FAQ
I am a healthy 23 year old male, I do regular exercise and I eat healthily however when I get up suddenly, such as in the mornings or when I've been sitting down for a long time, I often feel dizzy and faint. Is this normal?
As long as you are fit and healthy - you have nothing to worry about. I would suggest that as you are reasonably fit you may have a low resting heart rate, in turn this may mean you have slightly low blood pressure, when upon standing could cause a sudden rush of blood from your head, making you feel like you're about to lose consciousness. When this happens, slowly sit or lie down and the problem should resolve itself within a few minutes.
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I often feel short of breath and have chest pains when I do exercise - what is wrong with me?
If you have recently started doing more exercise than usual this could be the cause, however I would suggest you consult your GP as it could be an underlying cardiac problem, such as a heart block or a build of fatty deposits in your arteries.
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I am getting into my mid forties and I am concerned about my heart. What can I do to protect it?
Well, there are many things that make for a healthy heart, such as:
- Maintaining a healthy diet, eating foods high in fibre but low in LDLs and high in HDLs
- Regular cardiovascular exercise, you should be aiming to raise you heart rate to 60% of it's max. heart rate up to 5 times a week
- Avoid drugs of abuse that intefere with your heart, like amphetamines such as cocaine.