If you suffer from episodes of fainting, the type of treatment your doctor offers will depend on the cause of your fainting spells and how often you experience them. Other common causes include heart problems, low blood sugar, panic disorder, seizure disorders, neurological disorders, substance use disorders, and some prescription medications. If you know your triggers, take preventive measures to avoid fainting or to avoid falling if you do faint. For example, if having your blood drawn is a trigger, ask to lie down during the procedure. If you’ve fainted before due to dehydration, make sure you drink enough water or other liquids throughout the day. Fainting due to vasovagal syncope is often preceded by feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or nauseous.

In addition to the previously listed types of fainting with their own causes, other conditions and activities can also cause you to lose consciousness. Syncope episodes can be caused due to hyperventilation, heart muscle or blood vessel problems, and conditions that may cause unusual patterns of stimulation to particular nerves. Most of the time, people feel warning signs before experiencing a fainting episode. Cardiac syncope occurs when an underlying heart issue reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.

• Generally, your memory of those events will come back within 5-30 minutes, once the postictal state is over.
• Sometimes, the events can come back to you with a cue that sparks your memory.
• While fainting is often harmless, it can sometimes be a sign of an underlying heart disease or heart condition.
• If you have a history of fainting, know what triggers an episode and try to avoid it.

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Occasional episodes of vasovagal syncope are rarely a cause for concern. But if they happen often, it’s a good idea to see a doctor to rule out more serious underlying causes. Imaging methods, such as brain tomography, can also help identify neurological causes like stroke or seizures. Syncope, commonly known as fainting, is a temporary loss of consciousness caused by a brief decrease in blood flow to the brain. It is important to seek medical attention if you experience faints. If the feeling doesn’t pass in a few minutes, or you begin to experience chest pain or shortness of breath, call 911.

Seizures

It also can be related to health conditions like carotid artery stenosis (blockage). It’s not unusual for people to experience symptoms of dizziness or nausea, and feel as if they might pass out without fully losing consciousness, too. While a person may recover quickly by lying flat and elevating their legs, it’s important to be sure the underlying cause of their syncope is identified.

If these episodes are under a doctor’s supervision and the person takes necessary precautions against fainting, syncope may not be an urgent issue. Syncope is a condition that occurs due to a temporary reduction in blood flow to the brain, commonly referred to as fainting. Since it may be a sign of a serious underlying condition, individuals experiencing fainting episodes should consult a well-equipped healthcare facility. Syncope is the broad medical term for fainting, which has many causes. This temporary loss of consciousness follows a drop in blood flow to your brain.

Types of syncope (fainting)

• Syncope is the broad medical term for fainting, which has many causes.
• But your brain is impaired and does not record your memories during this time.
• A provider may recommend you find out the cause and get treatment before driving.
• Ask anyone who may have seen you faint describe to you what they saw.

Identifying and avoiding triggers for a fainting spell can help to prevent them happening. It isn’t the same thing as a seizure but it is common to get “jerky” movements even in a simple faint, especially if sitting or slumped with the head up. You come around after a few seconds and feel back to normal.

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People with a heart or neurologic issue need to follow up with a provider who can help. While most cases of fainting are not serious, they can become life-threatening for individuals with irregular heartbeats or neurological conditions. Those with heart or neurological problems need to seek guidance from a healthcare professional. To diagnose the cause of your fainting, your physician will first take your medical history. They will ask you about your symptoms, fainting: causes, symptoms and when to see a doctor what you were doing when you passed out, and if you are taking any medications or have any underlying conditions. CVG’s twenty board-certified heart doctors will guide you through your healthcare journey with the utmost compassion and individual attention.

Approximately 3.5% of women and 3% of men experience fainting at some point in their lives. The frequency of syncope complaints increases with age, and the incidence can rise to 6% in people over the age of 75. Other causes include epileptic seizures, syncope due to anxiety (psychogenic pseudosyncope) and other rare causes of faints. If you have it for the first time after 40, it is more likely to be due to a serious underlying problem. The most common cause is a common faint, also called neurally mediated syncope (NMS). Fainting happens because the brain needs a constant supply of oxygen.

What Happens When You Faint? Understanding Syncope

The bottom line is that you need medical evaluation if you faint—or if you feel repeatedly as if you are about to faint. Note carefully any symptoms you remember before or after you pass out. Ask anyone who may have seen you faint describe to you what they saw. While often the cause of fainting is something minor, fainting also can be a sign of a serious underlying medical concern. The problem is that you can’t evaluate yourself, and you should let a physician determine if fainting is worrisome or not.

Home Remedies for Syncope

This article has been reviewed for accuracy by one of the licensed medical doctors working for Doctronic. Always discuss health information with your healthcare provider. Fainting is a sudden, usually temporary loss of consciousness often caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. Lying or sitting down (and even falling) quickly restores blood flow to the brain, allowing blood pressure to return to normal.

For comparison, 15% to 20% of adults experience dizziness each year. Identifying the exact cause is the key to getting successful treatment and starting to feel better. If your dizziness is related to a balance disorder, such as BPPV, a doctor will likely recommend rehabilitation.