PanicStation.org
UK USA
uk Health & medical scares

What to do if…
you feel faint and your heart races when you stand up

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Sit or lie down immediately to prevent a fall, and raise your legs if you can. Call 999 now if your heartbeat is currently fast, pounding, or irregular and you feel faint, or if you have chest pain, severe breathlessness, new confusion, fainting, or an injury from a fall.

Do not do these things

  • Do not push through it or keep walking to shake it off; that increases the chance of falling.
  • Do not stand up again quickly to test whether it has gone.
  • Do not drive, cycle, climb stairs, use tools, or drive yourself for urgent help while you feel faint or your heart is racing.
  • Do not drink alcohol right now.
  • Do not take extra doses of blood pressure or heart medicines, or stop them suddenly, unless a clinician has told you to.

What to do now

  1. Get safe from falling right now.

    • Sit down immediately, or lie flat if you can.
    • Raise your legs on a chair, cushion, or folded blanket if that feels safe.
    • Keep your head low and avoid standing until the faint feeling has clearly settled.

  2. If you are alone, reduce the chance of injury.

    • Put your phone within reach.
    • Move away from sharp edges, hot drinks, stairs, and hard floors if you can do that safely.
    • Let someone nearby know what is happening, or call someone and keep them on the line.

  3. Check for emergency signs. Call 999 now if any apply.

    • Your heartbeat is currently fast, pounding, fluttering, or irregular and you feel faint, dizzy, short of breath, or have chest pain.
    • You fainted and cannot be woken within 1 minute, have not fully recovered, or have difficulty speaking or moving.
    • You have severe difficulty breathing, chest tightness or heaviness, new confusion, or lips or skin that look very pale, blue, or grey.
    • You have seriously hurt yourself, hit your head, fainted during exercise, or fainted while lying down.

  4. If there are no emergency signs and you are improving, rehydrate cautiously.

    • Sip water.
    • If you have not eaten and you can swallow safely, try a small snack.
    • Stay seated or lying down while you do this.

  5. Before you stand again, make it slow and supported.

    • Move from lying to sitting and pause.
    • Hold something stable before standing.
    • If symptoms have settled, tense your legs and buttocks, pump your ankles, or cross your legs and squeeze for 20 to 30 seconds before standing.

  6. Make one quick note for a clinician.

    • Write down when it happened, what you were doing, and whether it was after getting out of bed, a hot shower, illness, missed food, dehydration, alcohol, or a new medicine or dose change.
    • Note whether you actually fainted, had chest pain, severe breathlessness, an irregular heartbeat, or an injury.

  7. Get medical advice today if it is new, recurrent, or worrying.

    • If the fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat with faintness is happening now, use 999 or A&E rather than waiting.
    • If those symptoms have stopped but this was new, severe, recurrent, or worrying, ask your GP surgery for an urgent appointment, call NHS 111, or use 111 online.
    • If you have fainted, arrange a GP check even if you now feel better.

What can wait

  • You do not need to diagnose the cause right now.
  • You do not need to change your whole diet, start a fitness plan, or work out whether this is anxiety, dehydration, low blood pressure, or a heart rhythm issue today.
  • You do not need to repeatedly stand up to check it; focus on preventing a fall and getting the right level of help if it is new, recurrent, or has red flags.

Important reassurance

Feeling faint on standing with a racing heart can happen for common and treatable reasons, such as not drinking enough, not eating, heat, illness recovery, or standing up too quickly. It is still worth taking seriously, because similar symptoms can also happen with medicine effects, low blood pressure, heart rhythm problems, or other issues that a clinician can check.

Scope note

These are first steps to keep you safe and help you choose the right level of help. If this is recurring, a clinician may check your pulse and blood pressure lying and standing, review medicines, and decide whether blood tests, an ECG, or other checks are needed.

Important note

This is general information, not medical advice, diagnosis, or a substitute for professional care. If you feel severely unwell, have chest pain, severe breathlessness, faint or collapse, have a current fast or irregular heartbeat with feeling faint, become newly confused, or injure yourself in a fall, seek urgent medical help immediately.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

Support us