Low blood pressure, generally defined as a reading below 90/60 mmHg, only needs attention if it’s causing symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, or fainting. If your numbers run low but you feel fine, you likely don’t need to do anything. But if low blood pressure is making you lightheaded or unsteady, several practical strategies can help bring your numbers up.
A sudden drop of just 20 mmHg in systolic pressure (the top number) can be enough to make you dizzy or faint. So even modest improvements matter.
Increase Your Salt Intake
Sodium is one of the most effective tools for raising blood pressure, which is exactly why people with high blood pressure are told to avoid it. For people with low blood pressure or conditions like orthostatic hypotension (feeling faint when you stand up) and POTS, doctors routinely recommend significantly more salt than the average diet provides.
The typical American consumes about 3,400 mg of sodium per day. Standard health guidelines suggest staying under 2,300 mg. But for people with orthostatic disorders, medical recommendations flip that advice entirely. The American Society of Hypertension suggests 2,400 to 4,000 mg of sodium daily for these patients, and some guidelines go as high as 4,000 to 8,000 mg. A common clinical approach is adding 1,000 to 2,000 mg of sodium to each of your three daily meals.
Practical ways to increase sodium include salting your food more liberally, eating broth-based soups, choosing pickled or cured foods, and keeping salty snacks like pretzels or olives on hand. Some people use salt tablets for convenience. If you have any kidney or heart conditions, talk with your doctor before ramping up sodium, since high salt intake carries risks for those populations.
Drink More Water, and Drink It Quickly
Water raises blood pressure through a surprisingly direct mechanism. Research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation found that drinking about 480 mL (roughly 16 ounces, or two cups) of water rapidly activates the sympathetic nervous system, the same system responsible for your “fight or flight” response. This triggers blood vessels to tighten, which pushes pressure up. Drinking that amount produced a stronger effect than drinking half as much.
Interestingly, this isn’t about expanding blood volume. The study found that plasma volume didn’t actually change after drinking water. Instead, the effect comes from a nerve-driven reflex that increases blood vessel tone. For the best results, drink the water quickly rather than sipping it over an hour. Many clinicians recommend 2 to 3 liters of fluid daily for people managing chronic low blood pressure, with a glass of water before standing up or before meals.
Eat Smaller, Lower-Carb Meals
Blood pressure commonly drops after eating, a condition called postprandial hypotension. Large meals are a bigger trigger than small ones, and carbohydrate-heavy meals are the worst offenders. When you eat a big plate of pasta or rice, your body diverts blood to your digestive system, pulling it away from your brain and extremities.
Switching from three large meals to six smaller ones throughout the day helps keep blood pressure more stable. Reducing the carbohydrate content of each meal, and replacing some of those carbs with protein or healthy fats, further reduces the post-meal dip. If you notice you feel particularly woozy after lunch or dinner, this is one of the first things worth changing.
Use Physical Counter-Maneuvers
When you feel lightheaded, especially after standing up, certain body positions can quickly squeeze blood back toward your heart and brain. These are simple muscle-tensing techniques you can do anywhere:
- 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 dizziness fades.
- Hand grip: Squeeze a rubber ball (or any firm object) in your dominant hand for as long as possible.
These work by compressing veins in your limbs and core, forcing pooled blood back into circulation. They’re especially useful as an immediate response when you feel a dizzy spell coming on. A study in the journal Neurology found that standing cross-legged was among the effective nonpharmacologic interventions for orthostatic hypotension in older adults.
Consider Compression Garments
Compression stockings and abdominal binders work on the same principle as the physical maneuvers: they prevent blood from pooling in your lower body. However, the evidence is mixed on how well they work in practice. A clinical trial found that thigh-high compression stockings rated at 23 to 32 mmHg of pressure raised standing systolic blood pressure by only about 6 mmHg, with a response rate of around 32%.
Abdominal compression belts tend to perform better than leg stockings alone. If you try compression garments, waist-high or abdominal options are generally more effective than knee-high stockings. The key limitation is comfort and compliance. Compression garments can be hot, difficult to put on, and uncomfortable enough that many people stop using them.
Limit Alcohol and Use Caffeine Strategically
Alcohol dilates blood vessels and can worsen low blood pressure, especially in the hours after drinking. Even moderate amounts can trigger a noticeable drop. If you’re already prone to hypotension, reducing or eliminating alcohol is one of the simplest changes you can make.
Caffeine works in the opposite direction. It temporarily raises blood pressure by constricting blood vessels and stimulating the nervous system. A cup of coffee or tea before situations that tend to trigger your symptoms (like standing for a long time or eating a large meal) can provide a buffer. The effect is temporary, lasting a few hours, and people who drink caffeine regularly may develop some tolerance. Still, for many people with low blood pressure, a morning coffee serves a genuinely functional role beyond just waking up.
Adjust How You Move and Sleep
Simple changes to how you move through your day can reduce blood pressure drops. Stand up slowly rather than jumping out of a chair or bed. When you wake up in the morning, sit on the edge of the bed for 30 seconds before standing. Flexing your calves a few times while still seated helps pump blood upward before you’re on your feet.
Elevating the head of your bed by 10 to 20 degrees (using a wedge or bed risers, not just extra pillows) can help your body retain more fluid overnight and reduce morning dizziness. Sleeping completely flat allows your kidneys to flush more fluid during the night, which can leave you starting the day with lower blood volume.
When Medication May Help
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, prescription medications can raise blood pressure more reliably. The most commonly prescribed option works by stimulating nerve endings in blood vessels, causing them to tighten and directly increasing pressure. It’s typically taken three times during daytime hours, with the last dose in late afternoon to avoid raising blood pressure too high while lying down at night.
Another common approach uses a medication that helps your body retain sodium and water, which expands blood volume. Both options require monitoring, since the goal is to raise your pressure enough to relieve symptoms without pushing it too high. Medication is usually reserved for people whose symptoms significantly affect daily life and haven’t responded to the strategies above.