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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 USA guide

Short answer

Sit or lie down immediately to prevent a fall, ideally with your legs raised. Call 911 if you have chest pain, severe shortness of breath, stroke-like symptoms, fainting with injury or poor recovery, severe weakness, or you cannot stay safely awake.

Do not do these things

  • Do not try to walk it off or keep moving if you feel like you may faint.
  • Do not stand up again quickly to test whether it has passed.
  • Do not drive, cycle, climb, use stairs alone, or shower alone until you are steady.
  • Do not drink alcohol right now.
  • Do not take extra blood pressure or heart medication, and do not stop prescribed medicines suddenly, unless a clinician specifically told you to.

What to do now

  1. Prevent a fall immediately.

    • Sit down or lie flat right away.
    • If you can, raise your legs on a pillow, chair, or wall for a few minutes.
    • Stay away from hard edges, stairs, hot showers, and anything you could fall from.

  2. If you are alone, set up a safety backstop.

    • Keep your phone in your hand.
    • Unlock the door if it is safe to do that.
    • Call someone nearby to come to you or stay on the phone if you feel faint again.

  3. Call 911 now if any emergency signs are present.

    • Chest pain, pressure, or tightness.
    • Severe shortness of breath, new confusion, or sudden loss of responsiveness.
    • Sudden face drooping, one-sided weakness, trouble speaking, sudden vision change, severe sudden headache, or trouble walking.
    • Fainting with injury, fainting during exertion, fainting followed by poor recovery, or a serious fall or head injury.
    • Symptoms that are severe or rapidly worsening.
    • Do not drive yourself if these are happening.

  4. If you are improving and can swallow safely, rehydrate.

    • Sip water slowly.
    • If you have been sweating, vomiting, having diarrhea, not eating, or not drinking much, an oral rehydration drink may help.

  5. Before standing again, move in stages.

    • Go from lying down to sitting, then pause.
    • Sit for a minute or two before standing.
    • Stand while holding something stable.
    • Before standing, pump your ankles, tense your leg and buttock muscles, or cross your legs and squeeze briefly.

  6. Make a quick note for medical care.

    • Write down when it happened, how long it lasted, and what you were doing just before it started.
    • Note whether it followed heat, a hot shower, illness, dehydration, skipped meals, alcohol, a new medicine, or a dose change.
    • Note whether you had palpitations, chest symptoms, shortness of breath, confusion, vision changes, or actual fainting.

  7. Get medical advice if this is new, recurring, or interfering with normal activity.

    • Contact a primary care clinician, urgent care, or a nurse advice line as soon as you can.
    • Ask what level of care is appropriate, especially if you fainted, had ongoing palpitations, recently changed medication, are pregnant, have heart disease, or feel unsafe waiting.

What can wait

  • You do not need to figure out the exact cause right now.
  • You do not need to start salt-loading, supplements, compression gear, or major diet changes today unless a clinician has already told you to.
  • You do not need to repeatedly stand up to test yourself.
  • You do not need to decide today whether this is dehydration, low blood pressure, POTS, anxiety, or a heart rhythm issue.

Important reassurance

Feeling faint when standing can happen for reasons that are not dangerous, such as dehydration, heat, standing quickly, or recovering from illness. It still deserves care and caution because falls can injure you, and similar symptoms can overlap with medication effects, low blood pressure, heart rhythm problems, or other treatable conditions.

Scope note

These are first steps to prevent injury and help you choose the right level of care. Later decisions may need a clinician, who may check pulse and blood pressure lying down, sitting, and standing, review medicines, and decide whether further testing is needed.

Important note

This is general information, not medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or a substitute for professional care. If you have chest pain, severe shortness of breath, fainting with injury or poor recovery, collapse, new confusion, stroke-like symptoms, signs of a serious fall or head injury, or you feel too unwell to stay safe, call 911 or seek emergency care.

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.

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