Treatment & Self management of Hypotension or Low Blood Pressure

Updated: July 24, 2020

If you doesn't have signs or symptoms or causes only mild symptoms Hypotension rarely requires treatment. If you have symptoms of hypotension because of medications, then treatment usually involves changing or stopping the medication or lowering the dose.

Self management of Hypotension or Low Blood Pressure:

Use more salt in your diet:

As sodium raises blood pressure, increasing the intake of salt in your diet will help maintaining hypotension.

Drink more water:

Fluids increase blood volume and help prevent dehydration. Hence drinking more water helps in treating hypotension.

Wear compression stockings:

The elastic stockings can be used to relieve the pain and swelling of varicose veins which help reducing the pooling of blood in your legs.

Limit Alcohol:

Alcohol is dehydrating and hence a cause of hypotension. Limit the intake of alchol to manage hypotension.

Eat a healthy diet:

Include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean chicken and fish in your diet to get all good nutrients which helps managing hypotension.

Pay attention to your body positions:

Before arising in the morning, breathe deeply for a few minutes and then slowly sit up before standing. Sleeping with the head of your bed slightly elevated also can help fight the effects of gravity. Don't sit with your legs crossed.

Eat small, low-carb meals:

To help prevent blood pressure from dropping sharply after meals, eat small portions several times a day and limit high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, rice, pasta and bread.

Treatment of Hypotension or Low Blood Pressure:

Treatment and medication varies depending on cause of hypotension:

Dehydration:

Dehydration is treated with fluids and minerals (electrolytes). Oral fluids and electrolytes is used to treat mild dehydration without nausea and vomiting . Intravenous fluids and electrolytes is given in a hospital or emergency room for treatment of moderate to severe dehydration.

Blood loss:

With intravenous fluids and blood transfusions blood loss due to various reasons can be treated.

Septic shock:

With intravenous fluids and antibiotics septic shock can be treated.

Blood pressure medications or diuretics:

If hypotension is caused by diuretics, the drug can be adjusted, changed, or stopped by the doctor.

Bradycardia :

Bradycardia due to sick sinus syndrome or heart block is treated with an implantable pacemaker.

Pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis:

Pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis is treated with blood thinners. Types of heparin will be useful at the inital stage which is replaced by oral warfarin on lateral stage.

Postural hypotension:

By increasing water, salt, caffeinated beverages intake in your diet Postural hypotension can be treated. Using compression stockings to compress the leg veins and reduce the pooling of blood in the leg veins will also help in this condition.

Postprandial Hypotension:

Ibuprofen (Motrin) or indomethacin (Indocin) can be used for treatment of Postprandial hypotension.

Vasovagal Syncope:

Orthostatic Hypotension:

For orthostatic hypotension, fludrocortisone or midodrine medicines can be used which helps increasing the blood volume leading to raise the blood pressure level.