If your blood pressure consistently reads below 90/60 mmHg and you’re dealing with dizziness, fatigue, or fainting, there are several practical steps that can bring your numbers up. Some work within minutes, others take days or weeks of consistent habit changes. The right approach depends on whether you need a quick fix for lightheadedness or a longer-term strategy for chronic low blood pressure.
Drink More Water, Especially Quickly
Increasing your fluid intake is one of the simplest and most immediate ways to raise blood pressure. Water expands your blood volume, which pushes more firmly against your artery walls. But the speed at which you drink matters. Research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation found that drinking about 16 ounces (480 mL) of water raised seated blood pressure by 11 mmHg in older adults within 30 minutes. In people with disorders of their autonomic nervous system, the same amount raised pressure by 43 mmHg. Drinking 8 ounces produced a smaller effect.
If you tend to feel faint when standing or after meals, drinking a full glass of water 15 to 30 minutes beforehand can help buffer the drop. Throughout the day, aim to stay consistently hydrated rather than catching up all at once.
Increase Your Salt Intake
Salt causes your body to retain water, which increases blood volume and raises blood pressure. This is the opposite of the advice given to people with high blood pressure, and that’s exactly the point. For people with low blood pressure, a daily intake of at least 6 grams of salt (about 1 teaspoon) is a common recommendation. You can get there by salting your food more liberally, eating broth-based soups, or snacking on salted nuts and olives.
If you’ve been eating a low-sodium diet, this shift alone can make a noticeable difference within a few days. Just keep in mind that more isn’t always better. Increasing salt should be a deliberate strategy, not a free pass to eat processed food without limits.
Use Caffeine Strategically
A cup of coffee or tea can raise your blood pressure by up to 10 mmHg. The effect kicks in within about 30 minutes, peaks around an hour, then gradually fades. This makes caffeine a useful tool when you need a short-term boost, like first thing in the morning or before a period of standing. It’s less helpful as a long-term fix because regular caffeine users develop some tolerance to the effect.
If you notice your blood pressure drops predictably at certain times of day, timing a caffeinated drink 30 minutes beforehand can take the edge off.
Wear Compression Stockings
Compression stockings gently squeeze your lower legs, preventing blood from pooling there and pushing it back toward your heart. This raises blood pressure by about 5 to 10 mmHg, according to Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Luke Laffin. That’s a modest bump, but for someone whose pressure sits just below the threshold for symptoms, it can be the difference between feeling steady and feeling lightheaded.
Knee-high stockings work for most people. Put them on first thing in the morning before you stand up, since that’s when blood pooling is most likely to cause problems. Waist-high versions or abdominal binders offer additional support for people with more severe drops.
Try Physical Counter-Pressure Maneuvers
When you feel a wave of dizziness or sense that you’re about to faint, certain body positions can raise your blood pressure quickly by squeezing blood out of your muscles and back into circulation. These techniques have been shown to abort fainting episodes in clinical trials.
- Leg crossing with muscle tensing: Cross your legs at the ankles while squeezing your thigh, buttock, and abdominal muscles as hard as you can.
- Hand gripping: Squeeze a rubber ball or any firm object as tightly as possible with your dominant hand.
- Arm tensing: Clasp your hands together and pull outward, contracting both arms at the same time.
- Squatting: Drop into a full squat if you’re able. This compresses the large blood vessels in your legs and forces blood upward.
These all work by increasing the amount of blood your heart pumps with each beat. They’re meant as in-the-moment rescue tools, not something you do all day. But they’re free, require no equipment, and can prevent a fall.
Adjust How and What You Eat
Blood pressure naturally drops after meals as your body diverts blood flow to your digestive system. Large meals cause bigger drops. If you notice dizziness or fatigue after eating, switching from three large meals to six or seven smaller ones throughout the day can keep your pressure more stable.
What you eat matters too. Foods that move quickly from your stomach to your small intestine, like white bread, white rice, potatoes, and sugary drinks, trigger larger blood pressure drops. Swapping those for whole grains, beans, protein, and healthy fats slows digestion and keeps your pressure steadier after meals. Drinking water before eating also helps counteract the post-meal dip.
Change How You Sleep and Stand
Many people with low blood pressure feel worst in the morning. Lying flat all night allows fluid to redistribute away from your core, and standing up quickly can cause a sharp drop. Elevating the head of your bed with extra pillows or by raising the mattress helps your body maintain better blood pressure regulation overnight and makes that first stand of the day less jarring.
When you do get up, take it slowly. Sit on the edge of the bed for 30 seconds before standing. Once you’re on your feet, tense your leg and abdominal muscles for a few seconds to push blood upward. These small habits reduce the frequency and severity of lightheaded episodes, especially if your blood pressure tends to plummet when you change positions.
Medications for Persistent Low Blood Pressure
When lifestyle changes aren’t enough, two types of prescription medication are commonly used. The first works by tightening blood vessels, which directly increases the resistance blood flows against and raises pressure. It’s typically taken multiple times a day and is especially useful before activities that trigger symptoms, like prolonged standing. The second is a steroid that helps your kidneys retain sodium and water, expanding your blood volume over time. It’s taken once daily and works as a longer-term baseline treatment.
Both require monitoring because they can overshoot and cause high blood pressure, particularly when you’re lying down. Your doctor will likely start with lifestyle strategies first and add medication only if your symptoms significantly affect your daily life or put you at risk of falls.