Fainting is a common phenomenon in life, occurring when a person loses consciousness because the brain does not receive enough oxygen. People with fainting will recover on their own after the brain recovers completely, although it is not serious, the patient needs to find out the cause of fainting to prevent other medical problems. Let’s find out what causes fainting in this article!
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What is fainting?
Fainting, also known as unconsciousness, is a condition in which a person loses consciousness for a short time due to low blood pressure that prevents blood from reaching the brain, or because the heart cannot pump enough oxygenated blood to the brain.
People often fall to the ground when they suddenly faint, however, this is different from seizures that cause the patient to convulse, after fainting, the patient will regain consciousness after a few seconds and feel normal. come back, many cases feel very tired after waking up.
If the patient suddenly faints, there is a cause, due to pain or standing for a long time in a hot environment. Therefore, anyone is at risk of fainting in daily life.
According to statistics, about 95% of patients have their first fainting before the age of 40, and if the first sudden fainting occurs after the age of 40, it is most likely related to some medical problem, the elderly, fainting. It is usually caused by heart disease, low blood pressure, or a side effect of medication.
What causes fainting?
There are many reasons why people suddenly faint, but some of the most common include:
Sudden neurologically mediated syncope: Also known as vagal syncope, is the most common cause in patients, can occur in many different situations such as extreme fear, pain, panic or mental breakdown, strenuous exercise, vomiting, or wearing a high-collar shirt that suffocates the neck. Accompanied by fainting is the expression of paleness, and sweating.
Orthostatic hypotension: A drop in blood pressure during postural changes (e.g. prolonged standing, use of antihypertensive drugs, or neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or after a large meal) can also cause fainting suddenly.
Fainting due to cardiovascular disease: Some heart problems or a family history of sudden death can also cause a person to faint, fainting that occurs after chest pain or palpitations, after exertion.
In addition, patients may experience fainting from other causes including seizures, anxiety-related neuropsychiatric syncope, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), lack of oxygen, and rapid breathing (hyperventilation), falling, being hit in the head, drinking too much alcohol, or have a stroke.
Who is at risk of fainting?
Anyone of any age is at risk of fainting. However, if you fall into one of the following cases, the risk of fainting will be higher, specifically:
- Donate blood without eating
- Standing for too long or lying down for too long and then getting up suddenly
- Patients with heart disease or other diseases
- Foolproof
- Chronic low blood pressure
Tests to do when fainting
When the patient faints, the doctor will perform some first-aid movements for fainting, and when the patient regains consciousness, he will conduct a clinical examination.
The patient will be asked about the medications he is taking, the signs before fainting, how he feels when he wakes up, etc. Next, the doctor will give the patient a number of tests to check the heart, blood pressure, or electrocardiogram (ECG), in many cases, blood tests may be needed to screen for anemia and diabetes. Further tests of the heart and nervous system are also sometimes required.
Ways to treat fainting
Usually, people with sudden fainting will recover on their own after the cerebral circulation is restored, in case the fainting is caused by the heart not pumping enough blood, more tests are needed to check.
Treatment for fainting will depend on the cause of the fainting, and the patient may be asked to keep a diary of events that occur. If the fainting episode recurs or the patient cannot fully recover from the syncope, it is necessary to notify the doctor immediately, for timely treatment.
For people who often faint, it is possible to re-establish life habits to limit the condition by:
- Drink enough water
- Do not starve
- When you feel like fainting, you should sit down or lie down immediately so that the blood can reach the brain
- Raise the head of the bed
- Wear medical stockings
- Do leg cross exercises and arm stretch
Final thought
Fainting is not life-threatening, but it can be an early warning sign of many other diseases, so when fainting frequently, patients should go directly to the hospital for medical attention. Doctors check and promptly intervene when detecting other dangerous diseases, absolutely do not be subjective with their health.
Top News hopes this article can help you learn more about what causes fainting and wishes your health is always good!
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