How to increase low blood pressure naturally at home?

Hypotension is medical term used to define a condition in which blood pressure drops below 90/60 mm Hg

What is orthostatic hypotension?

Orthostatic hypotension is a sudden decrease in systolic blood pressure that occurs when a person stands up. Orthostatic hypotension is diagnosed by a decrease in blood pressure of 20/10 mm Hg or more when you stand up from a sitting or supine position.

15 scientifically proven ways to increase low blood pressure naturally at home

Avoid Dehydration, menstrual blood loss, and anemia, as they are the most common reasons to develop orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure when standing).

1- Stay hydrated, drink at least 2.5 liters (10 cups) of water a day.

2- Eat anti anemic foods that are good sources of iron, like red meat (beef or liver), poultry, fish, seafood, chickpeas, soybeans, beans (white, red), peas, lentils, nuts (pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, roasted cashews, pecans, roasted almonds), seeds (sunflower seeds), and dark leafy greens (spinach, broccoli), iron-fortified breads, iron-fortified cereals, tropical fruits, prune juice (one cup of prune juice provides 3 mg of iron), and dried fruits, such as prunes, raisins, and apricots.

3- Increase vitamin C intake. Eat foods high in iron and vitamin C that increase your iron intake, like strawberries, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, camu, and lemon. Lemon goes great with iron-rich foods such as: spinach, soybeans, lentils, oatmeal, quinoa, chia seeds, spirulina, beans (white or red), tomato paste, and kale. Alternatively, take a vitamin C supplement. Take 500 mg of Vitamin C per day. Avoid high doses of vitamin C, as it may moderately reduce blood pressure

Eat a diet higher in salt. Use more salt in your diet because sodium can raise blood pressure.

4- Eat foods that are high in sodium, like sausage, ham, lunch meats, bacon, dried soup mixes, canned soups, bouillon, soy sauce, ketchup (catsup), salad dressings, frozen potatoes, rice, and pasta, and snack foods, such as peanuts, popcorn, pretzels, and chips. Try canned beans. Canned beans contain big amounts of sodium for preservation purposes.

5- Wear compression stockings

6- Drink caffeinated beverages, like dark coffee to raise blood pressure. Drink more than four cups of coffee a day to increase your blood pressure.

Caffeine can cause a short increase in your blood pressure, as it blocks the action of phosphodiesterase (PDE) and increases the rate and force of the cardiomyocyte’s contractions. In the heart, norepinephrine and epinephrine act as vasoconstrictors, since there are only beta receptors.

Caffeine induces epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) secretion; however, caffeine inhibits adenosine receptors in vitro and blocks the action of phosphodiesterase (PDE), a chemical that breaks down into cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which is a second chemical messenger.

Epinephrine and norepinephrine cannot cross the cell membrane, and so they exert their actions indirectly via cAMP and other second messengers. Thus, when caffeine stops the breakdown of cAMP, the effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine are prolonged, and the response throughout the body is amplified. In the heart, this increases the rate and force of the cardiomyocyte’s contractions. During stressful conditions the fight-or-flight response is activated, and the flight/fight hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) are then released, epinephrine and norepinephrine are released by the adrenal medulla and nervous system respectively, the flight/fight hormones raise the rate and force of the heart, thereby increasing the blood pressure to deliver more oxygen to the brain and other vital organs or tissues.

7- Drink 3 cups of green tea daily. The caffeine in green tea increases blood pressure. Avoid drinking too much green tea, as it increases pressure inside the eye (Glaucoma).

8- Drink lots of nonalcoholic fluids. Drink soft drinks, like sprite and 7 up to raise blood pressure

9- Eat high-sugar foods like candy, pastries, cookies, syrup, and soda, as they can cause a spike in blood sugar levels and can contribute to high blood pressure

10- Eat small, low-carb meals

11- Eat raisins, opt for dark raisins over light-colored ones because dark raisins have more catechins, a powerful antioxidant that can increase blood flow. Moreover, dark raisins are high in potassium.

12- Take Medications to increase blood pressure, like midodrine (Orvaten) to raise blood pressure in people with chronic orthostatic hypotension. Orvaten works by restricting vasodilation (the ability of your blood vessels to dilate), which raises blood pressure.

13- Avoid beta blockers, other antihypertensive drugs, and medications such as sildenafil (Viagra), Cialis (tadalafil), Staxyn, or Levitra (vardenafil), as they may all cause orthostatic hypotension.

14- Limit alcohol consumption, alcohol is dehydrating and can lower blood pressure, even if you drink in moderation

15- Eat three tablespoons (75g) of honey a day to raise blood pressure

Verified by: Dr.Diab (March 20, 2018)

Citation: Dr.Diab. (March 20, 2018). How to increase low blood pressure naturally at home?. Medcoi Journal of Medicine, 7(2). urn:medcoi:article20327.