Anyone with low blood pressure should eat a normal, healthy and balanced diet, because increasing the amount of salt consumed does not increase blood pressure. However, anyone who has symptoms of low blood pressure such as drowsiness, tiredness or frequent dizziness due to low blood pressure can to experiment:
- Eat a square of semisweet chocolate after lunch, as it contains theobromine, which is a substance that improves heart rate and combats low blood pressure;
- Always have a salt and water crackersskimmed milk powder or boiled eggs, which can be eaten as a snack, for example;
- To drink green tea, mate tea or black tea throughout the day, because it contains theine, a substance that helps keep blood pressure under control;
- Drink a glass of water if the pressure drops suddenly.
Furthermore, it is important to always have breakfast, which should include natural orange juice and coffee to help increase blood pressure and improve low blood pressure symptoms, such as dizziness, and although each person responds differently to these measures, usually greatly improves the feeling of well-being.
What to do to improve the pressure drop
When low blood pressure happens suddenly, on the street or at home, due to a very hot day, for example, the most important thing is to lay the person on their back, with their legs elevated and, after it improves, offer them some juice. of natural orange, caffeinated soda or coffee. However, if the person continues to feel faint, they should avoid giving any type of drink or food, as this may cause choking.
Generally, after 5 or 10 minutes the symptoms improve, but it is important to measure the pressure approximately 30 minutes after feeling unwell to check whether the pressure has increased and is within acceptable values, which must be at least 90 mmHg x 60 mmHg, which although lower than normal, do not cause discomfort.
Find out more about what to do when your blood pressure suddenly drops.
List of foods for low blood pressure
Foods for low blood pressure are mainly foods that contain salt in their composition, such as:
The recommended daily dose of salt per day is approximately 1500 mg and this amount is easily ingested through foods that already have salt in their composition, meaning it is not necessary to add salt to foods when cooked.
When to go to the doctor
Generally, low blood pressure does not cause any symptoms or health problems and, therefore, no medical treatment is necessary. However, it is advisable to go to the emergency room if the pressure drop is sudden or symptoms such as:
- Fainting that does not improve within 5 minutes;
- Presence of severe chest pain;
- Fever above 38 ºC;
- Irregular heartbeat;
- Difficulty breathing.
In these cases, the change in blood pressure may be caused by serious problems such as a heart attack or stroke, for example, and, therefore, it is very important to go to the emergency room quickly or call for medical help by calling 192.
