If your blood pressure regularly falls below 90/60 mmHg and causes symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, or fainting, there are several proven ways to bring it up. Low blood pressure (hypotension) isn’t always a problem on its own, but when it leaves you lightheaded every time you stand up or drains your energy throughout the day, targeted changes to your diet, fluid intake, and daily habits can make a real difference.
Increase Your Salt and Fluid Intake
Salt is the single most effective dietary tool for raising blood pressure. Sodium pulls water into your bloodstream, which increases blood volume and pushes pressure higher. For people with orthostatic disorders (where blood pressure drops upon standing), the American Society of Hypertension recommends 2,400 to 4,000 mg of sodium per day, while the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Heart Rhythm Society suggest aiming for 4,000 to 4,800 mg daily. For context, the average American already consumes around 3,400 mg, so you may only need to add 1,000 to 2,000 mg on top of what you’re already eating.
Practical ways to increase sodium include salting your food more generously, eating broth-based soups, snacking on salted nuts or pretzels, and adding pickles or olives to meals. Some people find salt tablets more convenient, especially if they don’t enjoy salty food. One study found that adding roughly 2,400 mg of supplemental sodium per day for two months improved standing tolerance and blood vessel function in people who were prone to fainting.
Fluids matter just as much. When you’re dehydrated, blood volume drops and pressure falls with it. General guidelines recommend 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 be at the higher end of that range or above. Water is fine, but drinks with electrolytes can help you retain more of the fluid you take in.
Use Physical Counter-Maneuvers
When you feel your blood pressure dropping, especially after standing up, specific muscle-tensing movements can push blood back toward your heart and brain within seconds. These work by squeezing the veins in your legs and abdomen, reducing the amount of blood that pools in your lower body.
The most effective maneuvers include:
- Leg crossing: Cross your legs at the ankles or thighs while standing and squeeze. Research shows this is one of the most reliable counter-maneuvers, and it continues to work better over time as you practice it.
- Squatting: Drop into a squat if you feel faint. This compresses the veins in your legs and raises pressure quickly.
- Toe raising: Rise up onto your toes repeatedly to activate your calf muscles, which act as a pump for venous blood.
- Thigh contraction: Tense your thigh muscles hard while standing or sitting.
- Bending at the waist: Lean forward as though tying your shoes to compress your abdominal veins.
These aren’t just emergency fixes. Practicing them regularly trains your body to respond more effectively, and some maneuvers like leg crossing show continued improvement even after you stop actively training them.
Wear Compression Garments
Compression stockings and abdominal binders prevent blood from pooling in your legs and belly when you stand. Most experts in autonomic disorders recommend waist-high compression stockings rated at 20 to 30 mmHg or 30 to 40 mmHg. Knee-high stockings are easier to put on but less effective because a significant amount of blood pools in the abdomen, not just the calves. Waist-high options address both areas.
The higher the pressure rating, the more support you get, but also the harder they are to pull on. If you’ve never worn compression garments before, starting at 20 to 30 mmHg and working up is reasonable. 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 the digestive system. This post-meal drop can be significant enough to cause dizziness or fainting, especially in older adults. A few simple changes to your eating pattern can blunt this effect:
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Six small meals spread throughout the day cause less blood flow diversion than three large ones.
- Cut back on carbohydrates at each sitting. Carb-heavy meals trigger a bigger digestive response and a steeper blood pressure drop.
- Drink 12 to 16 ounces of water before eating. This temporarily boosts blood volume right when you need it most.
- Have caffeine with breakfast or lunch. Caffeine constricts blood vessels and can offset post-meal drops. Skip it later in the day to protect your sleep.
Elevate the Head of Your Bed
Sleeping with your head slightly raised, about 10 degrees or roughly 9 inches of elevation at the head of the bed, helps your body retain more fluid overnight. When you sleep completely flat, your kidneys sense higher pressure and flush out extra sodium and water. By morning, you’ve lost blood volume, which is why many people with low blood pressure feel worst first thing in the morning. Propping up the head of the bed (not just using extra pillows, which bend your neck without tilting your whole body) reduces this overnight fluid loss and can make standing up in the morning much easier.
Avoid Common Triggers
Several everyday situations can push already-low blood pressure even lower. Hot showers and baths dilate blood vessels and drop pressure, sometimes dramatically. If you notice dizziness in the shower, turning down the water temperature and keeping sessions short helps. Hot tubs and saunas carry the same risk.
Alcohol relaxes blood vessel walls, which lowers pressure. Even one or two drinks can be enough to trigger symptoms if you’re already prone to hypotension. Prolonged standing without movement allows blood to pool in your legs, so shifting your weight, flexing your calves, or walking in place during long waits makes a difference. Standing up quickly after sitting or lying down is another common trigger. Rise in stages: sit on the edge of the bed for 30 seconds before standing, and pause before walking.
When Lifestyle Changes Aren’t Enough
If dietary and behavioral strategies don’t bring adequate relief, medications can help. The two most commonly prescribed options work in different ways. One type raises blood pressure by tightening blood vessels, increasing resistance to blood flow. It works relatively quickly but wears off in about three hours, so it’s typically taken multiple times per day and timed around periods when you’ll be upright and active. The other type works as a volume expander, helping your kidneys hold onto sodium and water so your blood volume stays higher around the clock.
Both carry tradeoffs. Medications that constrict blood vessels can raise pressure too much when you’re lying down, which is why they’re usually not taken close to bedtime. Volume expanders can cause swelling or shift your electrolyte balance over time. Your doctor will choose based on what’s driving your low blood pressure and how your body responds.