Fainting: What you need to know about it

Aug 30, 2015 News

By Dr Zulfikar Bux
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

Fainting is known medically as Syncope and is a very common presentation that you may witness or encounter at some point in life. It affects 3% of men and 3.5% of women at some point in life.
Fainting is more common as you get older and affects up to 6% of people over age 75. The condition can occur at any age and happens in people with and without other medical problems.
For the rest of our discussion we will use the medical term Syncope instead of fainting.
WHAT CAUSES SYNCOPE?
Syncope happens when the brain temporarily doesn’t get enough blood. One of the most common reasons this happens is called “vasovagal syncope.” If you have vasovagal syncope, your body has a reaction in which your heart beats too slowly or your blood vessels expand (or both). This can happen for lots of different kinds of reasons.
People can have vasovagal syncope if they:
%Have stress from fear or pain (for example, because they are injured or have blood taken for tests)
%Stand for too long or are over-tired or overheated
%Have an unusual reaction to urinating, coughing, or other body functions
Sometimes vasovagal syncope happens with no clear cause.
People can also have syncope that is not vasovagal. This can happen due to the following problems:
%The heart beats too quickly or too slowly because of problems with the heart’s electrical system or because of side effects from some medicines.
%Something blocks the flow of blood in the heart. This can happen in people who have conditions called “aortic stenosis” (a valve disease) or “hypertrophic cardiomyopathy” (a heart muscle disease).
%Your blood pressure drops when you stand or sit up. That can happen if you:
%Do not drink enough water
%Take certain medicines that cause your blood pressure to drop
%Drink alcohol
%Lose a lot of blood (for example, if you get hurt)
%Have a medical condition that affects your blood pressure
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SYNCOPE?
The most common symptoms of syncope include:
· Blacking out
· Feeling lightheaded
· Falling for no reason
· Feeling dizzy
· Feeling drowsy or groggy
· Fainting, especially after eating or exercising
· Feeling unsteady or weak when standing
· Changes in vision, such as seeing spots or having tunnel vision
· Headaches
Many times, patients feel an episode of syncope coming on. They have what are called “premonitory symptoms,” such as feeling lightheaded, nauseous, and heart palpitations (irregular heartbeats that feel like “fluttering” in the chest). If you have syncope, you will likely be able to keep from fainting if you sit or lie down and put your legs up if you experience these symptoms.
IS SYNCOPE DANGEROUS?
In many cases it is not dangerous. But it can be dangerous if you fall and hurt yourself when you faint. It can also be dangerous if you faint while driving. To be safe, check with your doctor or nurse before you start driving again after you faint.
WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR
Anyone who faints should see a doctor. Most cases of syncope are not serious. But people can get hurt when they faint. Plus, in some cases syncope may be caused by a serious medical condition that should be treated. Knowing what caused you to faint can help you prevent it from happening again.
Tell your doctor what happened before, during, and after you fainted. If someone was with you when you fainted, that person might be able to tell you what happened.
The following information is helpful:
% What were you doing before you passed out?
% How were you feeling before you passed out?
% How long were you passed out?
% How well did you recover?
% Any past history of fainting?
% A list of the medicines you take
% Any medical conditions you might have
HOW IS SYNCOPE TREATED?
That depends on what is causing your syncope. In many cases, the main treatment is to avoid the situations that cause syncope. In less common cases, other treatment might be needed. For example, you might need a pacemaker if your heart beats too slowly and this causes syncope.
A vital learning point to note is that fainting is not always normal and the older we get the more likely of it being a serious cause.

Latest News

Fainting: What you need to know about it

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 27th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Savory (95), Anderson (87) century stand bails Harpy Eagles out of...

Slingerz FC assembles powerhouse squad for GFF...

Project “Cricket Gear for young and promising...

Everest CC extends best wishes to Looknauth on...

Sir Clyde Walcott: the captain who led British...

Berbice Cricket Board names squad for senior...

Features/Columnists

Show us the numbers!

OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus

Drill, baby, drill – brick walls and politics

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Fainting: What you need to know about it

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 27th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]