Low blood pressure can be just as dangerous as high blood pressure. It can cause adverse health effects, and can stem from an underlying medical condition. Low blood pressure can be treated with medication, and in some cases, adding sodium into the diet can help. For some patients, though, consuming sodium can make the situation worse. Consult your physician about the best course of treatment to follow if you have low blood pressure.
Identification
Abnormally low blood pressure, or hypotension, is considered serious only when it causes adverse symptoms or comes from an underlying heart condition, states the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Blood pressure that falls below 90/60 mmHg is considered low. Low blood pressure might never cause any problems. In other cases, it may cause dizziness, fainting, cold and sweaty skin, fatigue, thirst, dehydration, blurred vision and nausea. Low blood pressure can indicate that the organs, heart and/or brain are not getting the blood and oxygen they need. In severe cases, it can cause shock and become life-threatening.
Benefits of Salt
Under a doctor's supervision, adding salt to the diet may help to control low blood pressure symptoms. Salt causes the body to retain fluid, which increases the amount of blood for the heart to pump. Increasing the amount of fluid the heart pumps helps raise blood pressure levels, reports the Mayo Clinic. It is also essential to drink enough water, which will raise fluid levels and prevent dehydration. The goal is to get about six to eight glasses per day. Too much sodium can be harmful to your health, so your physician should determine how much salt you can safely consume.
Warnings
Increased salt consumption is not the best solution for all patients with hypotension. If medication causes low blood pressure as a side effect, changing the medication may be all it takes. In cases where weakening of the heart muscle cause low blood pressure, the University of California San Francisco Medical Center suggests that the diet should remain low in salt. If heart failure or other forms of heart disease limit the heart's ability to pump correctly, adding salt to the diet can overwork the heart. In these cases, eating too much salt or drinking too much water can make symptoms much worse.
Sources
If a physician recommends adding salt to your diet, table salt can be added to food at home. Products such as canned foods, frozen meals, packaged foods, cheese, processed meats, olives, pickles, soups, sauces, salad dressings and condiments all tend to be high in sodium. Restaurants foods that are pickled, au jus or prepared with soy sauce or in a broth have more sodium as well.
