Low Blood Pressure Treatment at Home

Both low blood pressure (hypotension) and high blood pressure (hypertension) are not good for your health, particularly for hypertension. Hypotension without any symptoms in healthy people is often not considered as serious concern and doesn’t need to be cured /treated! But sometimes, hypotension can be a sign of a health problem (like poor blood flow in brain, heart, or other organs), particularly in elderly people. For this case, hypotension should be treated -- here are pieces of helpful information about low blood pressure treatment at home (home remedies & changes in lifestyle)!

What is low blood pressure?

The normal range of blood pressure is about 120/80 mm Hg. The first number is systolic or explains the pressure of arteries walls in each beat of the heart. And in the between the beats of the heart, the pressure in the arteries is relatively lower, that’s why the second number (or familiar called as diastolic) is lower than the first number.

Generally, low blood pressure numbers are about 90/60 mm Hg or less. Like hypertension, the causes of hypotension are also not always clear. The following are some conditions that may contribute in developing hypotension:

1. Liver disease.
2. Dilation/widening of the blood vessels.
3. Heart failure.
4. Problems or changes in hormones, therefore pregnant women may also experience hypotension. Other health conditions such as hypoglycemia, diabetes, or thyroid also can cause hormonal problems, which then may lead to hypotension.
5. Heat stroke.
6. Problems in heart rhythms.
7. Certain prescription medicines, like medicines for depression, high blood pressure, and Parkinson’s disease.

Furthermore, there is also a condition what we call as ‘sudden drops of blood pressure’. It can lead to potentially life-threatening, because as the name suggests it causes hypotension suddenly or in a rapid progression. This serious type of hypotension may be associated with the following conditions:

1. Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction).
2. Bleeding that can cause loss of blood!
3. Severe fever, vomiting, or diarrhea which can cause serious dehydration.
4. Heart failure which then can cause heart muscle disease.
5. Extreme high/low temperature of the body. 
6. A reaction /overreaction to alcohol or certain medications.
7. Blood infection at the severe stage (or familiar known as sepsis).

Home remedies to treat low blood pressure

Some low blood pressure treatments may be the reverse of some ways to lower high blood pressure. If your doctor asks you to treat your hypotension, below are a few tips of changes in lifestyle (home remedies) to help your treatment:

Limit foods that are high in carbohydrates, and eat small!

You need to eat less high-carbohydrate foods (like bread, pasta, rice, or potatoes) and much better to eat in small portions for several times a day in order to minimize the chance of sharply dropping blood pressure. Sometimes, your doctor may also recommend drinking tea or caffeinated coffee in order to raise the blood pressure temporarily.

But be careful, caffeine also can lead to other health problems particularly if consumed too over! Therefore ask completely to your doctor on how to do this step properly!

Eating healthy foods

Don’t forget to give adequate nutrients /day for your body -- variety of healthy foods, such as; fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, lean chicken, whole grains, etc are so recommended to get all nutrients that you need.

Your healthcare provider may also recommend adding salt in your foods in order to temporarily boost up your low blood pressure. But if you don’t like salt, you can consider natural soy sauce or other alternatives -- discuss more with your healthcare provider!

Keep hydrated and keep far away from alcohol

As mentioned before, dehydration is one of conditions that can be associated with hypotension. That’s why you need to keep hydrated by drinking more /adequate water every day! Adequate water in the body can help increase the volume of the blood in the arteries.

On the other hand, alcohol is dehydrating -- and that’s why can decrease more your low blood pressure. That’s why you need to avoid drinking it temporarily!

Go slowly when moving the positions of your body!

Lightheadedness or dizziness may attack you in the morning. You may be able to eliminate it by breathing deeply for a few seconds/minutes and then slowly sitting up before standing! Another idea, position your head of the bed slightly elevated when you sleep, so thus you can minimize the effects of gravity.

If you begin to feel the symptoms while you are standing, try putting one of your feet on a chair/ledge and lean as far forward as you can go --- this is intended to push the blood to flow from the legs to the heart.

Be careful & get slowly also when rising from sitting or lying down!

Don’t forget also to do:

1. Regular exercise! It can be helpful to promote good blood flow. But avoid exercises that involve heavy lifting.
2. While on the toilet, avoid straining!
3. To restrict/prevent the blood flow to your legs, you may need to use compression (elastic support) stocking that cover the thing & calf!

Low blood pressure treatment with drugs/medications

If lifestyle changes or home remedies are not effective enough to treat your hypotension -- your doctor may recommend low blood pressure treatment with medications (drugs). Sometimes, medications also can be combined with home remedies to get most effective result. Talk more with your doctor to find out whether you need to use drugs in treating your low blood pressure, and for more in-depth information!

The following medications/drugs are often used in treating hypotension:

1. Midodrine! It is usually purposed for patients with postural hypotension associated to nervous system dysfunction.
2. Fludrocortisone! It is common medication to treat the most types of hypotension. Patients who take it usually need to get/consume adequate amounts of potassium /day.

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Reference: MayoClinic and WebMD
Image credit to ‘shutterstock’ for illustration