Fainting is one form of unconsciousness and is therefore easily confused with other unconsciousness disorders such as seizures and stroke. Find out how to recognize fainting in order to be able to properly provide first aid to the injured person.
Faintingis a temporary, sudden loss of consciousness and muscle tone caused by hypoxia in the brain due to reduced blood flow to the brain. The hallmarks of syncope are its sudden onset, short duration (usually no longer than 15-20 seconds) and spontaneous and complete resolution, without neurological deficiencies (e.g. limb paresis, slurred speech).
How to recognize a fainting? Types of syncope and their symptoms
Recognizing faintingseems very easy. After falling to the ground, the casu alty remains motionless, flabby, and usually has cool limbs, a weak heart rate, shallow breathing, and pale skin. However, these symptoms are also characteristic of other unconsciousness disorders, so you should check that you have fainted for sure. For this purpose, it is necessary to collect an interview regarding the circumstances immediately before the incident, i.e. in what position (lying down, sitting, standing) the victim was, how active was he (standing, sitting, changing position), whether symptoms of fainting appeared, such as e.g. nausea, vomiting, feeling cold, aura. The answers to these questions help determine what type of fainting we are dealing with.
Reflex syncope- a temporary loss of consciousness occurs after long standing or staying in a crowded room, or after exercise. Warning symptoms such as nausea and sweating appear before fainting. As is typical of this type of syncope, these symptoms persist for a few minutes after regaining consciousness.
Orthostatic hypotensioncauses fainting when you suddenly change from sitting to standing position, after standing for a long time, or after treatment for high blood pressure is started. Symptoms of postural hypotension are most often nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, spots in front of the eyes, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, sweating or shortness of breath.
Cardiogenic syncopeoccurs suddenly, during or after exercise, and usually atlying position. Most often it is not preceded by the appearance of any prodromal symptoms (sometimes there may be a feeling of palpitations, chest pain). Cardiogenic syncope usually occurs in people who struggle with arrhythmias or other pathologies within the cardiovascular system.
Syncope and fainting-like disorders
There are several disorders that look like syncope, but aren't really, as they are not related to loss of blood flow to the brain, which is the actual cause of syncope.
Loss of consciousnessis a state of complete lack of awareness and ability to react to any stimuli in the environment that lasts longer than fainting (longer than 15-20 minutes) and may be caused not only by hypoxia brain, but also, for example, by trauma.
An epileptic seizure , caused by pathological electrical discharges in the brain, is characterized by a sudden loss of consciousness, seizures, and cramps followed by post-paroxysmal confusion or sleepiness.
Hypoglycemia- a drop in blood sugar leads to a gradual loss of consciousness. Before fainting occurs, however, symptoms such as excessive sweating, "goose bumps", dizziness and hand tremors may occur.
Other disorders resembling fainting, but proceeding without loss of consciousness, include e.g. cataplexy (momentary immobility), temporary loss of muscle tone, psychogenic disorders, e.g. in people with hysterical neurosis.