabilize quickly. When you’re ready to get up again, do it slowly: sit on the edge of the bed or chair for 30 seconds, then stand gradually. Jumping straight from lying down to standing is one of the most common triggers for a sudden drop.
Drink More Fluids
Dehydration is one of the simplest and most overlooked causes of low blood pressure. When you don’t drink enough, your blood volume drops, and there simply isn’t enough fluid in your circulatory system to maintain normal pressure. As one Cleveland Clinic cardiologist puts it, “you’re just not filling up the pipes enough for what your vascular system needs.”
General fluid guidelines suggest about 125 ounces (3.7 liters) per day for men and 91 ounces (2.7 liters) for women, including fluids from food. If you’re dealing with chronic low blood pressure, aiming for the higher end of that range, or beyond it, is reasonable. Drinking a full glass of water 15 to 30 minutes before standing up in the morning can make a noticeable difference.
Increase Your Salt Intake
This is the opposite advice most people hear about blood pressure, but for hypotension, salt helps. Sodium pulls water into your bloodstream and increases blood volume, which raises pressure. For people with orthostatic hypotension specifically, medical guidelines from multiple cardiology societies recommend significantly higher sodium intake than the general population typically consumes.
The American Society of Hypertension suggests 2,400 to 4,000 mg of sodium per day for people with orthostatic hypotension. Some guidelines go even higher: the Heart Rhythm Society recommends 4,000 to 4,800 mg of sodium daily for people with conditions like POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). For context, the standard recommendation for healthy adults is under 2,300 mg. Practical ways to increase your intake include salting your food more liberally, snacking on salted nuts or pretzels, and drinking broth or electrolyte beverages. If you have kidney disease or heart failure, talk with your doctor before increasing salt, since those conditions change the equation.
Eat Smaller, Lower-Carb Meals
Blood pressure often drops after eating, a condition called postprandial hypotension. Your body diverts blood to your digestive system after a meal, which can leave less available for the rest of your circulation. Large meals with lots of carbohydrates tend to cause the biggest drops.
Switching from three big meals to six smaller ones throughout the day helps keep blood pressure more stable. Reducing the carbohydrate content of each meal also makes a difference, since carbs trigger a stronger digestive blood flow response than protein or fat. If you notice you feel worst after meals, this is one of the most effective changes you can make.
Use Compression Garments
Compression stockings work by squeezing blood out of your legs and back toward your heart, preventing it from pooling in your lower body when you stand. For hypotension, most experts recommend waist-high stockings rated at 20 to 30 mmHg or 30 to 40 mmHg of pressure. Knee-high stockings are easier to put on but less effective because much of the blood pooling happens in the thighs and abdomen.
These garments work best when you put them on first thing in the morning, before you’ve been upright long enough for blood to pool. They’re especially useful if you’re on your feet for long periods or standing in hot environments, both of which worsen low blood pressure.
Check Your Medications
Several common drug classes can lower blood pressure as a side effect. The most frequent culprits include blood pressure medications themselves (ACE inhibitors, calcium-channel blockers, and beta-blockers), certain antidepressants (SSRIs), and medications used for prostate symptoms (alpha-blockers). Diuretics, sometimes called water pills, can also lower blood pressure by reducing blood volume.
If you started a new medication around the time your symptoms began, or if you’re on multiple medications from this list, the combination could be driving your blood pressure down. Don’t stop any medication on your own, but bring this up with your prescriber. A dose adjustment or timing change can sometimes resolve the problem entirely.
Rule Out Underlying Conditions
Persistent low blood pressure sometimes signals an underlying health issue that needs its own treatment. Heart conditions, including heart valve problems and an unusually slow heart rate, can reduce the amount of blood your heart pumps with each beat. Hormonal disorders, particularly adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s disease) and thyroid problems, affect how your body regulates blood pressure. Diabetes can damage the nerves that control blood vessel constriction, leading to drops when you stand.
Nutritional deficiencies are another common and very fixable cause. Low levels of vitamin B-12, folate, or iron prevent your body from making enough red blood cells, leading to anemia. Anemia reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood and can lower blood pressure. A simple blood test can identify these deficiencies, and supplementation typically improves symptoms within weeks.
Daily Habits That Help
Beyond the bigger interventions, a few daily habits can add up. Avoid standing still in one position for long periods. If you have to stand, shift your weight, rise on your toes, or flex your calf muscles to keep blood moving. Avoid hot showers and baths, which dilate blood vessels and pull blood pressure down. Sleeping with the head of your bed elevated a few inches (using blocks under the bed legs, not extra pillows) can help your body adjust to position changes more smoothly over time.
Alcohol worsens low blood pressure by dilating blood vessels and promoting dehydration. Even moderate drinking can trigger symptoms in people already prone to hypotension. Caffeine, on the other hand, can provide a short-term boost, though the effect varies and tends to diminish with regular use.
When Low Blood Pressure Is an Emergency
Most low blood pressure is manageable at home, but certain symptoms indicate something more dangerous. Confusion, cold or clammy skin, rapid shallow breathing, a weak and fast pulse, or fainting that doesn’t quickly resolve can be signs of shock, a life-threatening condition where your organs aren’t getting enough blood. Severe drops in blood pressure can result from significant blood loss, serious infections, severe allergic reactions, or a heart attack. These situations require emergency medical care immediately.