What causes fainting?

Put simply, fainting happens when there is a drop in blood flow to the brain. When the brain isn’t getting the blood (and importantly, the oxygen) it needs, it causes you to lose consciousness and fall down. Fascinatingly (and perhaps counterintuitively), falling is the body’s way of trying to recover. When you’re standing up, it takes a lot of effort to fight gravity and pump blood all the way up to your head. But when you fall down and you’re lying flat, blood returns to the brain rapidly. That’s why most people wake up pretty quickly after fainting.

The medical term for fainting is syncope (pronounced SING-kuh-pee). Fainting once is usually not a big cause for concern. The most common causes of fainting are usually not signs of a more serious illness. In these cases, you faint because of:

The vasovagal reflex, which causes the heart rate to slow and the blood vessels to widen (or dilate). This reflex can be triggered by many things, including stress, pain, fear, coughing, holding your breath, and urinating.

Orthostatic hypotension, or a sudden drop in blood pressure when you change position. This can happen if you stand up too fast, get dehydrated, or take certain medicines, such as ones for high blood pressure.

Some people know when they are going to faint because they have symptoms beforehand, such as feeling weak, nauseated, hot or dizzy. After they regain consciousness, they may feel confused, dizzy or ill for a while but recover fairly soon.

A person who faints usually will not suffer any long-term health effects. However, we recommend that you see your doctor after a fainting spell.

To learn more about fainting, visit our website: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть