- Consume smaller meals with less carbohydrate – In order not to experience sudden drops in your blood pressure after eating, you can eat frequently with smaller meals and with low carbohydrate content. This means eating less of bread, pasta rice and potatoes. You can also raise your blood pressure by taking in caffeinated tea or coffee along with your meals to increase your blood pressure even if it’s just on a temporary basis.
- Try to move slowly when you want to change your body position so as to lessen the possibility of lightheadedness and dizziness that can happen among certain hypotensive individuals when they move from a prone to a standing position. If you want to rise from bed in the morning, try not to abruptly stand up from a lying down position. Give yourself a few minutes to breathe deeply and then slowly sit up before standing. Rather than using a pillow to elevate your head and upper body during your sleep use blocks to elevate the head of your bed to make the blood flow from your upper body to your lower body much smoother. When you start to feel dizzy or lightheaded while standing, you can elevate one foot on a chair or stool and lean your body forward as much as you can or cross your thighs in a scissors fashion to help improve circulation from your lower body to your heart.
- Eating a regular healthy diet consisting of foods like fish, lean chicken, vegetables, fruits and whole grains can help improve your blood pressure. Salt is essential in increasing your BP but if you are not fond of putting more salt in your foods, you can use dressings, dips, dry soup mixes and natural soy sauce instead.
- Drinking lots of fluids, except alcohol helps you avoid being dehydrated. Alcohol is actually an agent that causes dehydration in the body.
To better manage your symptoms of orthostatic hypotension, some suggestions can include (in addition to the aforementioned suggestions):
- Wearing compression stockings – This can slow down the flow of blood from your upper body to your lower body. It can also aid in reducing the pooling of blood in your legs enabling you to reduce your likelihood to experience orthostatic hypotension symptoms.
- Do not bend at the waist- Instead of bending your waist to pick up something on the floor just use your knees and squat to pick up the object.
- Exercise – In particular, focus on exercising your calf muscles although it is important to pace yourself and not to move abruptly to prevent any symptoms of orthostatic hypotension.
Eastern Healing Solutions, LLC
10875 Grandview Dr #2250
Overland Park, KS 66210
Phone: (913) 549-4322
www.overlandparkacupuncturist.com