Most people will recover quickly after fainting once they lie down as more blood flows to the brain. It also helps to loosen any constrictive clothing. After they wake up, have them stay lying down or sitting for a while longer until they're feeling better.
Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness. Normal awareness returns in less than 1 minute if the person is allowed to lie down.
lie down with your legs raised – if you cannot do this, then sit with your head lowered between your knees. drink some water. eat something. take some deep breaths.
Some jerky movements may occur, especially if the person is still sitting or slouched with their head higher than their body. When coming round after a faint, the person often feels awful, sickly and may vomit, or even have diarrhoea. Often there is prolonged fatigue after a faint.
Learn the early warning signs for fainting. They are feeling dizzy, blurry vision, and nausea. If you feel these warning signs, lie down right away. If you can only sit, put your head down by your knees.
' If you have fainted, you should see a physician or visit an emergency room right away to identify the cause of your fainting and to ensure you do not have a serious underlying condition. Generally, fainting indicates a drop in blood pressure resulting in too little blood (and, hence, oxygen) reaching your brain.
The most common reason for fainting is a sudden drop in blood pressure, which reduces blood flow and oxygen to your brain. There are many reasons why a drop in blood pressure could lead to a temporary loss of consciousness: Cardiac syncope: This type of syncope involves fainting because of a heart problem.
In an otherwise healthy person, fainting may not be cause for alarm. But in rare cases, it can be a sign of a serious underlying health condition. Syncope is usually caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure or heart rate that causes decreased blood flow to the brain.
Most fainting will pass quickly and won't be serious. Usually, a fainting episode will only last a few seconds, although it will make the person feel unwell and recovery may take several minutes. If a person doesn't recover quickly, always seek urgent medical attention.
Most often, there is a warning prodrome, consisting of nausea, sweating, pallor, feeling of warmth, tingling of extremities, “graying out” and/or tunnel vision. This prodrome usually affords the patient a warning, allowing time to brace for a fall, thereby preventing serious injury.
Minor causes
It can occur if you strain while having a bowel movement (or, for men, while passing urine), have blood drawn, get an injection, hear bad news, or even laugh too hard. These kinds of fainting episodes commonly affect young people but can occur in older adults.
If someone faints:
Lay them down. Kneel by them. Raise their legs. Give them fresh air and monitor them.
Fainting, also called syncope, is a period of temporary loss of consciousness that happens when the blood flow to the brain is reduced.
Situational syncope (a type of vasovagal syncope). Postural or orthostatic syncope (also called postural hypotension).
Fainting becomes a more serious concern when it happens to people who have a prior history of a heart attack, people who have had heart surgery, or those who have heart disease or an irregular heart rhythm. In those situations, fainting could be a sign of a heart problem requiring treatment.
Although most strokes do not cause fainting, a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) that involves certain blood vessels at the base of the brain (posterior circulation stroke) can cause fainting. Similarly, a migraine that involves these blood vessels sometimes causes fainting.
During attacks, you may look pale and feel sweaty. Your eyes will usually stay open.
Fainting spells can sometimes be the first warning sign of an undiagnosed heart disease. Heart conditions associated with fainting can include: Arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, including bradycardia (too slow) or tachycardia (too fast)
Syncope is also known as fainting or a blackout. It's an abrupt and short-term loss of consciousness and motor tone. It's often caused by a sudden drop in blood flow to the brain or a lack of oxygen to the brain. It's then followed by complete and often rapid spontaneous recovery.
Syncope is also called fainting or "passing out." It most often occurs when blood pressure is too low (a condition called hypotension) and the heart doesn't pump enough oxygen to the brain. It can be harmless or a symptom of an underlying medical condition.
Of these, reflex-mediated syncope is the most common. Although syncope is short, impaired blood supply during syncope reduces the delivery of oxygen and other essential nutrients, such as glucose, to the brain. We believe that this may damage brain structures and impair brain function.
Some people know when they are going to faint because they have symptoms beforehand, such as feeling weak, nauseated, hot or dizzy. After they regain consciousness, they may feel confused, dizzy or ill for a while but recover fairly soon. A person who faints usually will not suffer any long-term health effects.
If you're about to faint, you'll feel dizzy, lightheaded, or nauseous. Your field of vision may "white out" or "black out." Your skin may be cold and clammy. You lose muscle control at the same time, and may fall down.