Do you also experience fainting and loss of consciousness? Let's talk about syncope

Imagine you are in a morning assembly at school, or you are stuck on a crowded bus. Suddenly your eyes turn blue, your ears feel like they are blocked, everything around you becomes blurry and you fall unconscious. When you wake up a little later, people are all around you, staring at you. Has this ever happened to you? Or have you seen someone do this? In medicine, this sudden loss of consciousness and falling is called syncope . In everyday language, we call it fainting .

Simply put, what is this fainting?

This is not really something to be afraid of. Simply put, fainting occurs when the blood supply that carries oxygen and nutrients to our brain is temporarily, that is, for a very short time, reduced. It is like the light bulb going out when the voltage suddenly drops in our house.

When you lose consciousness in this way, you usually regain consciousness within a few seconds or minutes. However, after regaining consciousness, you may feel a little confused and tired for a while. You may fully recover within a few hours.

Fainting is very common. Although it is especially common among people over the age of 70, it can occur in people of any age, even those without any medical conditions. However, it can sometimes be a sign of a serious medical condition, so it is important to be concerned if you experience fainting more than once or if it occurs with other symptoms.

What symptoms do you feel before fainting?

Often, our bodies give us little signals before fainting sets in. If you pay attention to these signs as soon as you start to feel them, you can avoid falling and injuring yourself.

Why do we feel dizzy? What are the main causes?

There is not one single cause of fainting, but many. Some are very simple, harmless causes. But some can also be caused by serious medical conditions. Let's look at the main types.

1. Reflex Syncope - The most common type

This is the most common type of fainting. What happens here is that our autonomic nervous system reacts a little too strongly to certain things. Because of that response, our heart rate and blood pressure suddenly decrease, and the amount of blood going to the brain decreases.

• Possible causes:
• Standing in the same position for a long time (e.g. at a school assembly).
• Feeling intense fear, shock, or pain (e.g., when seeing blood, being afraid of an injection).
• Severe coughing, sneezing, and laughing.
• For some people, it may also be due to straining while defecating or urinating.
• It's very hot and windless.

2. Postural or Orthostatic Syncope

Have you ever felt dizzy when you suddenly stand up from a chair or bed? It can be a bit overwhelming and can even lead to fainting. This is called postural hypotension . It is a sudden drop in blood pressure when you change position.

• Possible causes:
• Decreased body water content (dehydration).
• Some blood pressure medications.
• Diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus.
• Changes in the body with aging.

3. Fainting due to heart disease (Cardiac Syncope)

This is the type we need to pay the most attention to and the most dangerous. What happens here is that the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the brain due to some problem.

• Possible causes:
• Heart rhythm disorders, that is, an abnormal increase or decrease in the rate of the heart beat (Arrhythmia) .
• Heart valve disease .
• Weaknesses of the heart muscle.
• A heart attack .
• Blood clot .

4. Fainting caused by problems with the nervous system (Neurologic Syncope)

This is a rare condition. It can occur when blood flow to the brain is interrupted due to a problem in the brain or nervous system. For example, a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA) can cause this condition.

How does a doctor find the cause of this?

When you go to see a doctor because you're having fainting spells, he'll ask you a lot of questions. What did you feel before you fainted? What were you doing? How many times a day does it happen? What medications do you take? Does anyone in your family have heart disease? Lots of things like that. Then, you'll be examined.

You may be asked to do several tests like this to find the exact cause.

What do we do if someone faints?

If someone in front of you faints and falls, do these things without panicking.

1. Ensure safety: First, check if the person is breathing. Remove any sharp objects or dangerous objects from the area.

2. Elevate the legs: Have him lie down on the floor and elevate his legs about a foot. You can use a pillow or a bag for this. This increases blood flow to the brain.

3. Loosen tight clothing: Loosen things like the tie around your neck and the top buttons of your shirt.

4. Wait for the person to regain consciousness: Consciousness usually returns within a minute. Once consciousness returns, do not get them up immediately. Let them sit or lie down for at least 10-15 minutes .

5. Give water: If the person is alert after regaining consciousness, give them some water to drink.

6. Check for injuries: Carefully check to see if the head or limbs were hit or injured while being dragged or fell.

What are the treatments for fainting?

Treatment depends on what is causing your dizziness.

• For simple reasons:
• Lifestyle changes: This can often be controlled by things like drinking plenty of water throughout the day, adding a little more salt to your food (for those with low blood pressure), eating small meals instead of large meals, and getting up slowly rather than getting up all at once.
• Compression Stockings: These are special socks that are worn on the legs. They reduce blood pooling in the legs and improve blood circulation.
• Avoiding triggers: If you know when you tend to get dizzy (e.g., when standing for a long time), try to avoid those situations.

• For serious reasons:
• Medication: Your doctor may prescribe medication to control your heart rate and blood pressure.
• Pacemaker: A small device placed under the skin of the chest to keep the heart rate at a normal level for people with abnormally slow heart rates.
• ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator): This device is implanted in people with life-threatening heart rhythm irregularities to deliver an electrical shock to the heart and restore it to normal.
• Surgery: If there are heart valve or other structural defects, they may require surgery.

Can fainting be prevented?

Yes, most of the time it is possible. The most important thing is to recognize the signs that you are about to faint (like the dizziness we talked about above, the blue eyes).

In addition, you can do things like:

• Counter-pressure maneuvers: When you feel faint, clench your fists. Interlock your legs and press your thighs together. These can help raise your blood pressure a little.
• Drink plenty of water: It is very important to drink water throughout the day.
• Don't get up suddenly: When getting up from a bed or chair, don't get up suddenly, first sit down, wait a few seconds, and then get up slowly.

Fainting is a sudden event that can be frightening. But most of the time, it's not serious. The important thing is to find out what's causing it and make the right treatment and lifestyle changes. If you have any more questions about this, talk to your doctor.

Fainting, Syncope, Loss of consciousness, Fainting, Cerebral infarction, Heart disease, Blood pressure