These 6 tips from a cardiologist will help you deal with low blood pressure

When we talk about blood pressure, we often talk about hypertension or high blood pressure. Dietary changes, risk factors, and many more such things are discussed and debated for the benefits of people with hypertension. Hypotension or low blood pressure, on the other, rarely gets its dues.  

One of the first few things that you must know about hypotension is that it could be the reason why you’re feeling lightheaded and dizzy. The normal blood pressure range is about 120/80, but you are considered to have low bp if it’s below 90/60. To shed more light on this, we reached out to Dr. Vivudh Pratap Singh, a consultant Interventional Cardiology at Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi.

According to Dr Pratap, the symptoms of hypotension include feeling cold, having pressure lower than 90/60 continuously for three to four days, and feeling weak or faint. Other symptoms include nausea, dehydration, lack of concentration, and blurred vision.

Also, read: Don’t take hypotension lightly. Follow these 5 tips to manage low blood pressure

But how can you deal with low blood pressure or hypotension? Well here are some key tips as recommended by Dr Pratap: 

1. Reduce your carbohydrate intake
Carbs get digested very easily and can cause sudden drops in your blood pressure level. So cutting down on the excess of carbs you’ve been eating can go a long way.

2. Drink caffeine
Dr Pratap suggests consuming drinks that are high in caffeine. It helps shoot up your blood pressure. But moderation is the key, otherwise you could get dehydrated.

3. Eat more salty food
Dr. Pratap also emphasises taking extra salt. The sodium present in salt increases blood pressure dramatically. You can either add extra table salt to your meals or can have food that has high salt content.

4. Have water with salt and sugar
The mixture of sugar and salt is a great alternative to the electrolyte sachets that are found in the market and is great for normalizing your blood pressure. When you don’t have those sachets handy try this mixture, and keep sipping on it through the course of the day.

5. Avoid alcohol
“Alcohol is not only dehydrating but also decreases blood volume which drops your blood pressure. Even consuming alcohol in moderation can have an effect on your blood pressure,” says Dr. Pratap.

6. Stay hydrated
Drink plenty of water. It keeps your body from dehydrating and maintains blood volume. Dr. Pratap also suggests that you drink about 200ml of water whenever you feel dizzy.

If you’re feeling light headed, Dr Pratap suggests: “Lie down on your back and put two to three cushions under your legs so that the level of your legs is higher than that of your heart. this facilitates blood flow to your brain.”