You can raise low blood pressure through a combination of dietary changes, physical techniques, and lifestyle adjustments. The most effective immediate strategies are increasing your salt and fluid intake, wearing compression garments, and using simple muscle-tensing movements when you feel lightheaded. A drop of just 20 mmHg, say from 110 to 90 systolic, can cause dizziness or fainting, so even modest improvements matter.
Increase Salt and Fluid Intake
Salt is the single most recommended dietary change for people with chronically low blood pressure. Sodium pulls water into your bloodstream, which increases blood volume and raises pressure against your artery walls. For people with orthostatic disorders (conditions where blood pressure drops upon standing), medical guidelines from the American Society of Hypertension recommend 2,400 to 4,000 mg of sodium per day. Some specialists push that range even higher, up to 4,800 mg daily for certain conditions like POTS, a disorder where your heart rate spikes and blood pressure drops when you stand up.
For context, the average American already consumes about 3,400 mg of sodium daily. If your levels are low, a common approach is adding 1,000 to 2,000 mg of sodium to your existing diet, spread across three meals. Practical ways to do this include salting your food more liberally, drinking broth, eating olives or pickles, or using electrolyte drinks. Pair the extra salt with plenty of water. Increasing salt without increasing fluids won’t expand your blood volume the way you need it to.
Use Physical Counterpressure Techniques
When you feel a dizzy spell coming on, simple muscle-tensing movements can buy your body time by squeezing blood from your legs and core back toward your heart and brain. These work within seconds and require no equipment.
- Leg crossing: Cross one leg over the other and squeeze the muscles in your legs, abdomen, and buttocks. Hold until symptoms pass.
- Arm tensing: Grip one hand with the other and pull them against each other without letting go. Hold as long as you can or until the dizziness fades.
- Handgrip: Squeeze a rubber ball (or any firm object) in your dominant hand for as long as possible or until symptoms disappear.
These techniques are especially useful in situations where you can’t sit or lie down right away, like standing in line or getting out of bed in the morning.
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. Most specialists 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 they don’t compress the large veins in your thighs and abdomen where blood tends to collect.
The higher the mmHg rating, the tighter the garment. If you’ve never worn compression stockings before, starting at 20 to 30 mmHg is more comfortable while still providing meaningful support. Put them on before getting out of bed in the morning, since that’s when blood pooling is most likely to cause problems.
Adjust How and When You Eat
Blood pressure naturally dips after meals because your body diverts blood flow to your digestive system. This is called postprandial hypotension, and it’s particularly common in older adults. Large, carbohydrate-heavy meals cause the biggest drops.
Two changes help: eat six smaller meals throughout the day instead of three large ones, and keep carbohydrates low at each sitting. White bread, pasta, rice, and sugary foods trigger the largest post-meal blood pressure drops. Replacing some of those carbs with protein, fat, or fiber slows digestion and blunts the effect. If you notice you feel worst after lunch or dinner, pay attention to what you ate. The pattern is often carbohydrate-related.
Other Lifestyle Changes That Help
Sleeping with the head of your bed elevated a few inches (using bed risers, not extra pillows) trains your body to retain more sodium overnight, which raises morning blood pressure. This is especially helpful if you feel worst when you first wake up.
Standing up slowly matters more than most people realize. Sit at the edge of the bed for 30 seconds before standing. When getting up from a chair, pause and let your body adjust. Avoid standing still for long periods. If you have to, shift your weight, rise on your toes, or flex your calf muscles to keep blood moving upward.
Caffeine can provide a short-term blood pressure boost. A cup of coffee before meals or before activities that require standing may reduce symptoms for some people. Avoid alcohol, which dilates blood vessels and lowers pressure further.
When Medication May Be Needed
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, several prescription medications can raise blood pressure. One common option works by tightening blood vessels directly, taken three times a day and timed so the last dose comes well before bedtime to avoid raising pressure too high while you sleep. Another works by helping your kidneys hold onto sodium, gradually increasing blood volume over days to weeks. Your doctor would choose based on the specific pattern of your low blood pressure, whether it drops mainly when standing, after meals, or throughout the day.
Signs of a Blood Pressure Emergency
Most low blood pressure is more of a nuisance than a danger, but sudden, severe drops can become life-threatening. Call emergency services if you or someone near you shows signs of shock: confusion (especially in older adults), cold and clammy skin, noticeably pale skin, rapid shallow breathing, or a weak and rapid pulse. Large, sudden drops in blood pressure can result from serious bleeding, severe infections, or allergic reactions, and these situations require immediate medical attention.