Fainting, also called syncope, is a sudden brief loss of consciousness and posture caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. Many different conditions can lead to fainting. These include irregular heartbeats, seizures, low blood sugar, heart problems such as anemia (lack of healthy oxygen-carrying cells) and problems with the nervous system's regulation of blood pressure. Some types of fainting run in families.
While fainting can indicate a specific medical condition, it can sometimes occur in a healthy individual. Fainting is a particular problem for the elderly, who can be seriously injured by a fall when they faint. In most cases, the person who faints regains full consciousness in just a few minutes.
Syncope (fainting) is a common problem, accounting for 3% of emergency room visits and 6% of hospital admissions. Fainting can also occur in healthy people. People may occasionally experience a feeling of faintness, dizziness (presyncope) or loss of consciousness.
A person may experience a simple fainting spell due to anxiety, fear, pain, high emotional distress, hunger or alcohol or substance abuse. Many people with simple fainting do not have an underlying cardiac or neurological problem.
Why does fainting occur?
Fainting can have various causes. A simple episode, also called a vasovagal episode or neurally mediated syncope, is the most common type of fainting episode. It is most common in children and young adults. A vasovagal episode is caused by a decrease in blood pressure, reduced circulation to the brain and loss of consciousness.
Some people may have a problem with the way their body regulates their blood pressure, especially when they suddenly change from a lying or sitting position to a standing position. This is called postural hypotension and can be severe enough to cause syncope. This type of fainting is more common in older people, people who have recently suffered a long-term illness, and people with poor muscle tone. In addition, the factors that cause fainting are as follows;
Autonomic nervous system diseases: The autonomic nervous system is a part of the nervous system that controls involuntary vital functions such as the beating of the heart, the level of narrowness of blood vessels and breathing. Autonomic nervous system problems include acute or subacute dysotonia, chronic post-ganglionic autonomic failure and chronic pre-ganglionic autonomic failure. If a person has one of these problems, they are likely to have other symptoms, such as erectile dysfunction (inability to get or keep an erection), loss of bladder and bowel control, loss of the usual reflexes of the pupils of the eyes or decreased sweating.
Medication: Some hypertension medications that affect the blood vessels can make fainting more likely. However, dehydration, another condition that can affect blood flow in the body and therefore blood pressure, can also make fainting more likely.
Heart or blood vessel problems that block blood flow to the brain: These can include heart block (a problem with the electrical impulses that control the heart muscle), problems with the sinus node (a special area that helps your heart beat), heart arrhythmia (an irregular heart rhythm), a blood clot in the heart. Problems with the lungs, an abnormally narrow aortic valve or some other problems with the structure of the heart can also increase the chance of fainting.
Conditions that can cause unusual stimulation patterns in certain nerves: Fainting during or after urination, fainting due to inflammation and pain in a certain nerve to the mouth, cough syncope and yawning syncope (fainting caused by stretching the neck and arms) can also increase the risk of fainting.
Hyperventilation: Fainting can occur due to hyperventilation (taking in too much oxygen and getting rid of too much carbon dioxide too quickly), intense anxiety or panic, and breathing too suddenly.
What are the symptoms of fainting?
Before fainting (presyncope period), people generally have complaints such as palpitations, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, coldness, coldness, sweating. If the individual is aware of these symptoms, if he/she sits down or puts his/her feet up and lies down when he/she feels these symptoms, the presyncope symptoms regress and fainting may not occur. However, if the individual experiences fainting, the individual will experience a fall due to syncope, which can occur with loss of consciousness and posture.
How is fainting treated?
Fainting treatment varies according to the characteristics of the person and the disease. In particular, it varies according to the person's age, complaints during fainting and underlying disorders. Generally, syncope may occur in many individuals without any reason and only once. However, in recurrent cases, if the underlying cause is related to cardiovascular diseases or other conditions, these diseases can be treated.