Another serious cause of a sudden loss of consciousness is a seizure, which is an abnormality of the brain, not related to blood pressure.
Some seizures produce dramatic shaking movements and loss of consciousness for longer than most fainting spells. However, other seizures can be more subtle and hard to recognize as seizures. Sometimes fainting is caused by stimulation of the vagus nerve, which can briefly lower both heart rate and blood pressure.
The condition is called vasovagal syncope SIN-cope-ee. 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. Just before a person faints from vasovagal syncope, he or she often feels nauseated or breaks out in a cold sweat. You may lose consciousness for just a moment if your blood pressure drops when you stand, a condition called orthostatic hypotension.
Gravity temporarily pulls blood down into the veins of your legs and feet. This reduces the amount of blood that returns to the heart and which thereafter can be pumped to your brain. Medications, especially blood pressure drugs, often cause orthostatic hypotension. So can dehydration, thyroid disorders, and neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease. When you arrive at the hospital, clinicians will check your blood pressure and ask what medications you're taking.
They may draw blood or perform an electrocardiogram to check for irregular heartbeats. The cause of your fainting may be evident immediately. Other times, it will require more testing. Young adults with symptoms indicating vasovagal syncope often are not hospitalized. This may lead to orthostatic hypotension. Carotid sinus syndrome: The carotid artery is the main artery that supplies blood to the brain. When there is pressure on the pressure sensors, or carotid sinus, in the carotid artery, it can cause fainting.
This may result in fainting. This is more common among older males. Apart from distinguishing episodes of fainting by their underlying cause, one of two different types of fainting might occur:.
Losing consciousness is the primary symptom of fainting. The following symptoms may occur leading up to a fainting episode:. If a person with an underlying health condition faints, they will require treatment.
This will help prevent future fainting episodes. Often, however, no further treatment is necessary. To help prevent further fainting episodes, people should try to avoid triggers, such as long periods of standing still, dehydration, and spending a lot of time in hot environments. If the sight or thought of injections or blood make a person feel faint, they should tell their doctor or nurse before undergoing a medical procedure that may involve this.
The doctor or nurse can then make sure that the individual is in a safe position, such as lying down, before starting the procedure. People mainly use beta-blockers to treat high blood pressure. However, some adverse effects of beta-blockers include fatigue , cold hands and feet, a slow heartbeat and pulse, nausea, and diarrhea. People who feel themselves becoming faint should do the following :.
If a person notices that somebody is fainting or about to faint, they can intervene in the following ways:. Here, learn more about how to perform CPR. A fainting episode may be the symptom of a more severe underlying condition, such as stroke.
If the person experiences numbness in the face, paralysis, weakness, numbness in one arm, or slurred speech, they need emergency medical help. The doctor will listen to the heart to check for underlying cardiac conditions. New guidelines are released explaining why people faint and what medical tests they should get after a fainting episode. Blackouts can happen when you drink alcohol to excess. Learn what causes the blackout, how blacking out can affect you in the long term, and more.
Feeling dizzy? Read on to learn about how to get rid of dizziness and what may be causing it. Some quick remedies to try at home include staying…. Hair-grooming syncope is when you faint during hair grooming activities like combing, brushing, and cutting. Learn what causes this type of syncope…. If you have low blood pressure, you may want to consider changing your diet. Learn which foods to eat and what to avoid. Fainting happens when the amount of blood flow to your brain suddenly drops.
This can happen for many reasons, some of which are preventable. Head rushes are caused by a rapid drop in your blood pressure when you stand up. Most people experience occasional head rushes, and they generally…. Syncope is a loss of consciousness that happens due to a decrease in blood flow to your brain.
It is more commonly known as fainting, and can happen…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Be sure to stand up again slowly when you feel better — move to a sitting position for several minutes first, then to standing. Sit down with your head lowered forward between your knees.
This will also help blood get to the brain, though it's not as good as lying down. When you feel better, move slowly into an upright seated position, then stand. Don't let yourself get dehydrated. Drink enough liquids throughout the day. Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after exercise and in hot weather. Keep blood circulating. If you have to stand or sit for a long time, take breaks often and move around. Regularly tense your leg muscles or cross your legs to help improve blood flow.
Avoid overheated, cramped, or stuffy environments , whenever possible. When Should I Call the Doctor?
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