If your blood pressure is low and causing symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or fatigue, there are several things you can do right now and over time to bring it up. A reading below 90/60 mmHg is generally considered low, but what matters most is whether you’re feeling the effects. Some people run naturally low without any problems. If you’re symptomatic, the strategies below range from immediate physical techniques to longer-term lifestyle changes.
Quick Physical Maneuvers That Raise Blood Pressure Fast
When you feel a sudden wave of dizziness or lightheadedness, specific muscle-tensing techniques can push blood back toward your heart and brain within seconds. The American Heart Association recommends several of these “counterpressure maneuvers” as first-line responses:
- Cross your legs and squeeze. While standing or lying down, cross your legs and tense your leg, abdominal, and buttock muscles simultaneously.
- Squat down. Lowering into a squat pools less blood in your legs and forces it upward. Tense your lower body and abdomen while squatting, then stand slowly once symptoms pass.
- Pull your arms apart. Grip your hands together, interlocking your fingers, and pull in opposite directions as hard as you can.
- Clench your fist. Make a tight fist and hold the contraction for several seconds. You can squeeze a small ball or similar object.
These aren’t just tricks. They work by compressing blood vessels in your large muscle groups, temporarily increasing the volume of blood returning to your heart and raising your pressure enough to clear symptoms.
How to Stand Up Safely
Many people with low blood pressure feel worst when they go from lying down to standing, a pattern called orthostatic hypotension. The fix is deceptively simple: slow down the transition. Before sitting up in the morning, flex and pump your calf muscles a few times while still lying flat. Then sit on the edge of the bed for a full minute before you stand. When you do stand, pause again before walking.
If dizziness hits while you’re already upright, squeeze your thighs together, tighten your stomach and buttock muscles, march in place, or rise up onto your tiptoes. These movements activate the same muscle-pump effect that pushes blood back to your brain.
Drink More Water, and More Salt
Blood pressure depends partly on blood volume, and blood volume depends on how much fluid and sodium you have in your system. For people with chronically low blood pressure, experts typically recommend drinking 2 to 3 liters of fluid per day. That’s roughly 8 to 12 cups, which is more than many people manage without a deliberate effort. Keeping a water bottle visible and sipping throughout the day helps more than trying to catch up in large amounts.
Salt is the other half of the equation. While most health advice tells people to eat less sodium, the opposite applies when your blood pressure is too low. Guidelines from several cardiology societies suggest people with orthostatic hypotension aim for 2,400 to 4,000 mg of sodium per day, and some experts recommend even higher amounts (up to 4,800 mg) for certain conditions like POTS. For context, the average American already eats about 3,400 mg daily, so the increase may be modest: adding salt to meals, choosing broth-based soups, or eating salted nuts and pickles can close the gap. A practical approach some clinicians recommend is adding 1,000 to 2,000 mg of sodium to each of three daily meals.
One important note: increasing salt intake is only appropriate if your blood pressure is genuinely low. If you have heart disease, kidney problems, or normal-to-high blood pressure, extra sodium can cause harm.
Eat Smaller, Lower-Carb Meals
Some people experience a blood pressure drop specifically after eating, called postprandial hypotension. Large meals high in carbohydrates are the main trigger. Your body diverts blood to the digestive system after eating, and a big carb-heavy meal amplifies this effect.
The fix is straightforward: eat six smaller meals throughout the day instead of three large ones, and keep carbohydrate portions moderate at each sitting. Pairing carbs with protein or fat slows digestion and reduces the post-meal blood pressure dip. If you notice you feel dizzy or weak after meals specifically, this pattern is worth paying attention to.
Compression Stockings
Gravity pulls blood into your legs when you stand, and for people with low blood pressure, the body doesn’t always compensate well. Compression stockings counteract this by squeezing the veins in your legs and pushing blood back toward your heart. Most experts in autonomic disorders recommend waist-high stockings rated at 20 to 30 mmHg or 30 to 40 mmHg of pressure. Knee-high stockings are easier to put on but less effective because blood can still pool in your thighs. The higher the compression rating, the tighter the fit and the more benefit, but also the harder they are to wear comfortably, especially in warm weather.
Check Your Medications
Several common medication classes can lower blood pressure as a side effect, sometimes enough to cause symptoms. The drugs most strongly linked to blood pressure drops on standing include alpha blockers, beta blockers, certain antidepressants (particularly older tricyclic types), nitrates, and antipsychotics. Diuretics, especially the stronger “loop” type, are also a frequent contributor because they reduce fluid volume.
If you started a new medication recently and began feeling lightheaded, that timing matters. Don’t stop any prescription on your own, but it’s worth flagging the connection to your prescriber. Sometimes a dose adjustment, a switch to a different drug in the same class, or changing the time of day you take the medication resolves the problem entirely.
When Lifestyle Changes Aren’t Enough
For people whose low blood pressure persists despite hydration, salt, compression, and careful movement, prescription medications are an option. One approach uses a drug that tightens blood vessels, directly raising pressure. Another uses a medication that helps your body retain more sodium and water, expanding blood volume. Both require monitoring because they can overshoot and push blood pressure too high, particularly when you’re lying down.
These medications are typically reserved for people with a diagnosed autonomic condition or persistent orthostatic hypotension that interferes with daily life. The goal isn’t to hit a specific number on the monitor but to reduce symptoms enough that you can function normally.
Signs That Need Emergency Attention
Most low blood pressure is uncomfortable but not dangerous. However, an extreme drop can lead to shock, which is a medical emergency. Call 911 if you or someone else develops confusion (especially in older adults), cold and clammy skin, noticeably pale skin, rapid and shallow breathing, or a weak and rapid pulse. These symptoms suggest the body’s organs aren’t getting enough blood flow, and that situation requires immediate treatment.