What Is Fainting…Causes and Management of Fainting
What is fainting? It is an abrupt and short loss of consciousness as a result of reduced flow of blood to the brain leading to brain inactivity and loss of posture. This condition occurs when there is impaired blood circulation to the brain tissue prompting a temporary loss of activity by the brain. The patient looses consciousness for a short time and regains it again. Fainting is accompanied by a lack of firmness of muscles and this leads to falling of the patient. Fainting is also termed as syncope or passing out. When the brain fails to coordinate its activity during the reflex actions, this leads to lack of firmness of the muscle.
Causes of fainting
The most common type of fainting is called vasovagal attack. It can occur in children as well as adults. Vasovagal attack is caused by drop in blood pressure, which reduces the amount of blood being delivered to the brain. This causes a state of loss of consciousness. Syncope or a fainted situation also occurs when the heart fails to pump sufficient blood to the brain. It may also occur when the vessels are unable to maintain a continuous tone for the flow of the blood to the brain.
When the blood vessels do not constrict or dilate respectively during low and increased blood flow, this results to lack of steady blood circulation. Arteries may fail to constrict or dilate due to hardening where by they lack the elasticity property. Also, due to heart's change in beats, for instance, when it is too fast, there is more blood being drawn from the heart chambers than it is being received.
This implies that there is a decrease in the volume of blood in the heart for a steady flow to the brain. Consequently, when the heart beats slowly, this may result to reduced blood flow to the brain and hence a temporary lapse of the brain activity. Through postural hypotension, a change in posture may lead to a sudden insufficient blood flow to the brain.
For instance, when a person stands abruptly, and feels dizziness, this is brought about by a sudden lack of sufficient flow of blood to the brain. This is an example of how fainting occurs. If a person stands and the blood flow is impaired for a short time, this leads to loose of brain activity. Falling out also occur when the heart rate is slowed down by the stimulation of acetychlorine, which is released by the nervous system. This stimulus also results to dilation of the blood vessels. The dilation coupled with the slowed heart rate, leads to an impaired temporary flow of blood to the brain tissue.
Low blood cells in the blood fluid are also another factor that causes fainting and usually it deprives of the brain cells nutrients and oxygen temporarily loosing activity. Fainting can occur without any underlying medical problems like heart and neurological complications. In this case, the fainting spell may be due to pain, fear, anxiety, hunger, stress, intense emotional feelings, use of drugs and alcohol.
Other fainting causes include diseases of the autonomic nerve system. The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary functions such as heart beat, constriction of blood vessels, breathing and other systems. Fainting may also be caused by conditions that affect the functioning of the nervous system leading to impaired blood pressure and complications of heart rate.
Such conditions are amyloidosis (protein accumulation in tissues and organs) malnutrition, alcoholism, and diabetes. Drugs that treat high blood pressure may also act on blood vessels leading to an episode of fainting. Dehydration can also affect the amount of blood in vessels causing reduced blood pressure that leads to fainting. Heart and blood vessel complications can result to impaired supply of blood to brain.
When there are problems with the heart’s sinus node, this can result to passing out. Heart block, heart arrhythmia, narrow aortic heart valve, and blood clot in lungs are other fainting causes. A person can also faint due to a condition known as hyperventilation. This occurs when you panic or you are in a deep anxious state, which means that you breathe too quickly.
Hyperventilation is simply taking in too much oxygen while eliminating carbon dioxide too fast. Fainting may also occur when there is unusual stimulation to certain nerves such as micturition syncope that occurs during or after urination.
Management of fainting
It is worthwhile noting that mental status is regained immediately after awakening. The patient is required to seek medical attention to ascertain the cause of fainting. In some incidents, fainting may precede other serious conditions such as heart attach, angina pectoris or even a brain attack and the patient or the attendant should not take any chance. A medical advice should be sought immediately by calling an ambulance.
The management of fainting is aimed at reducing the cause of the problem. For instance, if fainting occurs as a result of emotional feelings, a patient can avoid being in situations that lead to the emotional feelings. Healthy foods are necessary to avoid conditions such as non-rhythmic heart rates.
Hardened vessels should be reduced for instance by taking more of omega 3 oils and reducing lifestyles that make blood vessels such as smoking. The blood viscosity can also be reduced by diets such as fish with omega 3 oils for example salmons. Another way to help treat fainting is maintaining a clean system of blood through detoxification. The basis for managing passing out is to ensure that the blood circulation and micro circulation is functioning properly.
Causes of fainting
The most common type of fainting is called vasovagal attack. It can occur in children as well as adults. Vasovagal attack is caused by drop in blood pressure, which reduces the amount of blood being delivered to the brain. This causes a state of loss of consciousness. Syncope or a fainted situation also occurs when the heart fails to pump sufficient blood to the brain. It may also occur when the vessels are unable to maintain a continuous tone for the flow of the blood to the brain.
When the blood vessels do not constrict or dilate respectively during low and increased blood flow, this results to lack of steady blood circulation. Arteries may fail to constrict or dilate due to hardening where by they lack the elasticity property. Also, due to heart's change in beats, for instance, when it is too fast, there is more blood being drawn from the heart chambers than it is being received.
This implies that there is a decrease in the volume of blood in the heart for a steady flow to the brain. Consequently, when the heart beats slowly, this may result to reduced blood flow to the brain and hence a temporary lapse of the brain activity. Through postural hypotension, a change in posture may lead to a sudden insufficient blood flow to the brain.
For instance, when a person stands abruptly, and feels dizziness, this is brought about by a sudden lack of sufficient flow of blood to the brain. This is an example of how fainting occurs. If a person stands and the blood flow is impaired for a short time, this leads to loose of brain activity. Falling out also occur when the heart rate is slowed down by the stimulation of acetychlorine, which is released by the nervous system. This stimulus also results to dilation of the blood vessels. The dilation coupled with the slowed heart rate, leads to an impaired temporary flow of blood to the brain tissue.
Low blood cells in the blood fluid are also another factor that causes fainting and usually it deprives of the brain cells nutrients and oxygen temporarily loosing activity. Fainting can occur without any underlying medical problems like heart and neurological complications. In this case, the fainting spell may be due to pain, fear, anxiety, hunger, stress, intense emotional feelings, use of drugs and alcohol.
Other fainting causes include diseases of the autonomic nerve system. The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary functions such as heart beat, constriction of blood vessels, breathing and other systems. Fainting may also be caused by conditions that affect the functioning of the nervous system leading to impaired blood pressure and complications of heart rate.
Such conditions are amyloidosis (protein accumulation in tissues and organs) malnutrition, alcoholism, and diabetes. Drugs that treat high blood pressure may also act on blood vessels leading to an episode of fainting. Dehydration can also affect the amount of blood in vessels causing reduced blood pressure that leads to fainting. Heart and blood vessel complications can result to impaired supply of blood to brain.
When there are problems with the heart’s sinus node, this can result to passing out. Heart block, heart arrhythmia, narrow aortic heart valve, and blood clot in lungs are other fainting causes. A person can also faint due to a condition known as hyperventilation. This occurs when you panic or you are in a deep anxious state, which means that you breathe too quickly.
Hyperventilation is simply taking in too much oxygen while eliminating carbon dioxide too fast. Fainting may also occur when there is unusual stimulation to certain nerves such as micturition syncope that occurs during or after urination.
Management of fainting
It is worthwhile noting that mental status is regained immediately after awakening. The patient is required to seek medical attention to ascertain the cause of fainting. In some incidents, fainting may precede other serious conditions such as heart attach, angina pectoris or even a brain attack and the patient or the attendant should not take any chance. A medical advice should be sought immediately by calling an ambulance.
The management of fainting is aimed at reducing the cause of the problem. For instance, if fainting occurs as a result of emotional feelings, a patient can avoid being in situations that lead to the emotional feelings. Healthy foods are necessary to avoid conditions such as non-rhythmic heart rates.
Hardened vessels should be reduced for instance by taking more of omega 3 oils and reducing lifestyles that make blood vessels such as smoking. The blood viscosity can also be reduced by diets such as fish with omega 3 oils for example salmons. Another way to help treat fainting is maintaining a clean system of blood through detoxification. The basis for managing passing out is to ensure that the blood circulation and micro circulation is functioning properly.
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