Do you suddenly faint and lose consciousness? Let's talk about this (Syncope)

Have you ever seen someone suddenly fall to the ground while standing? Or have you ever been walking around and suddenly blacked out or had a feeling of numbness in your ears? We usually call this condition " fainting " or "fainting." Medically, we call it syncope. Although many people are afraid of this, most of the time it is nothing to be afraid of. However, sometimes it can be a symptom of a medical condition. So, let's find out more about it today.

Simply put, what is this fainting?

Simply put, fainting is a sudden, brief loss of consciousness caused by a temporary decrease in blood supply to the brain. It is very common. In fact, only 3% of patients who come to the Emergency Department (ETU) are presented with fainting.

Sometimes we feel like we're about to lose consciousness. That means our eyes go blue and we feel dizzy, but we don't lose consciousness. We call this condition ``Presyncope''. If we lose consciousness, it's ``Syncope''.

Most of the time, a person who faints regains full consciousness within a few minutes. However, this can be a bit dangerous for older people, as there is a greater chance of serious injuries, such as broken bones, if they faint and fall.

What are the main types of fainting?

Fainting can be mainly divided into two types.

1. Vasovagal Syncope

This is the most common type. It affects more than half of all people who faint. It is especially common in children and young people. This occurs when our nervous system is stimulated, causing our heart rate to suddenly slow down, our blood pressure to drop, and the amount of blood flowing to the brain to decrease.

2. Cardiac Syncope

This is a type that requires some attention. This occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the brain due to some problem. This can be caused by things like irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), structural heart defects, and heart valve problems. This type of fainting should definitely be checked out by a doctor.

What are the symptoms before fainting?

Often, our body gives us certain signals before fainting sets in. If we recognize these early, we can prevent something like a fall.

Why do we feel dizzy? What are the causes?

There are many different causes of dizziness. Some are common, while others may be the result of a medical condition.

Normal and common causes

Most of the time, fainting occurs due to non-serious causes.

• Excessive fear, pain, or emotional distress
• Hunger and low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia)
• Lack of water in the body (dehydration)
• Standing in the same position for a long time
• Orthostatic hypotension (drop in blood pressure when standing up suddenly from a sitting or lying position)
• Anemia
• Alcohol or drug use
• Excessive fatigue

Reasons to pay attention to

• Heart disease: As mentioned earlier, conditions such as heart rhythm irregularities, heart valve defects, and heart attacks.
• Diseases of the Autonomic Nervous System: Problems with the system that controls things that are out of our control, such as our heartbeat and breathing. Diseases like Diabetes Mellitus can damage this system.
• Certain medications: Some medications for high blood pressure, depression, and epilepsy can cause dizziness.
• Special cases: Some people may experience fainting spells when coughing excessively (Cough Syncope) or when urinating (Micturition Syncope).

Are "Blackout" and "Fainting" the same thing?

Many people confuse these two words, but there is a clear difference.

• Fainting/Syncope: A loss of consciousness. That is, a brief period of loss of awareness of what is happening around you due to reduced blood flow to the brain.
• Blackout: This is a loss of memory. Here, consciousness is present. The person speaks and acts, but later does not remember what happened during that time. The main cause of this is excessive alcohol consumption.

How can you prevent fainting?

If you feel faint, that is, dizzy, or your eyes are turning blue, do these things immediately.

• If possible , lie down immediately with your legs slightly above your heart . This will increase blood flow to the brain.
• If there is no place to lie down, quickly sit down and put your head between your knees.
• Drink plenty of water, especially when exercising and in hot weather.
• Don't stand in one place for too long. Move around a bit, shake your legs.
• Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated, and hot places.

When should we see a doctor about fainting?

There's no need to panic if you faint once. However, you should definitely see your doctor if:

• If you experience frequent dizziness.
• If you feel faint while exercising , this could be a sign of heart disease.
• If you experience chest pain, difficulty breathing, or a rapid/irregular heartbeat along with fainting.
• If anyone in the family has a history of sudden cardiac death.
• If you fainted, fell, and hit your head hard.

Fainting, syncope, loss of consciousness, vasovagal syncope, cardiac syncope, orthostatic hypotension, causes of fainting