Low blood pressure - how to fix it

Hey all
Sorry I haven't been on here for a while, I've been really busy with our wedding! Will post pics soon!
Now I have a problem - I have low blood pressure, 102/57, does anyone have any tips on how to raise it? I thought maybe excercise? It's making me really lethargic and really dizzy. I will go to the docs but I can't get in till Thursday. I know my BP is low as I went to the pharmacy and got it tested on Friday.
Thanks!
Jess

Can you just eat alot of salt?

Just kidding I had to say that

I'm not sure how to raise blood pressure..you don't normally learn how to do that as much as lowering the blood pressure. Have you talked to your doctor about how?

I get used to get very low blood pressure also. Its because I used to get anemic due to having such low iron levels and low vitamin B12 levels which runs in my Mum's family. I now take iron supplements and vitamin B12 tablets, and all is good. Next time you feel faint sit down and have a glass of water and relax for awhile.

Go to the doctor - if it is constantly low there may be a health problem.

Originally Posted by Jessy

Hey all

Sorry I haven't been on here for a while, I've been really busy with our wedding! Will post pics soon!
Now I have a problem - I have low blood pressure, 102/57, does anyone have any tips on how to raise it? I thought maybe excercise? It's making me really lethargic and really dizzy. I will go to the docs but I can't get in till Thursday. I know my BP is low as I went to the pharmacy and got it tested on Friday.
Thanks!
Jess

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Have your pressure checked at the doctor's office as well, as the pharmacy's cuff may not be accurate. Then bring this issue up with your doctor. There could be an underlying issue, or you might be able to manage w/ diet modification (e.g. adding salt, maybe some coffee), or other changes (e.g. compression stockings, exercise). Be sure to stay hydrated, too.

How has your fluid intake been? You need to be drinking at least 8 - 8 ounce glasses of water per day. Skip the Coke or Pepsi. Skip the Coffee. We are mostly made up of water and we need to keep our body hydrated with water.

Also, try adding a bit more salt to your diet. Not loads, but a bit. Where salt is so is water. So if you have adequate salt in your body you will also keep adequately hydrated provided you are drinking enough water.

I find that I know when my body is low on sodium because I start to feel nauseated. Having a small bag of potato chips and a glass or two of water seems to help me when that happens.

I have naturally low blood pressure...has your suddenly dropped or is yours typically low?

If there's a sudden drop, you really should consult a doctor about it. If it's normally low, and hasn't been an issue before now, then you can probably wait to talk to a Dr. about it.

My Dr. was actually concerned when my BP was up to 120/80...it's typically around 90-100/55-65. The lowest it has ever been was 87/52 (I was on BP medication to ease migraines, which caused the drop and I was very CLOSELY monitored throughout the process, lol).

Do you experience dizzy/black outs when you stand up too fast? How tall are you? I'm 5'9 and my doctor told me because of my height, I do need to add a *little* more salt to my diet then someone shorter then me. Apparently that extra salt will help raise my blood pressure up to normal.

This is in addition to exercise (I was frequenting the gym too).

If you're not tall, then I would just add daily walks or something to an exercise regimine.

WATER lot s of it and some salt

BUT DO have it checked ...low BP is as dangerous as HIGH

My BP hovers around 85-105/55-70, and I was worried that was too low, but the doctors were happy with that, thought it was completely fine.

Do you get really dizzy when you stand up, or get close to blacking out or anything like that? If so, it's definitely a worry.

If you can, buy one of the manual blood pressure monitors (they're pretty cheap), and just check it at the same time every day (eg. when you wake up), and keep track of it for a week or two, and if you're still worried - take that to the doctor with you. Theyll appreciate having a more regular idea of what your BP is doing.

I have low blood pressure too. Doctors haven't seemed concerned about it but when I was in psychical therapy the therapist was slightly concerned as it could affect me during the session - ei, I might pass out.
I never did but getting my blood pressure up during exercise did make make me a bit sick a couple times, headache and nausea.

Have your doctor do a basic blood tests, you may be low in something else. Low potassium can cause dizziness and fatigue.
I have dizziness and 'grey outs' that can cause me to fall sometimes, my doctor said it was because of low potassium.

As everyone's said, stay well hydrated, be careful when getting up - give your body time to adjust from posture changes, and be careful of the heat.

Other things to be careful of - when you wake up, try not to get straight out of bed. Lie in bed for a little bed awake, then get up slowly. And don't get into a hot shower first thing in the morning - that'll make your blood pressure plummet. Hot showers are bad for low blood pressure at the best of times, but a hot shower in the morning can be very bad - I often had to sit down in the shower because I would get so dizzy, until the doctor said that was why.

Wow, thanks for the advice everyone.
I managed to get into the docs today. It has been low before, but I'm usually fine by the afternoon, this time it has lasted 4 days so far. The docs didn't seem concerned by how low it was, but she is sending me to the hospital for some blod tests. She said I may be anaemic..........
I'll just wait and see what the tests reveal. She suggested exercise to raise it, so I did a work out this evening, about an hour of cardio, but am still dizzy
I'll keep you posted!!

I've got low blood pressure too (as low as 100/50 in the morning), but it climbs to normal levels later in the day (120/60). When I was younger I used to black out and faint all the time, especially if I got up too quick after sleeping or sitting, and I'd get these shakes as I'm coming to (don't think it was a seizure or anything, since I would be sitting up most of the time). Funny thing is, no one seemed to take much worry or interest in the condition and I've just lived with it.

I rarely black out anymore, but I'm interested in why blacking out and low blood pressure is considered a serious condition.

Originally Posted by Lemur 6

I rarely black out anymore, but I'm interested in why blacking out and low blood pressure is considered a serious condition.

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It's kind of scary. If you're hit with a sudden dizzy spell you can fall or when you get up too quickly, likely will stumble and fall. Can you imagine having a bad dizzy spell while driving?
It can also be a sign that there's a more serious problem.

I managed to completely and suddenly black out once when I stood up and reached over my head to pull a ceiling fan cord. I woke up on the floor with a long scrape on my back and a bump on my head from falling on the desk behind me. I've also passed out in the yard because of the heat.
Doctor didn't seem too concerned. I'll have to see if my next one is.

Originally Posted by Jessy

I'll just wait and see what the tests reveal. She suggested exercise to raise it, so I did a work out this evening, about an hour of cardio, but am still dizzy

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Good luck with the test. Hopefully, at the worst, you'll just be low in something and taking some vitamins/supplements along with exercise will help. As for the dizziness, does eating something light(like fruit) or drinking some juice help? Also, try drinks with electrolytes added to them, they help more with hydration than just water.

Originally Posted by Lemur 6

I rarely black out anymore, but I'm interested in why blacking out and low blood pressure is considered a serious condition.

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It is possible for the heart to just stop beating. In fact, any organs can be damaged by poor blood flow. My mum has low blood pressure as a side effect of parkinsons medication and has had many incidents of blacking out (not so many recently, thankfully) and she was told that there wasn't anything they could give her and that it was possible that when it happens her heart could simply stop beating. don't want to scare anyone though - I suspect her blood pressure was a lot lower than some of the figures people are giving in here. It is potentially very dangerous though.