Health is represented objectively, in numeric units known as 'hit points' or 'hearts'. Most characters in Spelunky have a finite number of hit points (HP) which are lost when they take damage. When a character runs out of HP, they die. Damage can result from a wide range of sources - either from being attacked by a monster, getting caught in a trap or by falling from a great height. Note: If the character has more that 99 health, it is possible to survive spikes.