Remember Tata Lite Salt’s ad that uses humour to make people take high blood pressure seriously? While we are highly cautious about High Blood Pressure, suffering from Low Blood Pressure can be dangerous as well. Usually, women think that Low Blood Pressure (also known as Hypotension) is not a big deal.
Every year a lot of women suffer through Hypotension without knowing that they are going through it. Its symptoms are dizziness and fainting which people usually consider as weakness in the body. While sometimes it is completely normal and nothing to be concerned about, other times this weakness is caused because of low BP. A crucial reason to not take this lightly is that low BP blocks the oxygen flowing to the brain.
Causes And Effects Of Low Blood Pressure In Women
Here Are Some Of The Common Causes Of Low Blood Pressure
- Pregnancy
- Dehydration
- Blood loss
- Lack of nutrients in your diet
- Heart problems
Here Are Some Common Effects Of Low Blood Pressure
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Blurry vision
- Feeling unconscious
10 Home Remedies To Control Low Blood Pressure
1. Eat Small Portions Of Food Frequently
You must avoid long gaps in your meals and snack more, healthily of course. Long gaps in your meals can cause your BP to drop making you feel dizzy. You can snack 3 times a day and have 3 meals to properly divide your food intake. Your snacks can be as light as you want, even if you eat one cucumber with some salt on it, it is fine.
How To Do It:
- The best way to adhere to portion control is to include smaller plates and dinnerware. Smaller plates appear full even with a smaller portion, people feel satisfied even with a lesser quantity of food.
- Another easy and beneficial way of practising portion control is using your plate as a guide. Vegetables should fill half the plate, protein should be ¼ of the plate. A hand can also be used as a guide for portion control. For instance, a fist-sized portion of rice, a palm-sized portion of protein, a fingertip-sized portion of fat and so on.
- Also, eat more low-calorie, high-fibre and high-protein food items which give you more quantity in the portion within the calorie restriction and higher satiety, thus improving adherence to the diet. Restrict the number of foods like butter, fried snacks, and cheese as with smaller portions the calorie intake is moderate with reduced nutrient intake and lesser satiety.
Here are some recipes by a nutritionist that’ll help you with portion control.
2. Salt Is Important
While it is advised to not have salt for people with High BP, people with Low BP must include an adequate amount of salt in their diet. Salt is bad for your health only when you don’t have it in moderation, otherwise, it has properties that are important to your body. You can have one teaspoon of salt every day excluding the natural salts derived from fruits and vegetables.
How To Do It:
- Unlike High BP, it is not advised to you to eliminate salts in your diet.
- You can add adequate amounts of salt to your regular diet to meet your salt requirements.
3. Drink More Water
You have to drink 2-3 litres of water every day. If you like coconut water or other healthy fluids you can include them in your diet too. Drinking more water can tackle dehydration and you’ll feel much more energetic.
How To Do It:
- Set yourself a daily water intake goal of at least 2 litres.
- Make a habit of drinking at least one glass of water 15-20 minutes before every meal.
- Every time you get up for a bathroom break stop by the kitchen or the water cooler to chug a glass of water.
4. Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol is a strict no-no for someone with Low BP. Alcohol can lower blood pressure and is also considered deadly. Alcohol in your blood can cause nervous system changes, increase calcium levels, increase pressure receptors and much more. All of these effects are quite harmful. If you want to control your blood pressure, eliminating alcohol plays an important part in it.
How To Do It:
- Replace alcohol with refreshing and nutritious drinks instead.
- If you have alcohol stocked up at your place, get rid of it all.
- Work on eliminating the emotional attachment to alcohol, and tell your friends to support you in the journey.
5. Cross Your Legs While Sitting
As unusual as this might sound, it is proven that crossing your legs while sitting can increase your blood pressure. So if you’ve ever got the feeling that your BP has dropped you can try crossing your legs while sitting.
How To Do It:
- Whenever you feel low on energy, consciously remind yourself to sit with your legs crossed.
6. Coffee
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks are capable of raising your blood pressure temporarily. It boosts the heart rate and can cause a dramatic rise in your blood pressure but only for a short period of time.
How To Do It:
- If you like coffee, you can include one mug a day in your daily diet.
7. Increase Vitamin Intake
If you rarely consume foods that are high in Vitamins such as B12 chances are that you might be anaemic and that’s the reason for your low blood pressure. So if you want to control your blood pressure, increasing your vitamin intake can be a good way to start.
How To Do It:
- Nutrients are better absorbed from food (natural) sources. Try including a varied variety of foods in your diet to avoid deficiency and for optimal health.
- Educate yourself as well as consult a doctor before consuming vitamin/mineral supplements as there can be side effects and allergic reactions were seen.
- Read the nutrition/ingredient label on the back of the products before buying/ consuming them.
- If you are ordering products from online sources, check the reviews and ratings before buying them.
- Go for vitamin supplements that are less of per cent Daily Value (% DV) value as consuming more of certain vitamins can lead to side effects.
- Don’t go for cheap, unknown brands while buying supplements. Always buy from reputed shops and opt for reputed brands only.
8. Avoid Sudden Change In Positions
A person with Low BP can experience a feeling of dizziness if they stand up quickly. They might also faint as rapid movement can cause a drop in Blood Pressure.
How To Do It:
- Before you are supposed to change positions, take a deep breath and get up slowly.
9. Wear Compression Stockings
It is advised that someone with Low BP should wear Compression Stockings. They help in reducing the amount of blood that gets caught in the lower legs and feet. They also help in relieving pain and pressure associated with varicose veins.
How To Do It:
- Wear them during the day and take them off before going to bed.
- You can wear one of them or even two if you’d like.
- You can replace your stalking every 3-6 months.
10. Be Aware Of The Symptoms
Lower Blood Pressure is a sign of good health to an extent, but once you get symptoms like these it can be considered a problem. So when you detect symptoms, you can start looking for remedies to avoid getting into a dangerous situation ahead.
How To Do It:
- Pay attention to how you’re feeling when you get up quickly and have long gaps between your meals.
- When you notice that there are symptoms of you having low BP, consult a doctor.
Key Takeaways
- Take good rest and avoid stress whenever possible to stabilise your blood pressure
- Moderate exercise is always good for the body, it helps to bring low blood pressure to normal levels
- Rise gently whenever you want to get up, avoid quick movements
- Dehydration can cause your BP to drop, drink at least 2 litres of water every day
- Eat small meals with shorter time gaps between meals
Yoga can also help with lowering high blood pressure, click here to know more.
Low blood pressure isn’t a concern unless it gets too low. If that’s the case with you, please consult a doctor and take medical advice to control it. Discuss your symptoms and how they affect your health, sometimes low blood pressure can also be a side effect of a variety of medications. You must get your BP checked and stay healthy!
