Switch to हिंदी

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

हिंदी
  • Health A-Z
  • Diabetes
  • Diseases
    • Type 1 Diabetes
    • Type 2 Diabetes
    • Cancer
    • Heart Attack
    • Pneumonia
    • Diseases A-Z
  • Diet & Fitness
    • Weight Management
    • Exercise & Body Building
    • Diet & Recipes
    • Yoga
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Pregnancy
    • Conceiving
    • Infertility
    • Labour & Delivery
    • Pregnancy week-by-week
    • Breastfeeding
    • Baby Names
  • Beauty
    • Skin
    • Hair
    • Grooming
  • Photos
  • Videos
Home / Diseases & Conditions / Fainting

Fainting

Passing out in most of the cases is related to heart rhythm disorder and not due to some problem in the brain, writes Dr Vanita Arora,Associate Director & Head, Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab and Arrhythmia Services, Max Hospital, Saket .

Fainting followed by blurring of vision, black out, light-headedness, feeling of nausea, dizziness should not be passed off as just a mere normal occurrence as all this may be a warning sign of a serious heart ailment. Dizziness is normal after strenuous work but fainting coupled with these signs is abnormal and warrant some seriousness if you are ignoring it.

Causes

Fainting or Syncope, as known in medical terms, is loss of consciousness. A person who has fainting spells returns to full consciousness, but has no inkling of having lost it in the first place. The bout of fainting happens when the blood supply to the brain is hampered. The interruption in oxygen supply to brain happens due to low blood pressure, the result of which is less availability of blood to the brain as the heart is unable to pump blood. Read about What causes fainting due to coughing?

There could be many reasons for fainting or passing out. Arrhythmia is the major cause of fainting or syncope. There are two major conditions associated with Arrhythmia – bradycardia and tachycardia. When hearbeat is too fast, it is bradycardia; while it is known as tachycardia when the situation is just the contrary.

During tachycardia, the heart beats too fast giving considerably less time to the heart to fill blood after each heat beat. This blocks adequate supply of blood to different parts of the body. In bradycardia, the heart rate is too slow to pump enough blood to the body parts. As in both the conditions, the supply to brain is interrupted, the outcome is fainting.

Some of the other reasons behind fainting spells are anemia, low blood sugar, metabolic disorders and improper blood circulation. While fainting as such is not a cause to press the panic button, falling after passing out can cause severe injuries, especially to the head which is a very sensitive area.


Risk factors

Triggers for fainting:

  • Suddenly standing up or Standing up for a long time
  • Emotional turmoil
  • Incessant coughing
  • Non-prescribed medication
  • Loss of body fluid
  • Fear or sudden scare


Symptoms

While some fainting spells do not pose major risk to the body, most of the cases are related to a heart problem. If fainting happens due to irregular heart rhythms — Arrhythmia, then it should not be ignored and a medical advise must be sought at the earliest. Reasons for a fainting spell can come to the fore only after a proper diagnosis by the doctor, so in any case a visit to the doctor is necessary. 


Treatment

Visiting a doctor is imminent in case of any kind of fainting as only it will underline the trigger for such spells. If fainting is related to heart rhythm irregularity, doctors can gauge the same through regular monitoring and suggest a treatment plan which could involve implantation of devices like pacemakers or defibrillators.


Complications

Fainting is serious if:

  • It takes place while doing exercise, driving or during a rigorous activity
  • There is a numbness in the body
  • There is shortness of breath
  • There is a chest pain
  • It happens for a short span
  • If there is tingling in one part of the body


Prevention

Precautions to be taken include -

  • Do not stand for a long time. Keep moving.
  • If you have been sitting, then get up slowly.
  • After a fainting spell, relax for a while.
  • Immediately sit if you have blurred vision.
  • Look for a safer place to sit.
  • During dehydration, increase intake of fluids.

 

The content has been verified by

Dr Vanita Arora

,Associate Director & Head, Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab and Arrhythmia Services, Max Hospital, Saket.


More About Fainting

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

    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.

  • Here are the things that happen to you when sleep less

    Here are the things that happen to you when sleep less

    Whether it's due to the neighbours or your snoring partner, we've all experienced at least a few nights of tossing and turning and not sleeping enough. Here are the bad things that it's leading to.

  • All you need to know about epilepsy and seizures

    All you need to know about epilepsy and seizures

    An episode of epileptic seizure can be scary for even the toughest of us. So, it's not unusual to lose control over the situation completely. A low-down on epilepsy and seizures will help you manage the brain condition in a more effective and efficient way.

  • First-aid: How to place a person in recovery position (step by step guide

    First-aid: How to place a person in recovery position (step by step guide

    Here's what you should do to help an unconscious person move to recovery position till an ambulance arrives.

  • Is dizziness and fainting normal during pregnancy? (Query)

    Is dizziness and fainting normal during pregnancy? (Query)

    Here's what you need to know about dizziness or feeling lightheaded during pregnancy.

  • First aid for fainting -- what you should do when someone faints

    First aid for fainting -- what you should do when someone faints

    What to do if someone faints? Here are a few tips from our expert. Click to know.

  • 3 common causes of fainting explained

    3 common causes of fainting explained

    Dr Pradip Shah explains in detail why people faint. Click to know more.

  • Doctors can now easily detect the reason of fainting with this new screening tool

    Doctors can now easily detect the reason of fainting with this new screening tool

    Canadian researchers have come up with an unique tool that can indicate the reason behind fainting.

  • First-aid for low blood pressure

    First-aid for low blood pressure

    What should you do when you or someone else experiences hypotension? Dr Akshay Challani shares tips.

  • 10 causes of dizziness you should be worried about

    10 causes of dizziness you should be worried about

    Do you feel dizzy or light headed all the time? It's not just because of the heat or dehydration, it could mean you are suffering from something serious!

  • Do you faint often? Here's a quick-tip to prevent it

    Do you faint often? Here's a quick-tip to prevent it

  • What causes fainting due to coughing? (Disease query of the day)

    What causes fainting due to coughing? (Disease query of the day)

    Do you feel dizzy and experience black out while coughing? Find out if it can actually harm you in nay way.

  • Priyanka Chopra faints on the sets of 'Bajirao Mastani'

    Priyanka Chopra faints on the sets of 'Bajirao Mastani'

  • Fainting or syncope - causes, triggers, complications and prevention

    Fainting or syncope - causes, triggers, complications and prevention

  • Drinking too much cola can cause fainting spells and irregular heartbeats!

    Drinking too much cola can cause fainting spells and irregular heartbeats!

Read Disclaimer

Coronavirus Updates

Coronavirus Updates

Stay Informed, Be Safe

  • UK COVID Strain May Be More Infectious But There Is No Need To Panic: Experts
  • South African coronavirus variant may 'escape antibodies, cause reinfection'
  • ‘Enhanced immunity, no serious adverse events’: Lancet releases Covaxin’s Phase 1 trial data
  • Covid-19 variant detected in UK may be ‘more deadly than the older virus strain’
  • Beware! Coronavirus can damage your brain in many ways. Here’s what to know

Recent Posts

  • Struggling with hair thinning? 5 hair masks for fine hair to soothe your scalp
  • Get your daily dose of potassium from these foods if you don't like bananas
  • Load up on antioxidants to alleviate the risk of cancer and heart diseases
  • UK COVID Strain May Be More Infectious But There Is No Need To Panic: Experts
  • Pregnancy: Placental function can help diagnose diabetes and heart diseases

Health Calculators

BMI Calculator
bmi Calculator
Ideal Body Weight
ideal body weight
Daily Calorie Intake
Daily calorie intake
Calories Burned
calories burned

Health News in Hindi

बिल्ली के बच्चे में कोरोनावायरस संक्रमण से वैज्ञानिक परेशान, जानवर पालने वाले रहें सावधान

आंध्र प्रदेश में कोरोना वैक्सीन लगाने के बाद हेल्थ वर्कर में दिखा साइड इफेक्ट, इलाज के दौरान हुई मौत!

इम्यूनिटी मजबूत करने के लिए गर्म पानी के साथ खाएं काली मिर्च, होंगे सेहत को ये 4 अन्य फायदे

Eczema Myths: एक्जिमा को लेकर न मन में न लाएं ये 5 गलतफहमी, वरना आपकी त्‍वचा हो जाएगी और ज्‍यादा खराब

Vaccine Donation By India: भारत की दरियादिली की दुनियाभर में तारीफ, डब्‍ल्‍यूएचओ प्रमुख ने पीएम मोदी का किया ‘शुक्रिया’

Read All

Recent Posts

  • Lactose intolerant? 5 best non-dairy substitutes for milk
  • Struggling with hair thinning? 5 hair masks for fine hair to soothe your scalp
  • Get your daily dose of potassium from these foods if you don’t like bananas
  • Load up on antioxidants to alleviate the risk of cancer and heart diseases
  • UK COVID Strain May Be More Infectious But There Is No Need To Panic: Experts

About The health Site

TheHealthSite.com is India's largest health site with more than 40 lakh unique visitors per month. We focus on fitness, beauty, health, pregnancy and more.

Most popular health and wellness website in India in 2012 at the Website of the year awards.

health@corp.india.com
+91 – 22 – 6697 1234
Landline Phone number 91 – 22 – 2490 0302.

ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LTD, 18th floor, A-Wing, Marathon Futurex, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013.

Useful Links

  • Weight Loss
  • Keto Diet Tips
  • Skin Care Tips
  • Intermittent Fasting
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Ashwagandha
  • Cancer
  • Pneumonia
  • Diarrhoea
  • Dengue
  • Typhoid
  • Tuberculosis
  • Chickenpox
  • Chikungunya
  • Depression
  • Hepatitis
  • Diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Arthritis
  • Swine Flu
  • Baby Names
  • Cough and cold
  • Heart Attack
  • Breast Cancer
  • Ebola Virus
  • Dengue
  • Malaria
  • International Yoga Day
  • Hypotension
  • Heart Failure
  • Asthma
  • Brain Tumour
  • Celebrity Fitness
  • Goitre
  • HIV/AIDS

We respect your privacy

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Author Profiles

Copyright © 2021 Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved.