Hypotension, or low blood pressure, occurs when your blood pressure before and during heartbeats is lower than your normal range, which varies from person to person. You might experience hypotension after a severe infection or allergic reaction, a sudden loss of blood, or a sudden change in bodily position. You might also develop hypotension after consuming alcohol or prescription medications, such as diuretics, antidepressants or anti-anxiety pills. Dehydration, advanced diabetes or a heart attack can also initiate low blood pressure. Symptoms of hypotension include weakness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, fainting, dizziness or sleepiness. Your doctor might prescribe you medications to stabilize your blood pressure and suggest that you implement dietary changes to help keep your blood pressure within your normal range.
Liquid Intake Guidelines
Avoid alcohol, which can cause dehydration and lower your blood pressure. Even moderate amounts of alcohol can lower your blood pressure, according to MayoClinic.com. On the other hand, high water consumption can help raise your blood pressure. Therefore, increase your daily water intake to 2 to 3 liters per day. Quickly drink one-half liter of water in the morning to help elevate your blood pressure. Then, drink one-half liter of water before your lunch and dinner meals. Consume the rest of the water throughout the day and evening to maintain your elevated blood pressure levels.
Additionally, drink one cup of coffee with breakfast and one cup of coffee with lunch. The caffeine in coffee can help avert blood pressure drops throughout the day. However, do not drink coffee in the evening or at night because it might interrupt your sleep patterns and cause frequent nighttime urination.
Food Intake Guidelines
Eat a variety of foods to maintain healthy blood pressure levels. Include fish, lean poultry, vegetables, fruits and whole grains into your diet. Increased sodium intake can also raise your blood pressure and decrease symptoms of hypotension. However, speak to your doctor before consuming more salt to avoid complications arising from other medical conditions you might experience that worsen with increased salt intake. If your doctor recommends that you elevate your salt intake to raise your blood sugar levels, add more salt to your food or consume more packaged dressings, dips, dry soup mixes and natural soy sauce.
Considerations
Eat small meals throughout the day to prevent large drops in your blood pressure after consuming large meals. Limit your intake of high-carbohydrate foods, such as bread, rice, potatoes and pasta. When eaten in excess, these foods can provoke drastic blood pressure fluctuations. Furthermore, if your doctor prescribes sodium tablets or caffeine pills to help you better manage your hypotension, ask your doctor to recommend how much sodium and caffeine you should consume from natural foods to avoid over-consumption of salt and caffeine, which could worsen your hypotension symptoms.
Warning
Do not use a hypotension diet on your own to treat yourself for low blood pressure. See your doctor regularly for a medically sound treatment plan that includes monitoring of your symptoms in addition to dietary changes. Your doctor might recommend that you alter your hypotension diet to include foods that better support your individual condition and exclude foods that might worsen another medical ailment you experience.
