Low blood pressure, generally a reading below 90/60 mmHg, only needs attention when it causes symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting. If your numbers are low but you feel fine, there’s usually nothing to fix. But if you’re getting dizzy when you stand up, feeling faint during the day, or noticing fatigue that won’t quit, several practical strategies can bring your pressure up and keep you steady.
Drink More Water, and More Than You Think
Dehydration is one of the most common and most fixable causes of low blood pressure. When your blood volume drops, your heart has less fluid to pump, and pressure falls. The American Heart Association recommends that people with low blood pressure aim for 2 to 3 liters of fluid per day, which is roughly 8 to 12 cups.
Timing matters too. Drinking about 16 ounces (500 mL) of water in one sitting can measurably improve your ability to stay upright without getting dizzy. In one study, that single bolus of water nearly doubled the time people could stand before feeling faint, jumping from about 20 minutes to 36 minutes on average. If you know you’re about to be on your feet for a while, drinking a tall glass of water 15 to 20 minutes beforehand can make a real difference.
Increase Your Salt Intake
This is the rare situation where adding salt to your diet is actually helpful. Sodium causes your body to retain water, which increases blood volume and raises pressure. For people with low blood pressure, a target of at least 6 grams of salt per day is a reasonable starting point. That’s about a full teaspoon, which is more than the standard recommendation for the general population.
You can get there by salting your food more liberally, eating salty snacks like pretzels or olives, or adding broth-based soups to your meals. If you have kidney disease or heart failure, though, extra salt could do more harm than good, so this is one to run by your doctor first.
How to Stand Up Without Getting Dizzy
The most common form of low blood pressure, called orthostatic hypotension, hits when you shift from lying down or sitting to standing. Gravity pulls blood into your legs, your body doesn’t compensate fast enough, and you get lightheaded or see spots. A few simple habits can prevent this.
When you wake up in the morning, sit at the edge of the bed for at least a minute before standing. When getting up from a chair, rise slowly rather than popping straight up. This is especially important after long periods of sitting, including time on the toilet, which is a surprisingly common trigger. If you’ve been inactive for a while, pump your ankles up and down and cross and uncross your legs before standing to get blood moving back toward your heart.
Counter-Pressure Techniques for Dizzy Spells
If dizziness hits while you’re already up, you don’t have to sit down immediately. The Cleveland Clinic recommends a set of physical maneuvers that squeeze blood from your muscles back into circulation, raising your blood pressure within seconds:
- Leg crossing: Cross one leg over the other and actively squeeze the muscles in your legs, abdomen, and buttocks. Hold until the dizziness passes.
- Arm tensing: Grip one hand with the other and pull them apart without letting go, like a tug-of-war with yourself. Hold as long as you can or until symptoms clear.
- Hand grip: Squeeze a rubber ball (or just make a tight fist) in your dominant hand and hold it.
These work best when you’ve practiced them before you actually need them. Try them a few times during normal moments so the movements are automatic when you feel a spell coming on. Squatting down is another effective option if you’re somewhere it won’t draw attention.
Compression Stockings
Blood pooling in the legs is a major contributor to low blood pressure when standing. Compression stockings counteract this by gently squeezing your leg veins and pushing blood upward. For orthostatic hypotension, thigh-high stockings rated at 23 to 32 mmHg of pressure are the standard recommendation. Knee-high versions help too but are less effective because they don’t address pooling in the thighs.
Put them on first thing in the morning before you get out of bed, when your legs have had all night to drain. They can feel tight and warm, especially in summer, but many people find the trade-off worth it once they stop feeling dizzy every time they stand.
Check Your Medications
Several common medications lower blood pressure as either their intended effect or a side effect. Blood pressure drugs are the obvious ones, but diuretics (water pills), certain antidepressants, medications for prostate enlargement, and drugs for Parkinson’s disease can all drop your numbers. Even some over-the-counter pain relievers and allergy medications can contribute.
If your low blood pressure started after beginning a new medication or after a dosage change, that’s a strong clue. Don’t stop or adjust anything on your own, but bring it up at your next appointment. Sometimes a simple dose reduction or switch to a different drug eliminates the problem entirely.
Other Habits That Help
Eating large meals diverts blood flow to your digestive system, which can cause a noticeable pressure drop afterward. Eating smaller, more frequent meals reduces this effect. Limiting alcohol also helps, since even moderate drinking dilates blood vessels and lowers pressure. Caffeine can provide a temporary boost, though its effects vary from person to person and tend to diminish with regular use.
Sleeping with the head of your bed elevated by 4 to 6 inches (using bed risers, not just extra pillows) can help your body adjust to upright positions more smoothly in the morning. This position reduces the sudden shift your circulatory system has to manage when you get up.
When Low Blood Pressure Is an Emergency
Mild dizziness on standing is common and manageable. But extreme low blood pressure can lead to shock, which is a medical emergency. Call 911 if you or someone else develops confusion (especially in older adults), cold or clammy skin, a noticeable loss of skin color, rapid and shallow breathing, or a weak and rapid pulse. These signs mean the body’s organs aren’t getting enough blood flow, and waiting it out is not safe.
Persistent symptoms that don’t respond to increased fluids, salt, and the strategies above also warrant a medical evaluation. Low blood pressure can sometimes signal an underlying issue like a heart valve problem, an adrenal condition, or internal bleeding, all of which need specific treatment beyond lifestyle changes.