Know the main causes and how to avoid fainting

A fainting spree can be triggered by several factors, such as low blood pressure, lack of blood sugar, or being in very hot environments, for example. However, in some cases, it may also arise due to cardiac or nervous system problems and so, in case of suspected fainting, the person should lie on the floor and put their legs up so that they are higher than the body.

Fainting, which is scientifically known as syncope, is the loss of consciousness that leads to falling, and, generally, signs and symptoms such as pallor, dizziness, sweating, blurred vision and weakness, for example, usually appear before passing out.

Common causes of fainting

Anyone can pass out, even if they have no illness diagnosed by the doctor. Some of the reasons that can lead to fainting include:

• Low blood pressure, especially when the person gets out of bed very fast, with symptoms such as dizziness, headache, imbalance and sleep;
• Be more than 4 hours without eating, hypoglycemia may occur, which is the lack of blood sugar and causes symptoms such as tremors, weakness, cold sweats and mental confusion;
• Seizures, which can occur due to epilepsy or a blow to the head, for example, which causes tremors and leads to drooling, foaming or closing the teeth;
• Excessive consumption of alcohol or drug use;
• Side effects of some medicines or use of drugs in high doses, such as medicines for pressure or antidiabetics;
• Excessive heat, such as at the beach or during bathing, for example;
• Very cold, which can occur in the snow;
• Practice of physical exercises for a long time and very intensely;
• Anemia, dehydration or intense diarrhea, which leads to the alteration of the nutrients and minerals necessary for the balance of the organism;
• Anxiety or panic attack;
• Very strong pain;
• Crash with the head after a fall or blow;
• Migraine, which causes severe headache, neck pressure and ringing in the ears;
• Staying a long time standing, especially in hot places and with many people;
• When you feel fear, needles or animals, for example.

In addition, fainting may be a sign of heart problems or brain diseases, such as arrhythmia or aortic stenosis, for example, because in most cases fainting is caused by a reduction in the amount of blood reaching the brain.

The following table lists the most common causes of age-related fainting, which may occur in the elderly, young and pregnant.

However, any of the causes of fainting can occur at any age or period of life.

How to avoid fainting

When you feel like you are going to faint, and have symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, or blurred vision, you should lie on the floor, put your legs up higher than your body, or sit down and trunk towards the legs, avoid stressful situations and avoid standing too long standing in the same position. See other tips on how to act in case of fainting.

In addition, to avoid fainting, one should drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, eat every 3 hours, avoid exposure to heat, especially in the summer, get out of bed slowly, first sitting in bed and situations that usually cause a feeling of faint, such as drawing blood or taking an injection, and informing the nurse or pharmacist of this possibility.

It is very important to avoid fainting because the person can get injured or make a fracture due to the fall, which occurs due to sudden loss of consciousness.

When to go to the doctor

Usually, after a faint, it is necessary to go to a doctor's office to try to find out the cause. There are cases in which it is essential that the person go immediately to the emergency room:

• If you have any illnesses, such as diabetes, epilepsy or heart problems;
• After doing physical exercise;
• If you hit your head;
• After an accident or fall;
• If the faintness lasts more than 3 minutes;
• If you have other symptoms such as severe pain, vomiting or drowsiness;
• You faint frequently;
• He vomited heavily or had severe diarrhea.

In these cases, the patient needs to be evaluated by the doctor to see if he is in good health and, if necessary, to perform more specific tests, such as blood tests or CT scans. Here's how to prepare for a CT scan.