Fainting and loss of consciousness: what is the difference? Providing first aid. What happens when you lose consciousness. Heart disease - the cause of cardiac syncope

Some people are familiar with the feeling of fainting, which is characterized by loss of consciousness. The types of fainting depend on the causes of its occurrence. The symptoms are similar in many cases. It should be noted that fainting is common during pregnancy, in children, during illness, and especially at times of hunger (hunger fainting). Treatment takes into account the characteristics and causes of the condition.

Fainting occurs due to many factors. Often they lie in a physiological balance that is disrupted at a specific period of time. It should be noted that fainting does not appear until after all the factors for its occurrence have occurred. Fainting appears immediately as a consequence of all favorable conditions for this.

Since readers of the online magazine site may have experienced fainting themselves or observed it in other people, it is necessary to know why it occurs and how to behave if it happens to another person.

What is fainting?

Let's start by defining what fainting is. This momentary loss consciousness, which occurs due to impaired blood circulation in the brain. This condition is passing. In some cases, it lasts no more than a minute, since blood circulation is quickly restored.

Fainting with loss of consciousness is a protective way for the brain to recover poor blood supply. Oxygen deficiency disrupts metabolic processes. Dizziness and subsequent fainting are often the consequences of some ailment, which specialists can find out about after diagnosing the body. Many illnesses can cause fainting. These include aortic stenosis, anemia, and myocardial infarction.

If a person has a fainting condition or faints, then you should find out why this happened.

Causes of fainting

It is not possible to give the entire list of diseases that cause fainting. A lot of pathologies can develop in the human body, therefore there are also enough factors that provoke loss of consciousness. Often we're talking about about disorders in the cardiovascular or nervous systems:

Demotion cardiac output(angina attacks, disorder heart rate, aortic stenosis).
Defects nervous regulation capillaries (rapid change of body position).
Hypoxia.
Decreased blood pressure when the body does not adapt to the rapid change in blood flow through the capillaries.
Diseases leading to heart rhythm disturbances. Human body feels oxygen deficiency, which provokes fainting.
Dilatation of muscle blood vessels as a result of physical activity.
A decrease in the amount of circulating blood, which is possible with blood loss or dehydration (diarrhea, excessive urination, sweating).
When swallowing food, coughing or urinating, which indicates a dysfunction of organs in these systems.
Hyperventilation of the lungs with anemia, low blood sugar or carbon dioxide.
Micro-strokes in elderly people due to decreased blood supply to certain segments of the brain.
Dehydration.
Diabetes.
Parkinson's disease.
Vascular disorders in the extremities.
Medicines that affect blood pressure.
Brain hemorrhages.
Migraine-like conditions.
Pre-stroke conditions.
Heart rhythm abnormality: either fast or slow.
Aortic stenosis (dysfunction of the heart valves).
High pressure in the arteries or capillaries.
Cardiomyopathy.
Aortic dissection.
Epileptic seizures, which are associated with the functioning of the brain.

Types of fainting

There is no officially accepted classification of types of fainting. However, you can identify them independently according to the factors of their occurrence:

Somatogenic. Associated with dysfunction internal organs. Happens:

Cardiogenic – with heart pathologies, when not enough blood is ejected from the left ventricle. It is observed with narrowing of the aorta and arrhythmias.
Hypoglycemic – with a decrease in blood glucose. Observed in diabetes mellitus, fasting, tumor processes, hypothalamic insufficiency, fructose intolerance.
Anemic - with low hemoglobin or red blood cell counts due to blood diseases.
Respiratory – with a decrease in the volume of lung capacity, which is observed in various diseases of this organ, for example, with emphysema, whooping cough, bronchial asthma.

Neurogenic. Associated with nervous processes, often with the functioning of receptors. The reflex system activates the parasympathetic nervous system and inhibits the sympathetic one. Blood is retained in the muscles and is not delivered to the brain as a result of the corresponding processes. Here they highlight:

Painful fainting.
Irritative – irritation of receptors of internal organs.
Dyscirculatory – defects in neurological diseases in the regulation of capillary tone.
Maladaptive – adaptive dysfunction of the body (intensive physical stress, overheating).
Orthostatic – insufficient effect on the capillaries of the lower extremities.
Associative - reminiscent of the experience of situations of past fainting states.
Emotional – due to strong emotional experiences. It is characteristic of persons prone to hysteria and suffering from neurosis-like conditions.

Extreme. Associated with extreme situations when the body is forced to mobilize strength. Happens:

Hypovolemic - with blood loss or dehydration.
Hypoxic – with a lack of oxygen, for example, in the mountains.
Hyperbaric - when under high pressure.
Intoxication – in case of poisoning of the body, for example, carbon monoxide, alcohol or dyes.
Iatrogenic, or medicinal, - in case of overdose of certain medications.

Multifactorial – a combination of several factors.

Symptoms of fainting

Presyncope is accompanied by some symptoms that different people appear in different combinations. This is not fainting yet, but it can lead to it. Symptoms of presyncope are:

Lightheadedness.
Goosebumps or veils before the eyes.
Nausea.
Tinnitus.
Yawn.
Sudden weakness.
Legs wobbly, weak and unruly.
Premonition of impending fainting.
Numbness of the tongue and fingertips.
Lump in throat.
Air shortage.
Anxiety.

When fainting occurs, it is characterized by the following symptoms:

Cold sweat.
Light blush.
Dilated pupils that respond slowly to light.
Pale skin.
Decreased muscle tone.
Ash gray skin color.
Weakness of pulse.
Fast or slow heartbeat.
Reduced or completely absent reflex reactions.

The average duration of fainting is from a few seconds to a minute. Duration of more than 4-5 minutes is accompanied by convulsions, increased sweating and possible spontaneous urination.

When you faint, consciousness suddenly turns off. However, it may be preceded by a faint state, which is characterized by the following symptoms:

Noise in ears.
Dizziness.
Acute weakness.
Numbness of the limbs.
"Vacuum" in the head.
Yawn.
Nausea.
Darkening in the eyes.
Sweating.
Paleness of facial skin.

Fainting occurs more often in a standing position, less often in a sitting position. It goes away quickly when lying down.

After recovering from a fainting state, a person may experience the following symptoms within 2 hours: headaches, weakness, increased sweating.

Thus, there are 3 phases of fainting:

Pre-fainting (lipothymia) - lasts 30 seconds - 1 minute before fainting. Sometimes this is where it all ends if the person takes a lying position.
Fainting – can occur without presyncope. You can feel the ground leaving under your feet, gradually sliding down, weakening your muscles. Failure to restore blood supply to the brain within 20 seconds is accompanied by spontaneous bowel movements, urination, or convulsions.
Post-syncope state (post-syncope stage) – gradual return of consciousness. Restores vision, hearing and sensation own body. Orientation in time, space and one’s personality is restored. A person experiences fear, fatigue, weakness, heart rate accelerates, breathing quickens.

Fainting during pregnancy

Many girls and women dream of getting pregnant and becoming mothers. However, there are frequent cases of fainting during pregnancy. Why is such a happy period overshadowed by fainting states? Not every woman experiences them, but they are quite common.

Fainting is often attributed to low blood pressure, which can be caused by:

Stifling.
Overwork.
Emotional instability.
Various respiratory pathologies.
Hunger.
Exacerbation of chronic diseases.

The enlarging uterus begins to put pressure on the capillaries that are nearby. This leads to a decrease in blood flow into lower limbs, pelvic and back organs. Lying down can make things worse. This leads to a drop in pressure.

Also occurs during pregnancy physiological changes. The amount of blood increases by 35%, which can also lead to fainting until the body adapts.

The amount of blood increases due to an increase in plasma volume. In this case, the blood becomes thin due to the low number of red blood cells. This leads to low hemoglobin levels and, consequently, anemia.

Low glucose levels also affect the condition of a pregnant woman. Improper or inadequate nutrition is a consequence of toxicosis. Because of this, microelements decrease in quantity, which leads to fainting.

Fainting in children

Conditions become quite disturbing when fainting occurs in children. Moms want to know why this happens to their children, as well as what to do in such situations. Let's try to figure it out.

The cause of fainting in a child may be:

Emotional turmoil.
Hunger.
A stuffy room in which the child spent time in a standing position.
Strong pain.
Frequent deep breathing.
Blood loss.
Infectious diseases.
Disturbances in the functioning of the ganglion nervous system.
Low blood pressure.
Quickly change body position from lying to standing.
Brain injuries.
Disturbance of the myocardial conduction system.
Atrioventricular block (Morgagni-Adams-Stokes syndrome), which is accompanied by convulsive attacks, fainting, bluish skin and pallor. It often comes at night and goes away on its own.

What can parents do if their child faints?

Place the baby on the bed.
Remove the pillow from under your head and raise your legs 30°.
Provide Fresh air and its flow to the body: unbutton tight clothes, remove them from your throat, open a window, etc.
Bring to consciousness various stimuli: mother’s perfume, ammonia, spray cold water or rubbing your ears.

When the baby regains consciousness, you need to let him lie down for 10-20 minutes, then give him sweet tea.

Hungry faint

Frequent fainting occurs in women who exhaust themselves with strict diets and hunger strikes. Wanting to become beautiful, many forget about physiological characteristics body, which must receive carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the required quantities every day. Hungry fainting occurs after exhausting diets, when there is a deficiency of some element in the body.

Since the body does not receive enough fat, protein or carbohydrates, it is forced to change metabolic functions to replenish itself. Reserves exist, but not in all systems. First of all, the nervous system suffers, as it does not receive enough of the necessary elements.

Stress can also cause hungry fainting. When the body is under stress, it activates all its energy reserves. Blood pressure rises, blood flow occurs to to the necessary authorities for survival. If the brain does not receive enough of the necessary elements, then fainting occurs.

Factors of hungry fainting also include excessive physical activity, when the body uses up all available elements. Their deficiency primarily affects the functioning of the brain.

Treatment of fainting

When fainting occurs, the most important task is to eliminate the cause that caused it. For example, extreme syncope requires only avoidance of the corresponding stressful situation, and hungry fainting is corrected by observing good nutrition. Treatment in in rare cases requires a medicinal approach.

First of all, first aid is given to restore hemodynamics. For this purpose the body is given horizontal position, and the legs rise slightly above the head.

Pharmacological assistance is necessary only in cases where fainting states are a consequence of dysfunction individual systems body, for example, heart pathology or disorders of the nervous system. Prior to this, people who experience fainting conditions are taught various measures how to behave when it occurs:

Clench your palms into fists.
Cross the lower limbs.
Take as horizontal a position as possible.

Bottom line

Fainting is a quickly occurring consequence of some unhealthy condition. There is no need to worry about its occurrence, since we are talking only about disruptions in work circulatory system. If you consult a doctor for medical care, then you can quickly establish the causes of your condition.

Close relatives should know what to do in a situation where others faint. This condition is reversible. However, treatment should not be ignored, especially when it comes to disorders and pathologies in the body.

Fainting is caused by a temporary loss of blood supply to the brain and may be a sign of a more serious condition...

Temporary loss of consciousness - fainting

Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness.

Fainting is caused by a temporary loss of blood supply to the brain and may be a sign of a more serious condition.

People of any age can faint, but older people may have more serious causes.

The most common causes of fainting are vasovagal ( a sharp decline heart rate and blood pressure) and heart disease.

In most cases, the cause of fainting is unknown.

Fainting can have many different causes:

Vasovagal syncope also known as " general weakness" This is the most common reason fainting caused by an abnormal vascular reflex.

The heart pumps more intensely, the blood vessels relax, but the heart rate does not compensate quickly enough to maintain blood flow to the brain.

Causes of vasovagal syncope:

1) environmental factors(happens more often when it’s hot);

2) emotional factors (stress);

3) physical factors(load);

4) illness (fatigue, dehydration, etc.).

Situational fainting only occurs in certain situations.

Causes of situational fainting:

1) cough (some people faint when coughing too hard);

2) when swallowing (in some people, loss of consciousness is associated with illness in the throat or esophagus);

3) when urinating (when receptive person loses consciousness when the bladder is full);

4) hypersensitivity of the carotid sinus (in some people when turning the neck, shaving or wearing a tight collar);

5) Postprandial syncope can occur in older people when their blood pressure drops about an hour after eating.

Orthostatic syncope occurs when a person feels fine while lying down, but when standing up, may suddenly faint. Blood flow to the brain decreases when a person stands due to a temporary decrease in blood pressure.

This fainting sometimes occurs in people who have recently started taking (or have been changed to) certain heart medications.

Orthostatic syncope can be due to the following reasons:

1) low circulating blood volume caused by blood loss (external or internal blood loss), dehydration or heat exhaustion;

2) impaired circulatory reflexes caused by taking medicines, diseases of the nervous system or congenital problems. Cardiac syncope occurs when a person loses consciousness due to cardiovascular disease.

Cardiac causes of fainting are usually life-threatening and include the following:

1) abnormal heart rhythm - arrhythmia. Electrical problems hearts impair its pumping function. This leads to decreased blood flow. Your heart rate may be too fast or too slow. This condition usually causes fainting without any warning.

2) cardiac obstructions. Blood flow may be obstructed in the blood vessels in the chest. Cardiac obstruction can cause loss of consciousness during exercise. Various diseases can lead to obstruction (heart attacks, diseased heart valves during pulmonary embolism, cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension, tamponade of the heart and aorta).

3) heart failure: the pumping ability of the heart is impaired. This reduces the force with which blood circulates through the body, which can reduce blood flow to the brain.

Neurological syncope may be associated with neurological conditions.

Its reasons are:

1) a stroke (bleeding in the brain) can cause fainting associated with headache;

2) a transient ischemic attack (or mini-stroke) can cause loss of consciousness. In this case, fainting is usually preceded by double vision, loss of balance, slurred speech or dizziness;

3) in rare cases, migraine can cause fainting. Psychogenic fainting. Hyperventilation due to anxiety can lead to fainting. The diagnosis of psychogenic syncope should be considered only after all other causes have been excluded.

Symptoms of fainting

Losing consciousness is an obvious sign of fainting.

Vasovagal syncope. Before fainting, a person may feel light-headed; blurred vision will be noted. A person may see “spots before the eyes.”

The patient experiences pallor, dilated pupils, and sweating.

While unconscious, a person may have a low heart rate (less than 60 beats per minute).

The person must quickly regain consciousness. Many people do not have any warning signs before fainting.

Situational fainting. Consciousness returns very quickly when the situation passes.

Orthostatic syncope. Before an episode of fainting, a person may notice blood loss (black stools, heavy periods) or fluid loss (vomiting, diarrhea, fever). The person may also experience delusions. Observers may also note paleness, sweating, or signs of dehydration (dry lips and tongue).

Cardiac syncope. The person may report palpitations, chest pain, or shortness of breath. Observers may note the patient's weakness, irregular pulse, pallor, or sweating. Fainting often occurs without warning or after exertion.

Neurological syncope. The person may have a headache, loss of balance, slurred speech, double vision, or dizziness (the feeling that the room is spinning). Observers note strong pulse during the unconscious period and normal color skin.

When to seek medical help?

Because fainting can be caused serious condition, All episodes of loss of consciousness should be taken seriously.

Anyone, even after the first episode of loss of consciousness, should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Depending on what was shown medical checkup, the doctor may require tests.

These tests may include: blood tests; ECG, daily monitoring, echocardiography, functional load test. Table tilt test. This test checks how your body reacts to changes in position. Tests to detect nervous system problems (head CT scan, brain MRI or EEG).

If the person next to you faints, help him.

Place it on the ground to minimize the chance of injury.
Stimulate the person actively and call urgently ambulance if the person does not respond.
Check your pulse and start cardiopulmonary resuscitation if necessary.
If the person is recovering, let him lie down until the ambulance arrives.
Even if the cause of fainting is not dangerous, have the person lie down for 15-20 minutes before getting up.
Ask him about any symptoms such as headache, back pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, weakness or loss of function, because these may indicate life-threatening causes of fainting.

Treatment of fainting

Treatment for fainting depends on the diagnosis.

Vasovagal syncope. Drink plenty of water, increase your salt intake (under medical supervision), and avoid standing for long periods of time.

Orthostatic syncope. Change your lifestyle: sit down, bend over calf muscles for a few minutes before getting out of bed. Stay hydrated.

Elderly people with low blood pressure Large meals should be avoided after meals or you should plan to lie down for several hours after eating. In most cases, you should stop taking the medications that cause fainting (or change them).

Cardiac fainting. For treatment cardiac syncope the underlying disease must be treated.

Valvular heart disease often requires surgery, while arrhythmia can be treated with medications.

Medications and lifestyle changes.

These procedures are designed to optimize heart performance and control high blood pressure; in some cases, antiarrhythmic drugs may be prescribed.

Surgery: bypass surgery or angioplasty are used to treat coronary disease hearts; in some cases the valves may need to be replaced. A pacemaker may be implanted to normalize the heart rate (slows the heart for fast arrhythmias or speeds up the heart for slow arrhythmias). Implanted defibrillators are used to manage life-threatening rapid arrhythmias.

Preventing fainting

Preventive measures depend on the cause and severity of the fainting problem.

Fainting can sometimes be prevented by taking simple precautions.

If you are weak due to the heat, cool down your body.
If you faint while standing (after lying down), move slowly while standing. Slowly move to a sitting position and rest for a few minutes. When you are ready, stand up using slow and fluid movements.

In other cases, the causes of fainting may be subtle. That's why Consult your doctor to determine the cause of fainting.

Once the cause is determined, treatment for the underlying disease should begin.

Cardiac syncope: Because of the high risk of death from cardiac syncope, people who experience it should be treated for their underlying illness.

Periodic fainting. Consult a doctor to determine the reasons for frequent loss of consciousness.

Prognosis due to fainting

The prognosis for a person who has fainted depends largely on the cause, the patient's age, and available methods treatment.

Cardiac syncope has the greatest risk of sudden death, especially in older people.
Syncope that is not related to cardiac or neurological disease, poses a more limited risk than in the general population.

Checking the pulse in the neck area. The pulse can be clearly felt only near the throat (trachea).

If the pulse is felt, note whether it is regular and count the number of beats in 15 seconds.

To determine your heart rate (beats per minute), multiply this number by 4.

The normal heart rate for adults is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.

If fainting happened just once, then you don’t have to worry about it.

It is important to see a doctor because fainting can have serious causes.

Fainting may be a sign of a serious problem if:

1) it often occurs over a short period of time.

2) it occurs during physical exercise or vigorous activity.

3) fainting occurs without warning or in a supine position. When fainting is not serious, the person often knows it is about to happen and vomits or feels sick.

4) a person loses a lot of blood. This may include internal bleeding.

5) shortness of breath is noted.

6) chest pain is noted.

7) a person feels that his heart is pounding (palpitations).

8) Fainting occurs along with numbness or tingling in one side of the face or body. published .

If you have any questions, please ask

The materials are for informational purposes only. Remember, self-medication is life-threatening; consult a doctor for advice on the use of any medications and treatment methods.

P.S. And remember, just by changing your consumption, we are changing the world together! © econet

Everyone at least once in their life encountered with fainting, becoming a casual observer or finding yourself in the place of the patient. Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness that can last from a few seconds to 3-5 minutes. Fainting usually occurs due to decreased blood circulation, which slows down the flow of oxygen to the brain.

The patient usually does not fall into fainting abruptly, but slowly, rolling his eyes, slides to the floor. His heart rate will increase and his face will become pale. The causes of fainting can be different:
1) Starvation. Women who exhaust themselves with diets often face loss. This can happen completely unexpectedly, but usually there are some prerequisites for fainting in the form of deterioration in well-being, dizziness and other effects that seem to hint to a person that not everything is in order with his body. In order not to encounter such a problem, you should carefully select your diet. And under no circumstances should you do it long breaks between meals, and even more so, refuse it altogether. This will only add problems to your body, and overweight They will probably stay with you that way.

2) Lack of sleep also often causes fainting. An unrested body, without getting the right amount of sleep, begins to break down. And therefore, people, especially those suffering from chronic lack of sleep, can become victims of fainting. To prevent this from happening, you need to take your night's rest more seriously and create your regime in such a way that you have at least 8-9 hours of sleep left. Of course, it is not always possible to sleep for such an amount of time, so if, due to life circumstances, you have to sacrifice sleep, give your body enough sleep on the weekends.

3) With large blood loss. For example, after transferred heavy operations Fainting is not excluded. In this case, it is better to constantly be under the strict supervision of doctors and not self-medicate.

4) Heart diseases are the main cause of fainting. You don’t even need to try to cure them yourself, because this can only cause harm. See a doctor who can give you the necessary diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

5) Pregnant women often experience fainting. This happens because they often have low blood pressure. And if a woman had low blood pressure before, then after it it can drop to a critical level. Often you have to resort to outpatient treatment, where physical therapy is performed to help increase blood pressure. But if fainting happened only once, and the pregnant woman feels well, you can treat with herbal drinks.

6) Heat. In the summer, especially during abnormally high temperatures, people begin to faint right on the streets. To avoid this, you need to drink more fluids and wear hats and loose clothing.

If you unwittingly turned out to be next to a person who suddenly suddenly became ill and lost consciousness, it is in your power to provide the first emergency assistance. To begin with, try to lay the patient on his back and elevate his legs so that blood flows to the brain, which is very necessary now. Take a glass of water and splash it on the patient's face, this may have some effect. But if you don’t see the effect, bring it to his nose ammonia or perfume. You cannot raise the patient to his feet even after he has regained consciousness; it is better to put him in a warm bed, cover him with a blanket and give him hot tea or coffee to drink. If the condition worsens, you should immediately call an ambulance.

If you are fainting life become regular guests, you need to contact the right specialists, for example, to a cardiologist or neurologist. They'll make you give in necessary tests to determine the cause of this disease, and then they will suggest ways to solve this problem. In no case should you be negligent about systematic fainting, because they can lead to even more serious consequences. serious illnesses. Sometimes it is not necessary to wait for the loss of consciousness itself, but when the slightest sign go to to the right doctor. It will help you prevent unexpected fainting, because this is not a joke illness.

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Suddenly developing muscle weakness, feeling hot or cold, sticky sweat and dizziness with a feeling of severe nausea. All these signs indicate that a compensatory process is developing due to a lack of blood supply to the brain structures. Presyncope, indicating pathological process in organism. What is it and what causes it – let’s try to figure it out in this article. We will also consider typical symptoms presyncope and first aid options, including for yourself. Every person should know what to do in case of a sudden attack, since in certain situations fainting can pose a potential danger to a person’s life. For example, if the victim is driving at this time vehicle or crosses the street in the carriageway. The main task when providing first aid is to prevent the development of full-blown fainting.

Causes of presyncope (why it occurs)

First, it’s worth understanding what causes of presyncope can provoke similar symptom. Why a pre-fainting state occurs has already been written above. This is almost always insufficient blood flow to the brain. However, there are other factors, among which the first place is occupied by intoxication due to infectious and oncological processes.

Among the diseases, the following probable pathologies can be mentioned:

intestinal infection (salmonellosis, dysentery, stomach flu and others);
helminthic infestation in the cavity of the large intestine and gallbladder;
anemia and condition after massive blood loss;
vegetative-vascular dystonia, including the type of hypotension (low blood pressure);
syndrome vertebral artery on the background cervical osteochondrosis(the process of blood flow to occipital parts brain);
poisoning, including chemicals, carbon monoxide;
spicy viral hepatitis(and during exacerbation of the chronic process);
coronary heart disease and heart rhythm disturbances;
chronic cardiovascular failure;
chronic renal and liver failure;
thyroid diseases.

Pregnancy and dehydration syndrome can equally cause presyncope. In both cases, the pathology is provoked by an insufficient volume of blood circulating in the body. You can only compensate by taking large quantity clean drinking water.

To others probable reasons can be attributed alcohol intoxication And hangover syndrome, nicotine addiction, inhalation of toxic substances, stagnation of bile in the gallbladder. It is also worth paying attention to the condition of the pancreas and its ability to promptly produce insulin (the hormone responsible for the body’s absorption of carbohydrates). With impaired glucose tolerance, patients often experience lightheadedness after eating or on an empty stomach. In this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible and undergo full examination. At the stage of impaired glucose tolerance, it is possible to prevent the development of diabetes mellitus through diet and correction of physical activity.

Signs and symptoms of presyncope: dizziness, nausea

Typical symptoms of presyncope usually develop suddenly and can be triggered by a number of preexisting factors. For example, such as:

being in a stuffy room;
increase in ambient temperature;
tight clothes;
physical exercise;
drinking food and sweet tea;
stressful situation.

Dizziness with presyncope is the most typical sign accompanied by an attack of nausea. Vomiting is extremely rare and may indicate liver failure, renal failure or intestinal infection. Nausea during a pre-fainting state, when the head is dizzy, is often a sign of a disorder autonomic function nervous system. Transmission disruption occurs nerve impulse to brain structures, which provokes irritation solar plexus and an attack of nausea.

Persistent lightheadedness may be present in people with low blood pressure, bradycardia (heart rate less than 40 beats per minute), chronic anemia(hemoglobin level below 100).

The feeling of heartbeat is a compensatory reaction; the body tries to provide the brain with sufficient levels of oxygen and glucose by increasing the heart rate.

All the signs described above that accompany attacks are a serious reason to seek medical help. However, even at home, you need to know how you can provide first aid to alleviate the condition of yourself or your loved ones.

What to do if you feel faint: first aid

It is necessary to know the algorithm for providing first aid in order to be able to prevent the development of full-blown fainting, accompanied by loss of consciousness. This can lead to vascular collapse, and even cause sudden stop hearts. What to do first in case of fainting, what measures should be taken? Let's try to analyze all the actions in detail.

So, first you need to ensure a flow of fresh air and occupy comfortable position. If possible, it is advisable to lie down with your head slightly elevated. This way you can ensure normal blood supply to the brain. If there are tight scarves, ties, or collars around the neck, they should be removed immediately.

Deep rhythmic breathing will saturate the blood with oxygen. If there is reason to suspect a gas leak or the presence of harmful fumes in the apartment, you should immediately leave the room for fresh air. The same applies to carbon monoxide poisoning (for example, in a fire or after visiting an improperly equipped bathhouse).

To stimulate the breathing process, you can use inhalation of ammonia. This should be done extremely carefully. It is also recommended to drink warm sweet tea in an amount of no more than 100 ml.

Subsequently, after the crisis has passed, you need to drink at least 2.5 liters of water per day, it is advisable to take Asparkam or Panangin, 1 tablet 3 times a day. These drugs will restore water electrolyte balance blood, and improve blood supply to the brain and heart muscle. It is necessary to find out the cause of the pathological condition.

If it's a syndrome chronic fatigue, then it is important to take complex vitamins and mineral supplements, normalize your work and rest schedule, pay attention to regular physical activity. With low blood pressure and anemia, you need to find the cause of this pathology as quickly as possible. These may be tumors and helminthic infestations. In such cases, the help of a doctor is required.

For dizziness and fainting conditions against the background of exacerbation of cervical osteochondrosis, regular therapeutic exercises, which improves blood supply to muscles and brain. Also helps manual therapy, reflexology, massage and many other treatments.

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Fainting (syncope) is a short-term loss of consciousness, during which muscle tone sharply decreases, then - after a minute or two - the person returns to consciousness without resuscitative measures.

Fainting occurs different types, and in each case the forecasts differ. However, the essence of this condition is always that the brain does not receive enough blood, it stops working normally, and loss of consciousness occurs.

Three main types of fainting

1. Reflex (neurotransmitter) fainting occurs due to a malfunction of the nervous system and, as a consequence, vasodilation and a decrease in heart rate (bradycardia). System crashes arterial pressure, and as a result, the blood supply to the brain is disrupted. There are two types of reflex fainting:

Vasovagal (neurocardiogenic) syncope occurs when the autonomic nervous system, which regulates blood pressure and heart rate, is disrupted. This is the most common type of fainting; it occurs especially often in athletes, young and generally healthy people. Vasovagal syncope usually occurs in a person who is standing or sitting. In this case, there is often a pre-fainting state: dizziness, lightheadedness, flush of warmth, pallor, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, excessive sweating. There is usually no cause for concern with vasovagal syncope. This kind of fainting can happen after severe cough, sneezing, laughing, fear, severe pain, at the sight of blood, as well as while in crowded place, hot room, in the sun, after physical activity, urination, defecation, etc.
Sinocarotid syncope, which occurs when pressure is placed on the carotid sinus (the dilated part of the common carotid artery). This can, for example, occur when the neck moves (in particular when a man shaves and turns his head), or if the shirt collar is too tight.

2. Fainting due to orthostatic hypotension. Orthostatic hypotension- this is a decrease in blood pressure during a change in position from horizontal to vertical, that is, at the moment when a person gets up. It can occur for a variety of reasons:

from dehydration (including due to diabetes mellitus);
with Parkinson's disease;
after taking antiarrhythmic or antihypertensive drugs (especially in older people in the heat), antiemetics, antidepressants and antipsychotics;
from abuse drugs and alcohol;
because of internal bleeding as a result of violation of the integrity of internal organs after injury or due to complications various diseases;
after long standing, especially in crowded, stuffy places.

3. Cardiogenic syncope is associated with cardiac dysfunction. It can occur even when a person is lying down. Usually there are no warning signs - the person suddenly loses consciousness. This type of fainting indicates a serious threat to life and health. It occurs more often in people whose families have a history of unexplained sudden death or early cardiovascular diseases. Fainting can be caused by:

arrhythmia;
ischemia (lack of blood supply) due to severe narrowing of the coronary vessels, as well as a tumor or blood clot that impairs the patency large vessel;
structural changes (cardiac tamponade, aortic dissection, congenital anomaly coronary arteries, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and etc.).

Sometimes fainting can be associated with hypoglycemia (too low level blood glucose) with diabetes, panic or anxiety disorder and etc.

Non-convulsive fainting can also be similar to fainting, but it lasts longer than regular fainting, and after it the person does not immediately come to his senses. Also, during an attack, the patient may bite his tongue, and sometimes fecal or urinary incontinence occurs.

Loss of consciousness in some cases is caused by serious neurological disorders: stroke, transient ischemic attack, subclavian steal syndrome (deterioration of blood supply due to narrowing or blocking of the lumen subclavian artery), severe migraine.

Loss of consciousness after a traumatic brain injury also cannot be called fainting; in this situation, you must consult a doctor so that he can assess the severity of the damage.

In rare cases, loss of consciousness can be caused by narcolepsy, a disease in which a person experiences seizures nap and cataplexy (sudden relaxation of muscles).

When should you see a doctor if you faint?

If you faint, this is not always a reason to see a doctor. For example, if nothing like this has happened before, if this is the first fainting spell in several years, then most likely you do not have any life-threatening diseases. However, there are “red flags” for the person and for those who witness the fainting, indicating that they need to seek medical help:

fainting lasts more than 2 minutes;
fainting occurs frequently;
You fainted for the first time after 40 years;
You were injured while fainting;
you diabetes;
You are pregnant;
you have had or have heart disease;
before fainting you felt chest pain or strong or irregular heartbeat;
during fainting, urinary or fecal incontinence occurred;
if you start to feel short of breath.

What will the doctor do?

The doctor must understand what is the cause of fainting and whether there is a threat to life and health. To do this, he will ask about the episode itself, about the medical history, about the illnesses of relatives (especially about early problems with the heart), will conduct an examination and perform an electrocardiogram. It is very important to tell your doctor everything you felt before and after fainting, as additional symptoms can be very helpful in diagnosis. For example, chest pain in some cases indicates acute coronary syndrome (myocardial infarction or unstable angina) or embolism pulmonary artery. Cardiopalmus- often a sign of arrhythmia. Shortness of breath may be a manifestation of heart failure or pulmonary embolism. Headache in some cases indicates vascular disorders and hemorrhages.

Often, the patient, among other things, undergoes a stool test for occult blood(this checks to see if there is bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract), a blood test determines whether there is anemia, and a blood test is also done for brain natriuretic peptide (it can indicate heart problems). The woman will most likely be given a pregnancy test. The doctor can see how much your blood pressure and pulse change when you change your body position.

If the doctor believes that it is likely that carotid syncope has occurred, carotid sinus massage will be required to confirm the diagnosis.

If subarachnoid hemorrhage is suspected, it may be necessary CT scan brain and lumbar puncture.

If the doctor suspects that the problem is epilepsy, he will prescribe an electroencephalography.

If you suspect heart problems, your doctor may admit you for observation in the hospital, send you for an ECG and echocardiography, perform Holter monitoring (24-hour ECG recording), electrophysiological study of the heart, or coronary angiography. In difficult cases, an implantable (subcutaneous) loop ECG recorder may be installed for several months.

On high risk severe consequences indicate:

ECG abnormalities;
structural changes in the heart;
symptoms indicating heart failure (shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, swelling, etc.);
low blood pressure (systolic - “upper” - below 90 mm Hg);
shortness of breath before or after fainting, or at the time of treatment;
blood hematocrit is less than 30%;
elderly age and availability concomitant diseases;
sudden deaths in the family due to heart problems.

Treatment after fainting

Whether you need any treatment after fainting depends on the cause.

At reflex fainting provoking factors should be avoided, since no treatment is required in this case. If you faint while your blood is being drawn, tell the nurse so she can have you lie down before pricking your finger or giving the injection. If you don't understand what exactly causes fainting, but your doctor says there is no threat to your health, you can keep a diary to determine the triggering factors.

In case of anemia, it is necessary to find out its cause and correct it: the range of conditions leading to anemia is very wide - from an unbalanced diet to a tumor.

If you have low blood pressure, it is recommended to avoid dehydration, not to eat large meals, and to drink caffeinated drinks. To prevent the pressure from dropping sharply, after you get up, you can resort to special maneuvers: cross your legs, tense the muscles in the lower part of your body, clench your fists or tense your arm muscles.

If fainting is caused by taking any medicines, the doctor will cancel or replace the culprit drug, change the dose or time of administration.

For some heart diseases you will need surgical intervention, including installation of a cardioverter-defibrillator (a device that monitors the heart rhythm). In other cases it helps conservative therapy, for example, antiarrhythmic drugs.

First aid for fainting

When you feel that you are about to faint (pre-fainting or, for example, causeless yawning), lie down so that your legs are higher. Or sit with your head between your knees. This is how it will go to the brain more blood. If you do lose consciousness, after you come to your senses, do not get up immediately. It's better to give yourself 10-15 minutes to recover.

If a person begins to lose consciousness before your eyes, follow the same instructions: lay him down so that his legs are higher than his head, or sit him down and lower his head between his knees. It is also better to unfasten the collar and loosen the belt. If a person does not come to consciousness for a long time (more than 2 minutes), lay him on his side, monitor his breathing and pulse and call an ambulance. It is not recommended to use ammonia: firstly, it is unclear whether it brings a person to consciousness faster, and secondly, it can be dangerous in some diseases, for example, bronchial asthma.

Bibliography

ICD-10 ( International classification diseases)
Yusupov Hospital
"Diagnostics". - Brief Medical Encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1989.
« Clinical assessment laboratory research results”//G. I. Nazarenko, A. A. Kishkun. Moscow, 2005
Clinical laboratory analytics. Fundamentals of clinical laboratory analysis V.V. Menshikov, 2002.

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