Blood pressure below 90/60 mmHg is considered low, and if yours regularly dips into that range, several lifestyle changes can bring it up. Some people with low blood pressure feel perfectly fine, but others deal with dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, or fainting. The strategies below work for chronic low blood pressure; a sudden, severe drop with confusion or loss of consciousness is a medical emergency.
Increase Your Salt Intake
Sodium is one of the most effective tools for raising blood pressure because it helps your body hold onto fluid, which increases blood volume. For most people, salt is something to limit. But if you have low blood pressure, especially the kind triggered by standing up (orthostatic hypotension), medical guidelines actually recommend eating more of it.
The American Society of Hypertension suggests 2,400 to 4,000 mg of sodium per day for people with orthostatic disorders. The Canadian Cardiovascular Society recommends about 4,000 mg daily. For comparison, the general population guideline is under 2,300 mg. Some specialists recommend even higher intakes, up to 8,000 mg of sodium per day, for people with more severe drops. A practical approach is adding 1,000 to 2,000 mg of sodium to each of your three daily meals through salty foods, broth, or salt tablets.
Good sources include pickles, olives, canned soups, soy sauce, cheese, and salted nuts. If plain table salt is easier, half a teaspoon contains roughly 1,150 mg of sodium.
Drink More Water
Water raises blood pressure through a surprisingly direct mechanism. Drinking about 16 ounces (480 mL) rapidly triggers a spike in sympathetic nervous system activity, essentially telling your blood vessels to tighten. Research published in the journal Circulation found that water raises levels of norepinephrine (a hormone that constricts blood vessels) as much as caffeine or nicotine does. Drinking 16 ounces produced a noticeably stronger blood pressure response than drinking 8 ounces.
Aim for at least 8 to 10 cups of fluid per day, and drink a full glass of water before standing up in the morning or before any situation where you tend to feel dizzy. Pairing higher water intake with increased salt intake is especially effective, since the salt helps your body retain that extra fluid rather than simply passing it through your kidneys.
Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals
After a large meal, your body redirects blood flow to your digestive system. Normally, your heart rate speeds up and blood vessels elsewhere tighten to compensate. But in some people, that compensation fails, and blood pressure drops noticeably after eating. This is called postprandial hypotension, and it’s particularly common in older adults.
Switching from three large meals to six smaller ones throughout the day reduces the amount of blood your gut demands at any one time. Keeping portions moderate and avoiding heavy, carbohydrate-rich meals can prevent those post-meal dips.
Use Compression Stockings
Compression stockings apply steady, gentle pressure to your lower legs, preventing blood from pooling in your veins when you stand. This keeps more blood circulating back to your heart and brain. They typically raise systolic blood pressure by about 5 to 10 mmHg, which can be enough to eliminate symptoms for people with mild hypotension.
Waist-high compression garments tend to work better than knee-high ones because they also prevent pooling in your thighs and abdomen. Put them on before you get out of bed in the morning for the best effect, since that’s when blood pressure tends to be lowest.
Try Caffeine Strategically
A cup of coffee or tea can raise blood pressure by roughly 5 to 10 points, and the effect kicks in within 30 minutes to two hours. This makes caffeine useful as a short-term boost before situations where you know your blood pressure tends to drop, like after meals or before prolonged standing.
The catch is that regular caffeine drinkers build tolerance, so the blood pressure effect weakens over time. If you already drink coffee daily, you’re less likely to see a meaningful bump. Occasional, targeted use tends to be more effective than constant consumption.
Check for Nutritional Deficiencies
Low blood pressure sometimes stems from anemia caused by a lack of vitamin B12 or folate. Without enough of these nutrients, your body produces red blood cells that are too large and don’t carry oxygen efficiently. The result is fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath, symptoms that overlap heavily with low blood pressure and can make it worse.
B12 deficiency is common in vegetarians and vegans, older adults, and people with digestive conditions that impair nutrient absorption. A simple blood test can identify deficiencies, and supplementation or dietary changes (more meat, eggs, fortified cereals, or leafy greens) can resolve the problem over a few weeks to months.
Positional Habits That Help
Small changes in how you move can prevent blood pressure from dropping at the worst moments. Stand up slowly rather than jumping out of a chair or bed. Before standing, try tensing your leg muscles or crossing your legs and squeezing, both of which push blood back toward your heart. Elevating the head of your bed by a few inches (using blocks under the legs, not extra pillows) can train your body to better regulate blood pressure when you go upright in the morning.
Avoid standing still for long periods. If you have to, shift your weight, rock on your heels, or march in place. Motionless standing is one of the fastest ways to trigger blood pooling and a pressure drop.
When Lifestyle Changes Aren’t Enough
If dietary salt, fluids, compression, and habit changes don’t control your symptoms, prescription medications are available. The two most commonly used are a blood vessel constrictor taken three times daily and a synthetic hormone that helps your kidneys retain sodium, increasing blood volume. Both can raise blood pressure meaningfully, though they come with side effects that need monitoring. Your doctor will typically want you to try lifestyle measures first and may test for underlying causes, such as heart conditions, endocrine disorders, or medication side effects, before prescribing anything new.
Low blood pressure caused by a medication you’re already taking (certain blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, or prostate medications are common culprits) can sometimes be resolved by adjusting the dose or switching to an alternative.