If your blood pressure regularly reads below 90/60 mmHg and causes symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, or fainting, there are several proven strategies to bring it up and keep it stable. Low blood pressure (hypotension) becomes a problem when it starves your organs of adequate blood flow, and even a drop of 20 mmHg from your normal reading can make you lightheaded or faint. The fixes range from simple daily habits to medical treatments, depending on how severe your symptoms are.
Drink More Fluids Than You Think You Need
Dehydration is one of the most common and fixable causes of low blood pressure. When your blood volume drops, there simply isn’t enough fluid in your circulatory system to maintain adequate pressure. General guidelines suggest about 3.7 liters (125 ounces) of fluid per day for men and 2.7 liters (91 ounces) for women, though people with chronic low blood pressure often need to aim for the higher end of that range or beyond.
Timing matters too. If your blood pressure tends to dip after meals, drinking 12 to 16 ounces of water before eating can blunt that drop. Water on its own triggers a temporary tightening of blood vessels that nudges pressure upward, so sipping consistently throughout the day is more effective than drinking large amounts at once.
Increase Your Salt Intake
This is the opposite of what most people hear about blood pressure, but for people with hypotension, salt is a tool. Sodium pulls water into your bloodstream, expanding blood volume and raising pressure. Medical guidelines for people with orthostatic hypotension (the kind that hits when you stand up) recommend anywhere from 2,400 to 4,000 mg of sodium per day, and some specialists push that to 4,000 to 4,800 mg for conditions like POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome).
For context, the average American already consumes about 3,400 mg of sodium daily. If your levels are low, practical ways to add more include salting food liberally, eating broth-based soups, snacking on salted nuts or pretzels, or using electrolyte drinks. Some people add 1,000 to 2,000 mg of supplemental sodium with each meal. Talk to your provider about a target that makes sense for your situation, especially if you have kidney or heart issues.
Use Physical Counter-Pressure Maneuvers
These are quick, in-the-moment techniques that squeeze blood from your legs and abdomen back toward your heart, temporarily boosting pressure when you feel a dip coming on. The American Heart Association recommends several:
- Leg crossing with muscle tensing: Cross your legs and tighten your thigh, buttock, and abdominal muscles while standing or lying down.
- Squatting: Lower yourself into a squat, tense your lower body and core, then stand slowly once symptoms pass.
- Isometric hand grip: Grip your opposite hand’s fingers and pull your arms apart with maximum force, or clench your fist as tightly as possible around a small object.
These work within seconds and can prevent a faint. They’re especially useful in situations where you can’t sit down immediately, like standing in line or getting out of bed.
Wear Compression Garments
Compression stockings and abdominal binders prevent blood from pooling in your legs and belly, which is the main reason blood pressure drops when you stand. For hypotension management, start with stockings rated at 20 to 30 mmHg of pressure. If that feels insufficient, 30 to 40 mmHg provides stronger support but can be hard to put on, particularly if you have flexible joints. If 20 to 30 mmHg feels too tight, 15 to 20 mmHg still offers some benefit.
Waist-high stockings work better than knee-high ones because they compress a larger volume of tissue. An abdominal compression binder worn under clothing adds even more effect. The key is wearing them before you get up in the morning, since that’s when pooling starts.
Adjust How and What You Eat
Large meals pull blood toward your digestive system, which can cause a noticeable pressure drop afterward, a condition called postprandial hypotension. Eating six smaller meals instead of three large ones distributes that demand more evenly throughout the day. Keeping those meals low in carbohydrates helps further, since carbs trigger a stronger blood-flow shift to the gut than protein or fat does.
Alcohol also lowers blood pressure and worsens dehydration, so minimizing it or avoiding it entirely makes a real difference if you’re already prone to dips. Caffeine can temporarily raise blood pressure for some people, though its effect varies and tolerance builds quickly.
Change Positions Slowly
If your main problem is dizziness when standing, the simplest intervention is giving your body time to adjust. Sit on the edge of your bed for 30 seconds before standing. When getting up from a chair, pause in a half-standing position. Avoid standing motionless for long periods. Flexing your calf muscles while standing (like doing small heel raises) keeps blood moving upward. Elevating the head of your bed by a few inches can also help your body adapt to position changes overnight.
Medications for Chronic Low Blood Pressure
When lifestyle changes aren’t enough, two main categories of medication can help. One type works by helping your kidneys retain sodium and water, expanding your blood volume and sensitizing your blood vessels so they constrict more effectively. This approach starts at a low dose and sometimes requires increasing dietary salt alongside it. The other type directly tightens blood vessels to raise pressure.
Both require monitoring because they can overshoot, raising blood pressure too high when you’re lying down. Your provider will likely try lifestyle strategies first and add medication only if symptoms persist or significantly affect your daily functioning. For blood pressure drops specifically triggered by high-carb meals, a medication that slows carbohydrate absorption is sometimes prescribed to take only with those meals.
Warning Signs of Dangerously Low Pressure
Most chronic low blood pressure is more annoying than dangerous, but a sudden or severe drop can signal something serious. Confusion, cold or clammy skin, rapid shallow breathing, blurred vision, or a weak and rapid pulse alongside very low readings suggest your organs aren’t getting enough blood. Fainting and being unable to recover quickly, or losing consciousness repeatedly, also warrants immediate medical attention. A blood pressure drop tied to an injury, infection, allergic reaction, or significant bleeding is always an emergency.