Low blood pressure, generally defined as a reading below 90/60 mmHg, can cause dizziness, fatigue, and fainting. The good news is that several straightforward strategies can raise it: increasing salt and fluid intake, wearing compression garments, adjusting how you eat, and changing your sleep position. Most of these work quickly and don’t require medication.
Why Low Blood Pressure Causes Symptoms
Blood pressure is the force pushing blood through your arteries to deliver oxygen to your brain, muscles, and organs. When that pressure drops too low, your brain doesn’t get enough blood flow, which is why dizziness and lightheadedness are the hallmark symptoms. Some people also experience blurred vision, nausea, or a general sense of fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest.
Most doctors consider low blood pressure a problem only when it causes symptoms. If your reading sits below 90/60 but you feel fine, there’s typically nothing to worry about. The strategies below are for people whose low readings come with noticeable symptoms that interfere with daily life.
Increase Your Salt Intake
Salt helps your body hold onto water, which increases blood volume and raises blood pressure. For most healthy adults, dietary guidelines recommend limiting sodium. But for people with symptomatic low blood pressure, the recommendation flips. The American Society of Hypertension suggests 2,400 to 4,000 mg of sodium per day for people with orthostatic hypotension (the type that hits when you stand up). The Heart Rhythm Society recommends even more for certain conditions: 4,000 to 4,800 mg daily.
In practical terms, that means adding about 1,000 to 2,000 mg of sodium to your diet at each of three meals. You can do this by salting your food more generously, eating salty snacks like olives or pickles, or drinking broth. Some people use salt tablets for convenience. The right amount depends on your specific situation, so it’s worth discussing a target with your doctor, especially if you have kidney or heart concerns.
Drink More Water
Drinking water raises blood pressure through a mechanism that has nothing to do with simply expanding blood volume. Research published in Circulation found that drinking about 16 ounces (480 mL) of water triggers a spike in sympathetic nerve activity, the same system that activates during a fight-or-flight response. This nerve activation raises blood pressure within minutes. The study also found that 16 ounces produced a stronger effect than 8 ounces, so the volume matters.
Most guidelines for people with low blood pressure recommend aiming for 2 to 3 liters of fluid per day (roughly 8 to 12 cups). Drinking a full glass of water 15 minutes before standing up or before meals can help prevent the dizziness that often hits during those transitions. Keeping a water bottle with you throughout the day makes it easier to stay on track.
Adjust How and What You Eat
Blood pressure commonly drops after eating, a phenomenon called postprandial hypotension. When your digestive system kicks in, blood flow redirects to your gut, and pressure can fall enough to cause lightheadedness or even fainting. Larger meals make this worse because they demand more blood flow for digestion.
Switching from three large meals to six or seven smaller ones throughout the day reduces that demand. What you eat matters too. Foods that digest quickly, like white bread, white rice, potatoes, and sugary drinks, move rapidly from your stomach to your small intestine and trigger bigger blood pressure drops. Replacing those with slowly digested options like whole grains, beans, protein, and healthy fats helps keep your blood pressure steadier after you eat.
Wear Compression Garments
Compression stockings and abdominal binders work by squeezing your blood vessels, which prevents blood from pooling in your legs and abdomen. This keeps more blood circulating to your brain and upper body, directly countering the gravity-related drops that cause dizziness when you stand.
Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends starting with 20 to 30 mmHg compression stockings. This level provides firm support without being too difficult to put on. If 20 to 30 mmHg feels too tight or hard to manage, 15 to 20 mmHg is a reasonable starting point. If it’s not enough, you can move up to 30 to 40 mmHg, though these can be challenging to put on, particularly for people with flexible joints. Waist-high stockings work better than knee-high ones because they also compress the thighs, where a significant amount of blood can pool.
Elevate the Head of Your Bed
Sleeping with your head slightly elevated helps your body adjust to gravity overnight, which can reduce the dramatic blood pressure drop many people experience when they get out of bed in the morning. The recommended tilt is about 10 degrees, which translates to raising the head of your bed by roughly 9 inches. You can do this by placing blocks or risers under the legs at the head of the bed. Stacking pillows doesn’t achieve the same effect because it bends your body at the waist rather than tilting your whole frame.
Move Carefully During Transitions
Many of the worst symptoms from low blood pressure hit during position changes: going from lying down to sitting, or sitting to standing. A few physical habits can minimize those drops. When getting out of bed, sit on the edge for 30 seconds before standing. Flex your calf muscles a few times while seated to push blood back toward your heart. When standing for long periods, cross your legs, shift your weight, or squeeze your thigh muscles to keep blood from pooling downward.
Avoid standing still in hot environments, as heat dilates blood vessels and drops pressure further. Hot showers can have the same effect, so keeping the temperature moderate and sitting on a shower chair if needed are practical options.
Caffeine as a Short-Term Tool
Caffeine constricts blood vessels and stimulates the nervous system, both of which raise blood pressure temporarily. A cup of coffee or tea before meals or before activities where you’ll be on your feet can provide a short-term boost. The effect wears off within a few hours, and regular use can build tolerance, so caffeine works best as a strategic tool rather than an all-day approach.
When Low Blood Pressure Becomes an Emergency
Most low blood pressure is manageable with the strategies above. But extreme drops can lead to shock, which requires immediate medical attention. Warning signs include confusion (especially in older adults), cold and clammy skin, noticeably pale skin, rapid shallow breathing, and a weak, fast pulse. If you or someone near you shows these symptoms, call emergency services. Shock from extremely low blood pressure can damage organs quickly when blood flow drops below what the body needs to function.