Causes of Fainting

You should learn of what fainting means before jumping into conclusions

Fainting is a loss of conscious,  but suddenly.

This happens when you have a low flow of blood to the brain.

A sudden effect can occur due to:

A  common cause, vasovagal spells

If you had medical procedures

Your stress, or fatigue moments can also  allow this to happen

When standing still for a long period of time

Low blood pressure, this is especially when standing, it is called isostatic hypertension

Dehydration

If you had lost lots of blood

Hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar

Your medication may have side effects that could cause this fainting

A seizure

A stroke, or transient ischemic attack

Your heart rhythm is not in normal beats, like it could either be too slow or rapid

The organic heart problems like, pulmonary stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and constrictive pericarditis.

Risk Factors

This condition is  at a higher risk with these factors, if you have heart problems, blood loss, taking blood pressure medication, drugs that enlarge blood vessels, and drugs you taking that regulates the heart’s rhythm, or  water pills(diuretics), the most appropriate thing to do is to consult your doctor.

Symptoms

You are unable to stand, or sit,  loss of consciousness, dizziness, your consciousness is regained without any need for intervention, and light headedness, before fainting.

Diagnosis

You will require a physical exam, which will include tests and your doctor will need  information of your family history.

Your tests may include the following:

Blood tests, this will be for blood loss or if you are anemic, and for low potassium

Holter monitoring , you will be observed for a day in the hospital

Head CT scan, a brain scan

MRI scan of the brain, to check inside your head

Echocardiogram, the examination of your heart

Tilt table testing. A table used for provoking syncopal symptoms, of your medication used

Cardiac catheterization, this is  a tube like instrument which is inserted through a vein or an artery  in your  arm or leg,  for the detection of blood supply to the heart.

Magnetic resonance angiogram, a way to evaluate the blood vessels inside the brain

 Treatment

Your treatment will depend on the problem you have, not the same for everyone.

Prevention

If you feel dizziness, or light-headed, rather sit a while or lie down right, you can get hurt if you faint, falling can be dangerous.

Certain maneuvers may cause the fainting, like crossing your legs, what you ar actually doing is tensing the muscles of your legs, abdomen, and buttocks.

Don’t forcefully squeeze objects like rubber balls, in the dominant hand, this causes tension in your arms.

If you are prone to fainting,  maybe you will need a high salt diet diet, have plenty fluids and after lying down  try get up slowly.

Fainting can be dangerous when you are alone.