Remedies for Low Blood Pressure 🆙

Low blood pressure is an annoying and sometimes disabling condition.
It mainly affects women, especially fertile ones.

In most cases it is considered a physiological condition, but at certain levels of severity it can be considered a pathology.
The symptoms of low blood pressure appear more prominently based on the level of severity; however the subjective predisposition plays a fundamental role.
Blood pressure is considered “low” when the systolic (maximum) and diastolic (minimum) parameters drop below 90 and 60 mmHg.
It exhibits different levels of severity and becomes dangerous when it drops below the limits of 50 and 33 mmHg.

What to do

The first step is to recognize the symptoms:

Exhaustion.
Asthenia.
Drowsiness.
Poor mental clarity.
Dizziness.
Fainting.
Shock (very rarely).

When faced with the typical symptoms of hypotension, it is good to measure your blood pressure at home or in the pharmacy, or go directly to your doctor.
Once one or more of the hypotensive symptoms have been identified, the doctor will rule out the presence of other disorders that can cause similar symptoms (e.g. hypoglycemia, psychosomatic reactions, dehydration, hypokalaemia, anemia, combination of several factors, etc.).

WARNING! Diagnosis can only be made by the doctor. However, remember that hypotension is often caused or aggravated by one or more metabolic factors.

With a certain diagnosis of low blood pressure it becomes necessary to intervene on the triggering or potentially responsible causes:

Frequent environments with moderate temperatures. The perception of heat decreases the pressure because:

Increases sweating, facilitating fluid loss and consequently reducing blood plasma.
It causes significant peripheral vasodilation.

In case of diarrhea and / or vomiting, treat the triggering agent (infections, motion sickness, etc.):

They cause dehydration and loss of mineral salts.
They cause malabsorption.

Quickly prevent or compensate for hypos:

They cause some identical symptoms.
They reduce the osmotic concentration of the plasma and facilitate diuresis, reducing the plasma volume (consequently the pressure).
They worsen brain efficiency and aggravate symptoms.

Prevent or compensate for anemia:

It causes some identical symptoms.
The reduction of proteins and corpuscles in the blood decreases the oncotic pressure of the plasma, favoring diuresis and reducing the pressure.

Adhere to a balanced diet and prevent the accumulation of ketone bodies:

They have a diuretic action and facilitate the reduction of plasma volume by reducing pressure.

Treat or compensate for diseases such as:

Heart failure (e.g. heart failure).
Neurological disorders (e.g. neurodegenerative diseases).
Hormonal dysfunction (excess of ADH) etc.

Practicing regular physical activity:

It stimulates circulation and stabilizes blood pressure. However, it is necessary to keep an eye on the level of sweating.

What NOT to do

Ignore the symptoms: Low blood pressure rarely occurs violently and without warning. This means that it is necessary to give due importance to the symptoms, compensating for it as soon as possible.
Don't measure your blood pressure.
Do not contact your doctor: we have already explained that the symptoms of hypotension are not characteristic. The risk is to incorrectly treat the condition responsible for the symptomatological picture.
Frequent environments that are too hot.

WARNING! Recall that the perception of heat and sweating are extremely subjective parameters.

Not treating diarrhea and / or vomiting or not compensating for the resulting nutritional losses.
Neglecting hypoglycemic crises.
Neglecting anemia.
Follow ketogenic diets.
Do not cure any diseases.
Be sedentary.
Excess with sport, especially in the hottest hours of the summer months and without properly compensating for the hydrosaline losses.
Take diuretics.
Follow drug therapies for high blood pressure, heart, antidepressants, etc. which aggravate hypotension. The solution may be to change the type of drug.

What to eat

Several causes of low blood pressure are food-related. On the other hand, the diet is not always a definitive cure.
Individual predisposition is difficult to counter by modifying only the lifestyle and nutritional regime. Furthermore, the low blood pressure diet it does not have the same effect on all people and varies according to the etiology of hypotension.
The most important measures to be taken in case of hypotension are:

If ABSENT, add a little salt to the diet. This can be discretionary (added to the dish), be part of the recipes or re-enter the production cycle of the food (especially the preserved ones).

WARNING! However, it is advisable not to exceed with cold cuts, aged cheeses and snacks, in order to avoid: hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, the accumulation of nitrates, etc.

Chew natural licorice sticks.
Promote the consumption of soft drinks, especially: mineral water, non-diuretic fruit and vegetable centrifuged, isotonic drinks, etc.
It is very useful to consume numerous and not very abundant meals; this habit facilitates the stabilization of blood sugar and prevents the digestive system from appropriating large quantities of blood, compromising the general blood flow.
Increase the intake of iron (necessary for the synthesis of hemoglobin), vitamin C (which optimizes the absorption of iron), vitamin B12 and folic acid (also useful for the synthesis of hemoglobin) to prevent anemia:

To ensure the supply of iron, especially heme and ferrous (more bioavailable), it is necessary to eat:

Muscle tissue: both of terrestrial and aquatic animals: horse, bovine, swine, avian, fish, whole molluscs (including land snails), whole crustaceans, etc.
Eggs: any, especially the yolk.
Offal and other fifth quarter: especially spleen and liver, but also marrow, diaphragm, heart, etc.

To ensure the supply of vitamin C, citric acid and fructose, it is necessary to eat:

Sweet and sour fruit: lemon, grapefruit, orange, mandarin, clementine, kiwi, cherries, strawberries etc.
Vegetables and tubers: parsley, pepper, lettuce, spinach, radicchio, broccoli, tomato, potato, etc.

To ensure the supply of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) it is necessary to eat:

The same foods as a source of heme iron. In addition, bacteria and yeasts are rich in vitamins.

To ensure the folic acid supply it is necessary to eat: liver, vegetables (eg tomatoes), sweet fruit (orange, apple, etc.) and legumes (eg beans).

NB. Folic acid and vitamin C are thermolabile molecules and degrade with cooking. This means that to ensure its intake it is advisable to eat part of the specific foods in raw form.

What NOT to Eat

Avoid too large meals: digestion requires blood, especially if overloaded.
Avoid low-glucose diets: the lack of sugars forces the body to metabolize only amino acids and fatty acids, producing ketone bodies. These molecules are toxic and the body eliminates them mainly in the urine; obviously, an excess of ketone bodies causes the increase of filtration, with the worsening of the low pressure.
Avoid some drinks, such as:

Minimally mineralized water: diuretic and low in minerals useful for counteracting hypotension.
Very hypertonic solutions: they can cause diarrhea.
Diuretic drinks (herbal teas, decoctions, etc.): increase urine excretion and dehydration.

Eliminate alcoholic beverages: alcohol exerts an immediate function of vasodilatation and increases diuresis, worsening hypotension.
Exclude all unnecessary food supplements: excess molecules must be expelled by renal filtration; however, this procedure also requires the expulsion of water and can aggravate hypotension.
Limit foods containing anti-nutritional molecules as much as possible. In particular, iron absorption can be reduced by mineral chelators, such as:

Oxalic acid and oxalates: present in spinach, rhubarb, bran, cabbage, etc. (they degrade with cooking).
Phytic acid and phytates: present in bran and undercooked legumes (they degrade with cooking).
Excess of tannins: present in most fruits and vegetables, but abundant especially in: black wine, unripe persimmons, some herbs and phytotherapeutic extracts (oak, acacia, chestnut) etc.

Natural Cures and Remedies

In addition to diet, other natural remedies for low blood pressure are:

Licorice roots: thanks to the glycyrizin they exert a moderately hypertensive role. They should be chewed between meals.
Hydrosaline supplements: rich in sodium and potassium, they can promote the increase in plasma volume and decrease the severity of hypotension.
Small amounts of caffeine or theobromine or theophylline: they have a vasoconstricting effect that can slightly increase blood pressure. On the contrary, the excess increases diuresis favoring dehydration.
Some argue that, despite having an immediate vasodilating effect, the daily use of chili peppers can exert a normotensive effect.
Medical and officinal herbs:

Herbal teas based on mistletoe and hawthorn: they are normotensive and have a positive effect on the high one but also on the low one.
Hawthorn and valerian extract: theoretically, by improving the efficiency of the myocardium, they should be able to reduce the severity of hypotension.
Swedish bitter: it is a herbal recipe in an alcoholic solution with numerous beneficial properties. Contains: aloe, myrrh, saffron, angelica root, rhubarb root, carlina root, cassia leaves, turmeric root, natural camphor, venetian theriacea and manna. Use a teaspoon diluted in a glass of water to be taken before main meals.

Honey therapy according to R. Willfort: it has no relevant scientific evidence but some claim to find an improvement in hypotension.

FRISAFRAN offers pure organic licorice root sticks. They should be stored in a cool and dry place, away from sunlight which could damage them and can be kept for up to 2 years after opening. These licorice roots can be munched, but also used to make infusions. The package is 100 gr. Reviews are generally good, although there are users who point out that not all packages have the same pleasant taste.

Supradyn is a saline supplement of magnesium and potassium, enriched by the addition of vitamins. The product in question is vegan and does not contain gluten, lactose and sugar. Its intake is particularly suitable in the summer to maintain the hydrosaline balance. The added vitamins are those of Group B and Vitamin C, very useful for what concerns the energy metabolism because they help us to fight the feeling of tiredness and fatigue. Reviews are generally pretty good and the Supradyn acknowledges this ability to fight fatigue.

The hydroalcoholic solution of hawthorn from Erbecedario is useful in case of agitation. It is easy to dose because the package is equipped with a dropper. It is recommended to take it after meals. It fights: stress, restless sleep, agitation and promotes the cardiovascular system. The product contains: Ethyl alcohol, water, Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha L.) flowers and leaves 25% and should be stored in a cool and dark place. Inside there are the following active ingredients:

Flavonoids
Essential oil
Procianidine oligomeriche
Triterpene compounds, amines

User reviews are absolutely positive, because they consider the product to be very effective.

Pharmacological treatment

Erythropoietin: promotes the increase of red blood cells with a consequent increase in blood pressure and reduction of any severe anemia:

Epoetin (e.g. Eprex Alfa, Neo-Recormon, Binocrit, Abseamed).

Corticosteroids: prevent the loss of mineral salts:

Fludrocortisone (for example Florinef): used for the treatment of Addison's disease and to increase blood pressure in the context of pathological hypotension.

Vasopressors: promote vasoconstriction and increase pressure:

Midodrine (e.g. Gutron): 10 mg of active orally, three times a day.
Norepinephrine or noradrenaline (for example Noradr Con FN): is a catecholamine that increases blood pressure. Therapy can be started with 2-4 mcg of drug per minute.
Phenylephrine (e.g. Isonephrine, Fenil CL DYN, Triaminic FLU, Nasomixin CM): to be taken subcutaneously or intramuscularly at a dose of 2-5 mg every 1-2 hours.
Ethylephrine (e.g. Effortil): available in drops (each gram of product corresponds to 15 drops, and is equivalent to 7,5 mg of active ingredient), in 5 mg tablets, in 25 mg capsules or in solution for injection (10 mg ). It is used for the treatment of orthostatic hypotension.

Antidiuretic hormone: Since hypotension can lead to nocturia, this drug can reduce the need to urinate at night.

Vasopressin (eg Pitressin): is not available in some country.
Desmopressin (for example Minirin / Dvap): it is an analogue of the previous one. 0,2-0,6 mg should be taken once daily before sleep.
Anti-parkinson drugs: they increase blood pressure and decrease symptoms. The choice depends on the severity of the hypotension.