Expert Speak: Can a fainting spell be life-threatening?

In this exclusive article, cardiologist Dr. Anil Mishra explains why you shouldn't ignore a fainting spell. He is the Medical Director and Senior Consultant, Interventional Cardiologist, CK Birla Hospitals, Kolkata.

By: Editorial Team | | Published: April 12, 2019 3:22 pm

A fainting spell could be caused by cardiovascular issues. ©Shutterstock

Fainting spell is a phenomenon which is commonly experience by many for a variety of reasons. Dizziness, blurring of vision, imbalance, a feeling of blackout and sudden loss of consciousness are the typical features of a fainting episode. It generally occurs suddenly the person experiencing it recovers quite promptly on his or her own. The warning symptoms could be palpitations, reeling of head, giddiness, sweating, profound weakness, shortness of breath and lack of energy. Syncope occurs across all age groups from children to elderly, but the causes vary depending upon the age group.

What causes fainting?

In medical terms, a fainting episode is known as syncope. It is caused by insufficient flow of blood to brain, leading to transient loss of consciousness. Common fainting attacks seen in some people are often due to prolonged standing in hot and humid weather, dehydration, fever, prolonged bout of cough, while passing urine, hearing bad news or seeing an unsightly scene. A person promptly recovers from these episodes as he falls down and blood supply to brain improves with change in posture.

However, some fainting episodes can be triggered by cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) issues and the nervous system of the body as well. One of the common heart ailment that can lead to a syncope is a life-threatening condition called arrhythmia (rhythm disturbance of heart). This could be due to a sudden onset, very fast rhythm disturbance of the heart or a sudden slowing down of the cardiac rate caused by failure of generation or conduction of heart impulse. Both can lead to a situation of cardiac arrest resulting in sudden cardiac death (SCD).

What should be done?

Fainting should not be taken lightly and needs to be properly evaluated by a medical expert, preferably a cardiologist. This is because, if a syncope is caused by arrhythmia, it should be detected at the earliest through a monitoring procedure in order to initiate timely treatment. The common methodology for treating an a arrhythmia-induced syncope is a 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring (holter). However, in people who have less frequent episodes of palpitations, giddiness and fainting, ambulatory monitoring may not show any significant abnormality as the arrhythmia causing the syncope is not likely to happen again during the 24-hour recording period. In such cases, a 72-hour or 7-day continuous ambulatory ECG monitoring increases the chances of recording a transient event. The diagnosis can be done with the help of a pocket-sized device called an event loop recorder. This recorder is connected to the person for 1-3 weeks and while experiencing a blackout, the person can press a button for recording it. Finally, when the fainting episodes are less frequent than once a month or two, a very small ILR (internal loop recorder) can be implanted under the skin with minimal intervention for continuously monitoring the heart rhythm over the next 2-3 years.

Must-follow suggestions

Don’t ignore any instance of fainting as it can be fatal
Keep a record of your fainting
Consult an expert if you experience chest pain and shortness of breath, especially if you have a history of heart disease
Sit or lie down in case you feel like fainting If possible, elevate the person’s feet above their head for improving blood circulation to the brain

Published : April 12, 2019 3:22 pm

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