If your blood pressure consistently reads below 90/60 mmHg and you’re experiencing symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting, there are several practical strategies to bring it up. The most effective approaches combine increased salt and fluid intake with physical techniques and lifestyle adjustments. Here’s what actually works.
Increase Your Salt Intake
Salt is the single most recommended dietary change for raising low blood pressure. Sodium pulls water into your bloodstream, which increases blood volume and pushes pressure higher. Most healthy-eating advice tells people to limit salt, but the opposite applies when your blood pressure runs too low.
Medical guidelines from the American Society of Hypertension suggest that people with orthostatic disorders (conditions where blood pressure drops upon standing) aim for 2,400 to 4,000 mg of sodium per day. For context, the average American already consumes about 3,400 mg daily, so you may only need a modest increase. Some specialists recommend even higher targets of 4,000 to 4,800 mg for people with more severe symptoms. A practical way to get there: add 1,000 to 2,000 mg of sodium to your diet three times a day through salty foods or salt tablets.
In one study of patients who fainted when standing, adding roughly 2,400 mg of supplemental sodium per day for two months improved their ability to tolerate upright positions and enhanced blood flow to the brain. Easy ways to increase sodium include salting your food more liberally, eating broth-based soups, choosing pickles or olives as snacks, and drinking electrolyte beverages.
Drink More Fluids
Your blood is mostly water, so when you’re under-hydrated, your total blood volume drops and your blood pressure follows. Drinking more fluids is one of the simplest ways to counteract this. Most experts recommend 2 to 3 liters of fluid per day for people with chronically low blood pressure, though individual needs vary based on body size, activity level, and climate.
Water works, but combining it with the salt strategies above is more effective because sodium helps your body retain the fluid rather than simply passing it through your kidneys. Electrolyte drinks serve double duty here. Try to spread your fluid intake throughout the day rather than drinking large amounts at once.
Use Compression Garments
Compression stockings and abdominal binders squeeze blood from your lower body back toward your heart and brain, which raises blood pressure in your upper body where it matters most. Dysautonomia specialists typically 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 large portion of blood pools in the thighs and abdomen, not just the calves.
The higher the mmHg rating, the tighter the garment and the greater the effect. If you’ve never worn compression stockings before, starting at 20 to 30 mmHg and working up is more comfortable. Put them on first thing in the morning before you stand up, since blood starts pooling in the legs the moment you’re upright.
Physical Maneuvers That Work Quickly
When you feel a sudden drop in blood pressure (the world starts to gray out, you feel woozy), specific body movements can buy you time by pushing blood back toward your brain. The American Heart Association recommends several of these “counter-pressure maneuvers”:
- Leg crossing with muscle tensing: Cross your legs and tighten your leg, abdominal, and buttock muscles simultaneously. You can do this standing or lying down.
- Squatting: Drop into a squat, which compresses the blood vessels in your legs and forces blood upward. Tense your abdominal muscles while squatting for an added boost. Stand back up once symptoms pass.
- Arm tensing: Grip your hands together, interlocking fingers, and pull your arms in opposite directions as hard as you can. This isometric contraction raises blood pressure temporarily.
- Fist clenching: Squeeze your fist as tightly as possible, with or without an object in your hand.
These maneuvers aren’t long-term solutions, but they’re useful in the moment when you feel symptoms coming on and need to stay on your feet.
Adjust How You Eat
Blood pressure commonly drops after meals because your body diverts blood to the digestive tract. This is called postprandial hypotension, and it’s especially common in older adults. Two dietary shifts help prevent it.
First, eat smaller meals more frequently. Six small meals throughout the day keep your digestive system from demanding a large blood supply all at once, which is what happens after a big meal. Second, reduce the carbohydrate content of your meals. Carbs cause a more pronounced blood pressure drop after eating than protein or fat do. Swapping a large pasta dinner for a smaller portion with added protein and vegetables can make a noticeable difference.
Try Caffeine Strategically
Caffeine causes a short-term spike in blood pressure, typically raising it by 5 to 10 points. This effect is strongest in people who don’t drink caffeine regularly. If you’re a daily coffee drinker, you’ve likely built up a tolerance and won’t see much benefit. But if you use caffeine occasionally and strategically (a cup of coffee before a situation where you know you’ll be standing for a long time, for example), it can provide a temporary boost.
The blood pressure increase from caffeine typically peaks within 30 to 120 minutes after consumption. You can test your own response by checking your blood pressure before and after a caffeinated drink.
Address Possible Nutrient Deficiencies
Low blood pressure sometimes stems from anemia, particularly the type caused by insufficient vitamin B12 or folate. Without enough of these nutrients, your body produces red blood cells that are oversized and inefficient at carrying oxygen. Fewer functional red blood cells means less blood volume and lower pressure. If your low blood pressure is accompanied by fatigue, weakness, or pale skin, a simple blood test can check your B12 and folate levels. Correcting a deficiency through diet or supplements can improve blood pressure over time.
Foods rich in B12 include meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Folate is found in leafy greens, beans, and fortified grains.
When Lifestyle Changes Aren’t Enough
For many people, the combination of increased salt, more fluids, compression garments, and dietary changes is sufficient. But if your blood pressure remains problematically low and you’re still experiencing dizziness, fainting, or difficulty functioning, prescription medications are available. These typically work by either constricting blood vessels or helping your body retain more sodium and fluid. Your provider may start with a low dose and adjust upward based on your response.
It’s also worth noting that many people have blood pressure that reads below 90/60 without any symptoms at all. Low blood pressure only needs treatment when it causes problems. If you feel fine, a low reading on its own isn’t necessarily a concern.