Fainting (or syncope) is a short-term loss of consciousness that occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted.

There are many reasons for fainting. In the article, we will look in detail at the mechanisms of the development of fainting and tell you how to notice a person in a pre-fainting state in time in order to protect him from dangerous consequences.

How does fainting occur?

Fainting occurs due to a decrease in blood supply to the brain, where oxygen does not reach, and the person suddenly feels weak, dizzy and has an increased heart rate. There is a fever, as if there was a fever, and dry mouth. This state does not last long (up to half a minute). A person is most often conscious, but cannot always help himself. Coordination of movement at this moment is weak, the legs cannot hold up, and you can fall.

People around you should help you sit down or lie down, support you, and give you water. After all, during a fall a person can get seriously injured.

Causes

Fainting always indicates the presence of a disease or a predisposition to it. There are exceptions in which fainting occurs due to poisoning or due to starvation.

• A brain cyst can provoke sudden intracranial pressure, resulting in fainting.
• People with weak hearts and those with hypertension may faint during extreme heat, during long journeys, or in mountains where oxygen levels are low.
• In the same situations, a pregnant woman can also faint. Persons with concussions are also susceptible to this disease.
• Fainting can also occur in people with weak mental health.

Types of fainting

Neurogenic

Caused by a disorder of the cardiovascular system. It occurs as a result of a vasodepressor state (due to strong stressful emotions). Occurs most often.

Cardiogenic

People with heart disease who have suffered or are susceptible to diseases such as ischemia or myocardial infarction suffer.

Hyperventilation

Triggered when under stress. At such a moment, a person’s breathing becomes uncontrollable. He begins to choke.

Reflex

It is caused by disruption of the heart. It doesn't last long, but it's hard.

State forms

In medicine, there are forms of fainting.

• Two of them depend on external factors, overheating, suffocation, poisoning, and high mountain air. This maladaptive and extreme forms.
• At anemetic form there is a sharp drop in the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin.
• Hypoclemic caused by a sharp drop in blood glucose levels.

Symptoms and first aid

The fainting state lasts about thirty seconds. And outwardly it can appear like this:

• Dizziness;
• blurred vision;
• nausea;
• dry mouth;
• suffocation;
• feeling of heat;
• noise in ears;
• severe weakness.

Losing consciousness is a problem that can happen to anyone. There are various reasons for its occurrence, for example, acute oxygen starvation of the brain. This condition can be one of the signs of various diseases, sometimes even the most serious ones. Regardless of the cause of the unconscious state, such phenomena greatly frighten others and the person himself who finds himself in this situation.

In this article we will try to understand what loss of consciousness is, what causes contribute to the onset of this phenomenon and how to deal with it.

Loss of consciousness is a condition that occurs due to insufficient access of oxygen to the hemispheres of the brain, which leads to dysfunction of the nervous system. In this case, the person falls and stops reacting to the environment, after which he comes to his senses spontaneously. There are several varieties of this condition:

• confused - clouding of reason, manifestation of delirium and indifference to the surrounding world;
• soporous – deeply depressed consciousness with preserved reflexes;
• deafening - drowsiness, a sharp decrease in the level of wakefulness;
• stupor – numbness, immobility;
• fainting– a short-term unconscious state that lasts from a few seconds to half an hour;
• comatose– profound loss of consciousness caused by dysfunction of the brain.

Symptoms

Among the signs of pre-fainting, the following are noted:

• flashing “flies” before the eyes;
• feeling of nausea;
• dizziness;
• cardiopalmus;
• pulsation in temples;
• weakness;
• cold sweat;
• blurred vision.

It is at this time that emergency medical care is necessary to prevent the victim from losing consciousness. However, fainting often occurs suddenly, and therefore its approach is unnoticeable to others. The following happens:

• dilation and slowing of the reaction of the pupils to light;
• loss of balance and sudden fall;
• muscle relaxation;
• eye rolling;
• pale skin tone or bluish discoloration;
• dulling of pain;
• seizures;
• lack of response to stimuli;
• convulsions and twitching of limbs.

In addition, there are cases when the victim experiences involuntary loss of urine. When a person comes to his senses, he feels weak, overwhelmed and drowsy.

Common reasons

There are many factors that provoke loss of consciousness. A sudden decrease in blood circulation in the cerebral hemispheres is caused by:

1. Pathological response of the central nervous system to stress(fear, fatigue). In this case, the choroid plexus expands, the pressure suddenly decreases, and blood circulation slows down. As a result, the nutrition of brain structures deteriorates.
2. Heart diseases. This is associated with reduced activity of cardiac output during manifestations of arrhythmia, blockade and other similar ailments.
3. Orthostatic hypotension. In this case, you may lose consciousness when suddenly moving from a lying position to a standing position (for example, when standing up). Blood may not have time to move from the lower extremities to other areas, including the brain.
4. Shock and acute pain. A stressful situation and the sudden onset of an unpleasant sensation contribute to the disruption of blood flow to the organs.

Speaking about other causes of loss of consciousness, situational fainting should be noted. It occurs as a result of the vasovagal reaction - a reflex of the central nervous system, leading to a slowing of the pulse and dilation of the vessels of the lower extremities. This type of syncope is often called vasodepressor syncope. Due to low pressure, insufficient oxygen reaches the brain. At the moment of loss of consciousness, nausea, profuse sweating, and weakness are noted. Such symptoms are a harbinger of fainting. In addition, people can fall into unconsciousness from cerebral hemorrhages, namely from stroke and migraine.

Causes of frequent loss of consciousness

A separate group includes factors that contribute to short-term attacks of loss of consciousness, which occur quite often. These may be mental disorders that occasionally manifest themselves in a sick person, for example, hysterical neurosis or a nervous breakdown. Circulatory disorders can occur during an epileptic seizure. People prone to hypotension (low blood pressure) and diabetes may also be susceptible to such attacks.

There are various causes of loss of consciousness, characteristic of women and men.

For the fairer sex

In past centuries, a similar condition was often caused by tightly tightened corsets, which compressed the ribs and made breathing difficult, strict diets that provoked anemia, etc.

Nowadays, women lose consciousness for various reasons, including the following:

• internal bleeding due to gynecological disease;
• strict diets or poor nutrition;
• a violent outburst of emotions;
• menorrhagia.

Among the representatives of the stronger sex

Most often, loss of consciousness in men is caused by the following factors:

• alcohol intoxication of the body;
• a tight collar or tight tie of a business suit;
• night urination and severe cough in older men.

In pregnant women

Women in a position with a normal physiological process of bearing a child should not lose consciousness. However, the expectant mother may experience some preconditions that worsen cerebral blood flow. The uterus stretches under the weight of the fetus and puts pressure on both nearby organs and the vena cava in the lower part, contributing to the development of passive hyperemia; the return of blood to the heart and blood supply to the brain deteriorate. Therefore, pregnant women should not lean forward sharply or walk in tight clothing.

Anemia, which is often found in expectant mothers, can also be a harbinger of loss of consciousness. A similar condition is observed already in the early stages. During the period of bearing a child, iron elements are spent on the growth and development of the baby, thereby depleting the mother's blood of hemoglobin. A lack of this substance leads to poor oxygen supply to the brain. Therefore, doctors systematically check the blood of pregnant women for hemoglobin levels and the number of red blood cells.

In children and adolescents

At a young age, loss of consciousness can occur for the same reasons as in adults. Each attack should be examined by pediatricians and neurologists.

This phenomenon occurs much more often during puberty. One of the main reasons is rapid growth. In girls, loss of consciousness can occur due to latent anemia and vegetative-vascular dystonia. Guys, unlike the opposite sex, are more often susceptible to connective tissue dysplasia of the heart. For example, mitral valve prolapse, which often occurs in young men of asthenic physique (thin and elongated limbs) and is manifested by blurred vision, fainting when standing up suddenly.

For diseases

Loss of consciousness is often a sign of certain pathologies. Below we consider the most common ailments:

1. Vascular diseases. This group includes atherosclerosis, cerebral vascular stenosis and cervical osteochondrosis. They provoke chronic disturbances in the blood flow, which can severely deteriorate memory, sleep and hearing, and in rare cases, loss of consciousness of varying severity. This is also caused by varicose veins, which are often found in older people. High blood pressure (hypertension) causes severe dizziness, causing unconsciousness.
2. Heart pathologies. A defect in the central circulatory system or changes in large vessels contribute to insufficient blood flow to the brain. Loss of consciousness can be a complication of a disease such as myocardial infarction, as it provokes a decrease in the contractility of the heart muscle. In addition, various rhythm disturbances lead to a state of unconsciousness, for example, a weak sinus node, heart block, ventricular fibrillation in the brain, etc.
3. Lung pathologies. A disease such as bronchial asthma can lead to disruption of gas exchange functions from the respiratory organs to the tissues, which causes insufficient oxygen to reach the brain. Arterial thromboembolism and pulmonary hypertension can also manifest as loss of consciousness.
4. Traumatic brain injury. Concussions and bruises in the head area are often accompanied by fainting.
5. Painful or infectious-toxic shock. In case of injury or pathology of internal organs, pain or harmful substances can contribute to inhibition of the functions of the cerebral cortex.
6. Diabetes. The disease leads to hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis, which develop into a fainting state. It is for this reason (if blood sugar rises) that it is necessary to systematically use sugar-lowering drugs.
7. Diseases accompanied by irritation of the reflex zones of the vagus nerve. These include gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastritis and pancreatitis.

In healthy people

Persons who are not prone to any diseases are also capable of falling into an unconscious state in certain cases. Among such situations, the following are noted:

1. Hunger. Strict diets and refusal to eat deprive the body of glucose, which is why the necessary amounts of nutrients stop getting into the brain. If a person engages in physical activity on an empty stomach, such activities can trigger hunger fainting.
2. Abuse of carbohydrates. The other extreme is also dangerous to health. If most of the diet consists of sweets and starchy foods, the pancreas will produce and release into the body an excess portion of insulin, which breaks down protein in the blood. It contains ketone bodies, which cause metabolic disorders in the cerebral cortex.
3. Injuries. For example, after a blow, loss of consciousness is possible due to severe pain or bleeding.
4. Lack of oxygen, stuffy room, tight underwear or a tight tie. Being in tight clothes in a stuffy place, for example, in transport, you can lose consciousness from lack of oxygen.

Fainting can be caused by a sudden change in temperature (for example, when a person runs out of a bathhouse into the snow), sunstroke, or inhalation of smoke. Some are able to react strongly to changes in atmospheric pressure or changes in weather, losing consciousness. An airplane flight often ends in fainting for some people.

First aid

Timely implementation of treatment and preventive measures will avoid serious consequences in case of loss of consciousness. The procedure is as follows:

1. Call a doctor to provide qualified medical care.
2. If a person falls into an unconscious state on the street in the heat, it is necessary to carefully take him into the shade and lay him on a flat surface. If this happened in a building, you need to put the patient in a lying position, make sure there is a soft cushion, pillow or rolled clothing under his head.
3. The victim should count his pulse and listen to his breathing.
4. The head should be turned to the side so that in case of vomiting the person does not choke.
5. It is necessary to ensure a good supply of oxygen by unfastening clothing on the chest, belts, belts and other items on the stomach, as well as opening all windows and doors in the room.
6. In order for oxygen to reach the head faster, the lower limbs should be raised.
7. If you have a first aid kit, you need to take ammonia and rub the victim’s temples. You should not bring cotton wool soaked in the solution too close to the olfactory organ, as this can be dangerous for the mucous membrane.
8. The face and body need to be blotted with a damp handkerchief. When the air temperature is high, clothes can be sprayed with a stream of water.

Emergency assistance must be provided before medical workers arrive. If the victim has regained consciousness, he should be given tea or water to drink. You should not leave the patient alone, as he may become dizzy again, and there is a high risk of hitting himself.

Prevention

Knowing and following the necessary precautions can help prevent loss of consciousness. To do this, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• eat well, including in the diet all micro- and macroelements that contribute to the proper functioning of the body;
• allocate a few minutes a day for moderate physical activity, exercise or running;
• women during pregnancy should regularly visit a gynecologist and systematically monitor their health;
• avoid excessive physical activity;
• if you are prone to fainting, consult with specialists and follow all their instructions; Treatment with nootropic drugs and vitamin complexes may be prescribed.

Conclusion

According to statistics, about 30% of all people, including those without serious illnesses, have lost consciousness at least once in their lives. There are many reasons leading to such an attack: a sudden circulatory disorder, a jump in blood pressure, a reaction to a change in weather, overheating, etc. It is important to prevent this condition and competently provide first aid to prevent possible consequences.

Repeated loss of consciousness may indicate a cardiac or neurological disease. Since the causes of this phenomenon are diverse, a comprehensive diagnosis is necessary. Even a moment of fainting should alert you and force you to contact a specialist.

• What are the causes of loss of consciousness
• Carrying out indirect cardiac massage artificial respiration

A sudden loss of consciousness by a person, as a rule, is closely related to disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system. During this condition, people lose their balance and fall, unable to even move their limbs. During the period of loss of consciousness, only convulsions are possible. People in this state stop reacting to others, and also lose the ability to think logically and give answers to questions asked.

Causes

Today, there are several known reasons that increase the risk of losing consciousness. Here is a list of the main causes of sudden loss of consciousness:

1. The first is the lack of blood supply to the brain;
2. The second is a lack of brain nutrition;
3. Third, low oxygen levels in the blood;
4. Fourth – incorrect work, which causes uncharacteristic discharges in the brain area.

These and other violations indicate possibly temporary illnesses or quite serious health problems.

Below these reasons will be discussed in more detail.

Lack of blood supply to the brain can occur:

1. This may be due to excessive functioning of the human autonomic system. Usually such a reaction occurs due to external stimuli or unusual situations. For example: ordinary fear, various experiences, a small amount of oxygen in a person’s blood.
2. Problems in the field of cardiology can also cause this cause of loss of consciousness. This happens due to a decrease in cardiac blood output in the human body. Such cases quite often end in myocardial infarction. It also occurs due to abnormal rhythm of the heart. The problem may be caused by frequent nerve impulses that accompany the ventricles and atrium. After these troubles, as a rule, various types of pathologies arise. Interruptions during contractions are especially acute; organs do not receive the required amount of blood in a timely manner for their normal functioning. And all this significantly affects the functioning of the human brain.

By the way, on the cardiogram you can easily notice the consequences of the unnatural inflow and outflow of blood in the body. It clearly shows abnormal nerve processes in the ventricle area. However, they almost never cause loss of consciousness. Some people do not notice this problem and live as usual. All these causes and symptoms of fainting are worth knowing and being able to partially eliminate them on the spot!

1. Quite often people who have low blood pressure for a long time lose consciousness. People who have problems using antihypertensive medications are also at risk; older people are no exception to this. A sharp change in the position of a person’s body usually causes this. For example, you can suddenly stand up, that is, change a sitting or lying position. During the passivity of the limbs, the functioning of the vessels is delayed, and with rapid movement they are not able to quickly return to the desired shape. This is the reason for the decrease in blood pressure and blood flow to the body’s brain.
2. Loss of consciousness may also occur due to significant changes in large blood vessels. Since these are the vessels that feed the brain. This problem can lead to a disease called atherosclerosis. With this disease, the walls and lumens in the vessels are held together.
3. Also, quite often, loss of consciousness can be caused by the presence of blood clots. There is a possibility that they will partially or completely block the passage through the blood vessels. In most cases, blood clots form due to surgery. Quite often, this problem occurs after heart valve replacement surgery. It is curious that the occurrence of blood clots is observed at any age, so any person can develop them. People who are at risk of this type of blockage are prescribed special medications that should be taken on an ongoing basis. There are also cases when blood clots form in blood vessels due to improper functioning of the heart rhythm. For such problems, special medications are also prescribed.
4. Anaphylactic shock can also cause loss of consciousness. Such shock often occurs due to a fairly severe allergic reaction, which can be caused by any drug. Loss of consciousness can also be caused by infectious shock, which can occur after serious illnesses. This condition can cause dilation of the blood vessels in the area, which will lead to a significant increase in blood flow to the heart area. This reaction can be triggered by vasodilating components in medications. At the same time, the blood capillaries become permeable, as a result they begin to work with even greater force. All of the above reasons also disrupt blood flow to the human brain.

If a person discovers these symptoms, he immediately needs to seek help from a qualified specialist, who, in turn, will have to immediately conduct an examination and prescribe sensitive tests. Only after receiving all the results will it be possible to make an accurate diagnosis. As a result, the patient will need to undergo several procedures:

• visit a specialist in neurology to determine the possible presence of vascular dystonia
• Visit your primary care physician to determine the possibility of hypotension, a condition that can cause low blood pressure. Also, the doctor must carry out several procedures to identify the patient’s tendency to hypertension
• It is necessary to undergo an ECHO procedure, in other words, an ultrasound of the heart, which will help determine the presence of any defects and heart failure.
• there is an option that the patient will be offered a Doppler ultrasound to examine the vessels and various pathologies in them.

Loss of consciousness due to a lack of oxygen in the blood occurs in the following diseases:

1. Loss of consciousness in children and women for this reason is possible if the air that a person inhales does not contain the required amount of oxygen. Because of this, in stuffy rooms there is often a risk of fainting and dizziness.
2. Also, loss of consciousness in adolescents can be caused by various diseases in the lungs, one of such diseases is bronchial asthma. This problem especially concerns people who chronically suffer from such ailments. Frequent coughing can cause various disturbances in the mechanism of the lungs, due to which there is a significant lack of oxygen during inhalation. Also during this there is a possibility of insufficient cardiac output.
3. One of the common causes of loss of consciousness is anemia. As a result of low hemoglobin content in the blood, which should not fall below 70 g/l. However, fainting is also possible with high levels of this substance in the human body. But most often this happens in stuffy rooms.
4. Poisoning with poisonous oxygen oxide is also often the cause of loss of consciousness. This gas cannot be seen and is odorless and tasteless. Oxygen oxide can enter the body quite easily. For example, when heating a stove or while using gas with the hoods turned off. This gas also comes from car exhaust pipes, so it is not recommended to be in the car cabin if it is not ventilated. This gas enters the human lungs quite easily, after which it combines directly with hemoglobin. As a result, the paths for the passage of pure oxygen into the blood are closed. As a result, oxygen starvation occurs in the body. There is a possibility of problems with the heart.

To quickly solve problems with loss of consciousness for these reasons, you need to undergo a series of tests and undergo mandatory procedures. Thus, it is quite important:

• take a general blood test. This will help to see the number and condition of all cells in the blood of the human body, such as red blood cells and hemoglobin. This test also checks whether the patient has asthma.
• It is necessary to take an x-ray of the lungs. This procedure will help check the body for the presence of bronchitis and other diseases, as well as cancer changes.
• spirography is also necessary. It will help determine the correctness of breathing and the force of a person’s exhalations.
• You may need to see an allergy specialist. After all, most allergens in the external environment cause this condition.

Syncope when oxygen supply to the human brain is disrupted, mainly occurs in diabetes mellitus.

1. People suffering from diabetes may make a mistake and put the wrong dose of insulin into their body. Which leads to a significant decrease in blood sugar, resulting in a disruption of brain metabolism and erroneous receipt of nerve impulses.
2. Loss of consciousness is observed both with an excess amount of insulin in the body and with its deficiency. With a lack of insulin, the blood is saturated with a large amount of glucose, which harms many organs that are associated with these processes, resulting in a change in metabolism. Often, a person suffering for such reasons may smell unpleasantly of acetone vapor.

Lactic acid coma can also cause loss of consciousness. In this case, diseases that are associated with renal failure occur. The patient's blood is saturated with a huge mass of lactic acid. In this case, the smell of acetone is not felt.

In any case, it is necessary to check the patient for the presence of diabetes. To do this, you need to donate blood to a laboratory; this test must be taken on an empty stomach. This blood test will tell you a lot about the diseases of a person. For example, the analysis showed an increased glucose content in capillary blood, which means that insulin does not have much effect on suppressing its production. To clarify the diagnosis, another analysis needs to be performed. After donating blood on an empty stomach, as a rule, the patient is given a special dose of glucose solution to drink, after which the procedure is repeated. If glucose exceeds the norm, then the person definitely has diabetes.

The urine test also determines the presence of glucose. A healthy person cannot have this substance in the urine. To fully determine the diagnosis of diabetes, after carrying out the prescribed procedures for several weeks, doctors measure hemoglobin levels.

The pancreas is responsible for the production of insulin, so doctors often prescribe an ultrasound to patients. Such an examination helps to identify pathologies in this organ and helps to see the causes of this disease.

A failure in the transmission of impulses according to the axioms of the brain or the occurrence of pathological discharges in the neurons of the brain occurs in the following conditions:

1. This reason quite often causes a person to lose consciousness. He often has seizures that recur with a certain frequency. This happens thanks to neurons in the brain area. It is extremely easy to determine if a person is having a seizure; at this moment, periodic twitching of muscles that are in a tense state is observed.

2. Loss of consciousness due to traumatic brain injury as a result of strong blows to the head. At the same time, bruises, concussions, and tumors in the brain are possible. After such injuries, displacement of areas of both hemispheres of the brain is likely. Compression occurs, resulting in increased intracranial pressure. These processes significantly complicate the functioning of the human brain. If the blow was not strong and the damage was not significant, then consciousness will return within a few minutes and there will be no significant changes in the body. However, if severe injuries occur, swelling and rupture of some vessels may occur. In critical cases, the person may fall into a coma.

3. Any kind of stroke, such as ischemic or hemorrhagic, can also cause frequent fainting. These types have many differences among themselves. An ischemic stroke causes improper blood supply to the cerebral cortex, causing blockages. People often reach this state by taking low-quality alcohol in large doses or tinctures with a high percentage of alcohol. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs as a result of ruptures of blood vessels in the cerebral cortex. This causes bleeding in the brain, quite often leading to the death of the patient.

The two types of stroke have something in common; this is the reason for their occurrence. These diseases occur with constant surges in blood pressure, when it quickly rises and falls at the same speed. Therefore, it is necessary to be promptly examined for problems in this area.

First aid

Any person should be able to provide first aid if suddenly a case of loss of consciousness occurs before his eyes. Here are some tips that can help save another person's life. it is a sudden and dangerous thing.

Quite often, people lose consciousness when they are in stuffy rooms. In such cases, the body does not receive the required amount of necessary oxygen. This can also happen due to frequent worries and worries. If a person suddenly loses consciousness for these reasons, the following measures must be taken:

• a person needs to free his throat, remove his scarf, unfasten the buttons on his collar, untie his tie;
• provide a room with fresh air for the patient or, if possible, take him outside;
• In order for a person to wake up, it is necessary to take a cotton wool soaked in ammonia and bring it to his respiratory tract;
• if a person does not regain consciousness, he needs to be provided with a safe and comfortable body position. A good solution would be to turn it on its side, while making sure that the tongue does not sink in, which can cause suffocation. It is best to check this sign in the first seconds; to do this, you will need to unclench the victim’s jaws with your fingers or other suitable objects. If necessary, you should fix the tongue to the cheek in the oral cavity. It is very important that the airway is completely open;
• it is also quite important to check that a person has a pulse and is breathing correctly in a faint state;
• If the patient has no pulse or breathing, it is necessary to give him a cardiac massage and artificial respiration. It is good if this procedure is carried out by an experienced person;
• in such a situation, you should immediately call an ambulance. And before removal, it is necessary to accurately describe all the patient’s symptoms to doctors.

There are situations when a person does not witness another person losing consciousness. In this case, the following measures must be taken:

• try to find witnesses who noticed how the person lost consciousness. Perhaps someone knows the reason for this incident. It is necessary to check the victim’s pockets; it is likely that there will be special drugs there that can help bring him to his senses. People suffering from chronic diseases of this type often carry medications with them;
• It is also necessary to inspect for damage to a person who has fainted. If bleeding is detected, you should try to stop it before the ambulance arrives;
• It is important to determine the pulse and check if the person is breathing. To check the pulse, you need to feel the victim’s thyroid cartilage with two fingers. Then lower them a little lower.

Usually the pulse is felt well in this area;

• if a person is still warm, but has no pulse or breathing, it is necessary to check the reaction of the pupils to light. There are often cases when a person in clinical death still reacts well to light rays. You can check this in this way: open the patient’s eyes, which are closed for centuries; if he is alive, the pupils will sharply begin to narrow. If the patient initially lies with his eyes open, it is worth covering them with your palm or any dark cloth for a few seconds, then carry out the previous action. If the incident happened at night or late in the evening, you can use a flashlight or mobile phone for such purposes. There is another way to check the reaction of the eye. To do this, use a handkerchief or other soft cloth to touch the victim’s eyelids. If a person is alive, he will immediately begin to blink, regardless of his condition. This is a natural reaction to external stimuli.

An ambulance does not always arrive immediately after a call, but in such a condition every minute is important. Therefore, it would not be a bad idea to try to provide independent assistance to the victim. A heart massage of any kind or mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration can help restore vital processes. However, there is no need to rush with these methods. Quite often they cause serious harm to the victim. But they can also save a person’s life. While the ambulance is on the way. It is important not to overdo it, especially when performing cardiac massage, as this can lead to compound fractures.

Method of performing indirect cardiac massage and artificial respiration

Before starting chest compressions and artificial respiration, it is necessary to position the patient as comfortably as possible and free the oral cavity from vomit or excessive salivation. Then you need to throw the person’s head back, while making sure that the front jaw is slightly extended. If the jaw is tightly clenched, it must be unclenched with any available objects, without causing severe injury to the victim. Only after this can the procedure of introducing air into the mouth and nose be carried out. It is best to perform artificial respiration through a handkerchief. It is necessary to take two deep breaths to the victim, while holding the nose or mouth tightly. After inhaling, you need to press your hands on the middle of the person’s chest. Ten clicks will be enough. After which the procedure must be repeated in the same order. The procedure for artificial respiration and chest compressions will be simpler and more effective if it is performed by two people at the same time. It is quite difficult to cope with this alone. One person presses on the sternum, the other inhales. Three to five presses should be combined with one or two breaths.

This procedure may need to be carried out until an ambulance arrives.

Fainting is a short absence of consciousness caused by a sudden disruption of blood circulation in the brain. This happens because the brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients. Fainting differs from complete fainting in that it lasts on average no longer than five minutes. Impaired blood flow can be caused by many factors, including various disorders of the cardiovascular system, inflammatory or infectious processes. In addition, short-term loss of consciousness is often observed in girls during their first menstruation. According to statistics, half of the world's population has encountered such a disorder at least once in their life. Doctors say that less than half of all such cases are of unknown nature.

Before losing consciousness, many people feel unwell, feel very dizzy, and sweat a lot. Fainting can be avoided; you just need to sit down in time; if you don’t do this, you will fall. Usually a person quickly comes to his senses, often without the help of others. Quite often, fainting is accompanied by injuries that a person receives directly during a fall. Slightly less often, a person experiences short-term, moderate-intensity seizures or urinary incontinence.

Normal syncope should be distinguished from epileptic syncope, although it can also be caused by some factors related to short-term loss of consciousness, for example, menstruation in women or the sleep phase. During epileptic syncope, a person immediately experiences intense convulsions.

Etiology

There are several reasons why people faint, but despite this, in almost half of the cases it is not possible to determine the factor causing such a disorder. Sources of insufficient blood flow to the brain can be:

• disorders of the functioning of the autonomic nervous system;
• a sharp increase in intracranial pressure;
• intoxication caused by gas poisoning, nicotine, alcoholic beverages, household chemicals, plant care products, etc.;
• strong emotional changes;
• sudden drop in blood pressure;
• lack of glucose in the body;
• insufficient amount of hemoglobin;
• air pollution;
• change of body position. Loss of consciousness occurs when suddenly rising to your feet from a lying or sitting position;
• specific effects on the human body, including prolonged exposure to hot temperatures or increased atmospheric pressure;
• age category - in adults, fainting can occur when urinating or diarrhea, in teenagers, in particular in girls, fainting occurs during menstruation, and in older people, loss of consciousness can occur during sleep.

According to statistics, it is women who often faint, since they are most susceptible to changes in temperature or atmospheric pressure. Very often, while watching their figure, female representatives follow strict diets or refuse food altogether, which leads to hungry fainting.

The causes of fainting in children and adolescents occur in the following cases:

• from severe fear or anxiety, for example, while speaking in front of a crowded audience or visiting the dentist;
• when overworked from physical exertion or mental activity;
• associated with injuries and, as a result, severe pain. This mainly happens with fractures;
• at the first onset of menstruation, girls are often accompanied by severe dizziness, lack of air, leading to fainting;
• frequent extreme situations that attract young girls and boys so much;
• from prolonged fasting or strict diets.

To suddenly faint a few minutes after a night's sleep may be due to excessive drinking the night before, or because the brain is not fully awake. In addition, in women over fifty, fainting can be caused by a condition such as cessation of menstruation.

Varieties

Depending on the factors influencing the occurrence, the following types of fainting are distinguished:

• neurogenic in nature, which, in turn, are:
• vasodepressor – arising against the background of emotional changes and stressful situations. Very often manifests itself at the sight of blood in particularly impressionable people;
• orthostatic – expressed due to a sudden change in body position or taking certain medications. This group includes loss of consciousness from wearing tight or uncomfortable clothing, in particular tight collars of outerwear, as well as fainting in men and women who experience urinary incontinence during sleep, coughing, or when passing feces;
• maladaptive - arise due to non-adaptation to environmental conditions, for example, in too hot or cold climates;
• hyperventilation direction– appear from severe fear or panic;
• somatogenic– the causes of which directly depend on disorders of the functioning of internal organs, with the exception of the brain. There are cardiogenic fainting - occurring due to heart pathologies, anemic - developing due to a decreased level of and, as well as hypoglycemic - associated with insufficiency of glucose in the blood;
• extreme nature, which are:
• hypoxic, resulting from a lack of oxygen in the air;
• hypovolemic – appearing as a result of heavy blood loss, menstruation, extensive burns;
• intoxication – developing due to various poisonings;
• medicinal – taking medications that lower blood pressure;
• hyperbaric - the occurrence factor is increased atmospheric pressure.

Symptoms

The appearance of such a disturbance of consciousness is preceded by uncomfortable and unpleasant sensations. Thus, the symptoms of fainting are:

• sudden onset of weakness;
• noise in ears;
• strong pulsation in the temples;
• heaviness in the back of the head;
• decreased visual acuity;
• pale skin, often the appearance of a gray tint;
• the appearance of nausea;
• abdominal cramps precede loss of consciousness during menstruation;
• excessive sweating.

The pulse of a person who has fainted is palpable weakly, the pupils practically do not react to light.

This condition very rarely lasts more than five minutes, but in cases where it takes longer, fainting with convulsions and seizures is observed. Thus, a short-term loss of consciousness becomes a deep faint. In addition, some people fall into the obrok with their eyes open, in which case the best solution would be to cover them with a hand or cloth to prevent dryness. After fainting, a person feels drowsy, slightly dizzy and confused. Such sensations go away on their own, but the victim still needs to see a doctor, especially if he was injured during a fall.

Diagnostics

Despite the fact that fainting often goes away on its own, diagnosis and treatment are necessary, because this condition is often a symptom of various diseases that may threaten a person’s health and life. In addition, it is not always clear why fainting occurs, and diagnostics will help determine the causes of the occurrence.

The first stage of diagnosis consists of identifying possible pronounced causes of fainting, for example, menstruation, working conditions, sleep phase, poisoning or environmental pollution. The doctor needs to find out whether the patient has taken any medications and whether an overdose has occurred.

Next, it is necessary to examine the patient, but symptoms will not always be identified. If a person is taken to a medical facility immediately after fainting, he will experience inhibition and slowness of reaction, as if after sleep, and answers to any questions will be delayed. In addition, the doctor cannot help but notice an increased heart rate and decreased blood pressure.

Then the patient needs to take a blood test, which will confirm or refute the deficiency of glucose, red blood cells and hemoglobin.

Hardware diagnostics consists of undergoing examinations of various internal organs, since it is not always clear why fainting occurs, and if the problem is hidden in the improper functioning of one or more internal organs, then radiography, ultrasound, ECG, MRI and other methods will help detect this.

In addition, additional consultations with a cardiologist may be necessary - if heart problems have been detected, a gynecologist - in case of loss of consciousness during menstruation, and a specialist such as a neurologist.

Treatment

Before contacting specialists who will provide proper therapy, the first step is to provide the victim with first aid. Therefore, a person who is nearby at such a moment should know what to do in case of fainting. First aid methods involve carrying out such activities.

Fainting (syncope) is a short-term loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood supply to the brain. Fainting usually lasts about 20 seconds, after which the person fully regains consciousness. In rare cases (usually in old age), retrograde amnesia is possible: the victim does not remember the events preceding the fainting.

Causes of fainting

The causes of fainting are extremely varied: from harmless, not requiring medical correction, to severe, life-threatening.

• Disturbance of nervous regulation of vascular tone. In young people, stuffiness, fear and excitement, an unpleasant smell, or a sharp sound can cause fainting. In old age, the cause of fainting is often pressure on the neck area: a tight collar, a sharp turn of the head.
• Fainting when changing body position from horizontal to vertical. It can be observed with insufficiency of the autonomic nervous system, as well as against the background of dehydration: intestinal infections, bleeding, thirst. Fainting is often preceded by a pre-syncope state.
• Fainting associated with impaired pumping function of the heart. The causes of impaired consciousness in this case can be very dangerous: arrhythmias, heart defects, heart failure, myocardial infarction, etc. In some cases, the cause of such fainting is taking medications. Fainting develops suddenly, without previous symptoms.
• Cerebrovascular syncope associated with impaired blood flow through the vessels supplying the brain. In certain situations (physical activity, awkward movement, thrombosis), the cerebral blood supply is temporarily disrupted, which leads to loss of consciousness.

Symptoms of fainting and its warning signs

Signs of pre-syncope (precursors of fainting):

• dizziness;
• feeling of lack of air;
• nausea;
• flickering of spots before the eyes and blurred vision;
• tinnitus;
• interruptions in the functioning of the heart or, conversely, rapid heartbeat;
• trembling, cold extremities, pallor, sweating;
• weakness, as if the earth was floating away from under your feet.

Symptoms of fainting:

• lack of consciousness, movements;
• pale skin, blueness of lips, fingertips, nose;
• sweating is possible;
• shallow breathing;
• weak pulse.

After the return of consciousness, headaches, a feeling of fear, chest pain, weakness, a feeling of heat, and sweating are possible. Usually the condition is restored within 1-2 minutes.

Attention! The duration of fainting for more than 1-2 minutes, slow or incomplete recovery - confused speech, disorientation in space, time, impaired mobility of arms and legs, facial asymmetry - indicate a serious condition of the victim. You need to urgently call an ambulance!

Why is fainting dangerous?

In most cases, fainting ends in complete recovery. The main danger is a possible fall, impacts on sharp and hard objects.

The most severe fainting occurs when cardiac function is impaired. In this case, fainting can result in death. In addition, fainting can accompany a stroke, hemorrhage in the brain, severe blood loss due to internal bleeding (for example, with an ectopic pregnancy, stomach ulcer, cirrhosis of the liver, rupture of the spleen), trauma to the central nervous system, be the first manifestation of diabetes mellitus, etc.

Any fainting, even if it ends safely, is a reason for a routine visit to the doctor and examination.

First aid for fainting

In most cases, fainting can be prevented by suspecting its approach - presyncope. If you feel signs of discomfort, the victim should sit down on a chair, squat down, or, if possible, lie down, take a deep breath and exhale. If a fellow traveler becomes ill in transport, you need to sit him near an open window or help him go outside.

Actions to take if you faint:

1. Do not run to the side or make way if a passerby begins to fall. You need to support him with your hands and carefully lay him on his back, protecting him as much as possible from injury.
2. If vomiting occurs, turn your head to the side and open the victim’s mouth.
3. Provide access to fresh air. Unbutton your clothes if they are constricting your chest or neck: tight collar, tie, bra.
4. Raise your legs: place a bag, a stone, a pillow.
5. Feel the pulse and listen to breathing. Once you are sure of their presence, you can try to revive the victim by splashing his face with cold water. If you have ammonia, wet a handkerchief with it and bring it to the victim’s nose.
6. If there is no breathing or pulse, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation and call an ambulance.

Nota Bene!

If ammonia is not available, the victim can be revived by tickling the mucous membrane of the nasal passages with a blade of grass or the tip of a napkin. This will lead to activation of the vascular and respiratory nerve centers.

What should you not do if you faint?

• move the victim if there is a suspicion of injury to the spine, skull, or fractures of the bones of the extremities;
• placing a pillow under your head will disrupt the flow of blood to the brain;
• apply a bottle of ammonia or vinegar to your nose - this can cause burns to the mucous membrane;
• trying to put medications into the mouth of an unconscious person;
• cause panic and gather a large crowd of onlookers; you need to treat the victim with sensitivity.

Created using materials:

1. Guide to Primary Health Care. - M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2006.
2. Smetnev A. S., Shevchenko N. M., Grosu A. A. Syncopal conditions // Cardiology, 1988, No. 2, p. 107-110.
3. Shelutko B.I., Makarenko S.V. Standards for diagnosis and treatment of internal diseases. 2nd ed. - St. Petersburg, 2004.