![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Analgesics.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Fainting, also known as the loss of consciousness, is an extremely scary experience when it happens, whether it happens to you or someone you know; there are several things which can be the cause behind a fainting spell, and it\u2019s important to know why someone has fainted before you treat what could be the cause: Administering the wrong kind of treatment when someone has fainted could have horrible effects, and might even make their condition worse.<\/p>\n
There is a huge scope of illnesses, disorders and symptoms that could accompany a fainting spell \u2013 and you should have a clearer idea of what to look for by the end of this article. In most cases, fainting is nothing serious, though in many cases it warrants immediate attention from a medical professional. Here are 25 of the potential causes for fainting so that you know what you should look for if it ever happens to you or someone you know.<\/p>\n
If you have started taking any new medications, be sure to keep the leaflet that comes along with the medication and give it a thorough read-through. Check under the contra-indications section to see which medications<\/a> could react badly with other conditions and medications, and the side-effects section of this paper will tell you which side-effects you could experience while taking this medication and just how common each of them are: Sometimes, fainting could be one of the contraindications or side-effects that are mentioned on the paper.<\/p>\n If this is the case, then you should get in touch with the doctor who prescribed the medication or the person who dispensed it and find out if you can take anything else which will not have the unfortunate side-effect of fainting. Never attempt to stop taking any kind of medication by yourself without getting in touch with a medical professional first; you could be doing more harm to your health.<\/p>\n Angina<\/a> is a medical condition which affects the heart, and which is characterised by an irregular heart rhythm and the experience of a stabbing pain (or stabbing pains) in the area of the chest that can mirror a heart attack. An angina attack is so close to a heart attack that doctors warn patients that one can be mistaken for the other one, and that patients should never attempt to diagnose themselves with one or the other: This can lead to very dangerous repercussions for your health and could be fatal if you think that you are having an angina attack but it\u2019s something more serious.<\/p>\n Seek medical attention if either of these happen, and let your doctor make that call. If angina is a problem, it\u2019s likely that your doctor will put you on heart medication in combination with some type of beta-blocker to control the issue. Fainting is possible with both angina attacks and heart attacks.<\/p>\n Sometimes, a particularly bad mental shock can give rise to a fainting spell; this is usually used in movies purely for comedic effect. When last did you see a movie where someone fainted after they saw something that horrified or surprised them? This doesn\u2019t happen nearly as much in real life as it does in movies, but a mental shock of some sort can still be behind a bad fainting spell.<\/p>\n To understand why this happens in the first place, we\u2019ll have to explore just what happens to you during shock: The blood pressure<\/a> will either go straight up or straight down, and this alone can send you into a panic attack \u2013 and subsequent hyperventilation. These are all things that will take oxygen-rich blood away from the parts that your body needs, and the shock that your body experiences as a result can cause you to pass out \u2013 or lose consciousness.<\/p>\n Asthma<\/a> is a condition that many people inherit from a family member, and it\u2019s a condition that many people grow out of when they reach adulthood \u2013 but for some, this is a condition that only develops later on in their lives, or one that sticks around even after they grow up. There can be many triggers for an asthma attack, including panic and pollution in the environment; allergies can also be tied to certain types of panic attacks, and sometimes there is even a food or drink tied to an asthma attack.<\/p>\n Sometimes, fainting can take place in the case of an asthma attack \u2013 which is where the disorder becomes very dangerous, especially if you injure yourself on the way down. Asthma can be managed with proper medication, and an asthma inhaler is an essential part of stopping an asthma attack when it happens. When you have nothing else, coffee can work due to the caffeine content. <\/p>\n You could be at risk of smoke inhalation if you are ever trapped near a fire and happen to inhale some of the smoke; this can also happen with fires inside closed quarters, again where you happen to inhale some of the smoke in the process. If you are ever trapped in a house or building fire, then you should remember to go down low: Heat and fire will naturally travel up, and the lower you are able to go the less likely you are to breathe in the smoke.<\/p>\n Smoke inhalation will immediately affect your lungs<\/a>, and if you inhale too much smoke, it will filter out the oxygen in your lungs and leave you breathing carbon monoxide instead. This can cause fainting, which is extremely dangerous to your health, especially if you are still trapped in the hazardous environment. Smoke inhalation is usually treated with immediate hook-up to oxygen supply.<\/p>\n Dehydration<\/a> occurs when your body has lost a lot of fluid, and it can accompany a whole range of disorders and illnesses. By the point your body tells you that you have dehydrated and need to up your intake of fluid, then you are already in the more severe stages of dehydration and will need immediate attention.<\/p>\n You can prevent the condition of dehydration by taking in plenty of fluid \u2013 water is usually best, though not always tap water; eight glasses per day are recommended by most health practitioners, though it\u2019s important to mention that the number might be a little bit higher or lower depending on your environment (are you losing a lot of fluid?) and your body weight. If you are severely dehydrated, you might also faint from your symptoms, and will likely need fluid immediately by that point, either by traditional methods or via a saline-IV intake.<\/p>\n Sunstroke happens when you have been exposed to particularly harsh levels of sunlight for extended periods of time, and it is usually accompanied by a severe case of sunburn. Other symptoms of sunstroke (or heatstroke) involve an extreme headache<\/a>, particularly bad dehydration and further sensitivity to heat and light.<\/p>\n If you have a case of sunstroke, then your best course of action is to make sure that you stay out of the sun and take in plenty of fluid to ensure your symptoms don\u2019t get worse \u2013 and you will be much more likely to remember your sunscreen when you are exposed to sun again.<\/p>\n Give yourself plenty of time to heal, and seek immediate medical attention if you have fainted after long-term exposure to sunlight to make sure that your symptoms aren\u2019t getting any worse with time. You should avoid hot water and showers after you have had sunstroke, and you should try to cool down the body as much as possible.<\/p>\n While this is an exceptionally rare cause of fainting, people who live in areas that are regularly sprayed with pesticides or industrial and farming areas should take note of this section; they are at a much higher risk of fainting because of over-exposure to pesticides<\/a>, particularly if their fainting spells are accompanied by other symptoms that come with pesticide exposure \u2013 sometimes this is a simple rash, other times this can go as far as the burning of the eyes or the sudden thinning of the blood.<\/p>\n Take note of where you buy your produce, and find out what type of pesticides your produce might be treated with if you suspect that it might be the case with what you have been buying or growing. If you experienced increased instances of fainting over a long period of time, mention this to your doctor so that the best treatment options for the future can be discussed.<\/p>\n If you have recently gone through surgery<\/a>, you should remember that surgery is an extremely taxing procedure for the body, regardless of which part of the body you might have had operated on. Surgery is traumatic for the body no matter how you look at it, and even minor surgeries will send your body into automatic shock; during your recovery in hospital, doctors and nurses try to minimize this shock as much as they can in hospital, usually by giving you something to eat or drink before you are allowed to be discharged, and by administering something to wake you up from the anesthetic, usually adrenaline.<\/p>\n You might faint during surgery recovery due to blood loss or shock \u2013 seek medical attention if this happens shortly after a recent surgery. It could prove to be very dangerous to the body, especially if you have been discharged from hospital, and will be something that your doctor will want to know.<\/p>\n Tattooing and piercing is one of the most painful things that people choose to voluntarily do to their bodies; and it can also be pretty traumatising to the body, especially if you are not used to the sudden effect of being tattooed or pierced. This can also put the body into a minor form of shock, which is why you are usually advised to drink or eat something sweet before you get any piercings or tattoos done.<\/p>\n If you experience repeated problems with fainting<\/a> and piercing, then you could have other problems with your heart or blood sugar and will need to get medical attention \u2013 make an appointment with your doctor so that your symptoms can be properly examined by a medical professional, and don\u2019t take any unnecessary risks with your health. As a side-note, ensure that you choose a tattoo artist who is professionally trained in just how to administer first-aid in a crisis situation.<\/p>\n It\u2019s very rare that you would have deliberate exposure to a type of poison<\/a> \u2013 of course, unless anyone reading this has someone who is looking to collect a few thousand on their life insurance policy, that is. But you might be exposed to a poison by accident in several different ways, including the fact that some of the poisons may have come into contact with your food while being transported, or with your produce if it has been treated for pesticides at any point in the process.<\/p>\n If you suspect that you have ingested any type of poison accidentally, then you should seek immediate medical attention while you try to establish which poison has been ingested and how \u2013 this can be of great help to your medical team when they are trying to treat the symptoms. In advanced cases of poison ingestion, vomiting, nausea and fainting are characteristic and dangerous symptoms.<\/p>\n Direct trauma<\/a> to the brain or brainstem can also result in an almost immediate loss of consciousness; this goes with a lot of the same symptoms that you will see in the case of a concussion, though in the case of some direct trauma to the brain the symptoms can be expected to be much more severe \u2013 and might even include symptoms as severe as bleeding on the brain.<\/p>\n You should seek medical attention immediately if you have experienced direct trauma to the brain or have seen someone who has: The condition will need to be treated immediately, especially if it results in losing consciousness at any point. In the case of direct trauma to the brain, ensure that the neck has not been injured at the same time \u2013 this is often what makes this particularly dangerous, and you could break someone\u2019s neck simply by moving them around in the wrong manner. <\/p>\n We\u2019ve already covered alcohol intoxication as a potential cause for fainting, but it\u2019s not the only kind of intoxication<\/a> that can cause fainting to occur \u2013 and the causes are so vast that it\u2019s worth including in a section by itself. If you have had any kind of exposure to drugs, then it\u2019s likely that you could have pushed it too far if fainting were to occur; for this, you should seek immediate medical attention and try to find the source of the contamination or intoxication.<\/p>\n The doctor will be able to tell you what the best course of action is and recommend what can be done to ensure that the patient is comfortable. Remember that the stoppage of the heart and breathing is a real danger when we\u2019re talking about any kind of fainting, and you should also remember that someone can easily vomit \u2013 which becomes a danger when it ends up in the throat or lungs when someone is unconscious.<\/p>\n There are some cases of fainting that we haven\u2019t covered in this article, and you should know that fainting has a huge range of potential causes \u2013 some of them can be said are not too serious and don\u2019t warrant immediate medical attention if you are roused immediately, but many of them are more serious and will need medical attention for added safety.<\/p>\n If anyone has fainted, it\u2019s best that you choose to assume the worst and treat the condition as if it\u2019s one of the more serious ones. Your most important things are to check the vital signs<\/a> if someone has fainted, and to ensure that the heart-rate and breathing remains constant until the person can be woken up \u2013 and medical attention is recommended for most cases of fainting, no matter what the cause is, so that the real cause of the repeated fainting spells can be found. Never take any risks when it comes to your health!<\/p>\n Sometimes, air pollution<\/a> can also cause fainting to happen \u2013 and in this case, your immediate concern should be getting the person away from the danger-area and to a fresh oxygen supply before it starts to affect their brains further: With loss of consciousness of this sort, you won\u2019t have a lot of time to do so \u2013 and in some cases, you will even have under a minute.<\/p>\n Pollution will affect you particularly badly if you have a condition or respiratory infection, both of which can affect your lungs \u2013 for example, asthma. Ensure that the asthma sufferer is always close-by to their emergency asthma medication if an asthma attack were to occur, and seek medical help if you are in a situation where the levels of pollution has caused someone to faint. If the cause of the pollution proves to be a factor in the environment, then i could be healthier for you to move. <\/p>\n If your blood sugar suddenly drops, then you will manifest with a range of symptoms include the common \u201cseeing stars\u201d as the symptom is described by most people; you will also experience other symptoms such as feeling faint \u2013 and, of course, for it to be on this list you might also actually faint if your blood sugar goes too low down and is not replenished in time.<\/p>\n If this happens regularly, then you should ask your doctor or nearest pharmacist to test your blood sugar<\/a> levels to make sure that you are not in danger levels; the next time you feel faint and your blood sugar drops too low, it might help to eat something \u2013 and it could save you from fainting if you are in need of medical help. Make an appointment with your doctor if this becomes a regular occurrence \u2013 don\u2019t take the risk not to when it comes to your health. <\/p>\n Normal blood pressure should measure 120 over 80 \u2013 that\u2019s systolic over diastolic. A little bit higher or lower than this can be considered normal, but too much higher or lower than this can be a cause for concern. If you have low or high blood pressure, then it\u2019s likely that you might experience any of the symptoms that are associated with either one of the two, including seeing stars on a regular basis when there is a drop or a rise; you might also experience a slowing or speeding up of the heart<\/a>.<\/p>\n Have your blood pressure checked at regular intervals if you think that this might be the case. In extreme cases, low and high blood pressure can both lead to instances of fainting, and when it does you should seek immediate medical advice so that the condition can be better managed before it becomes a more serious problem for your health.<\/p>\n Concussions happen when there is some kind of injury to the brain, usually through a hard knock to the head. Sometimes it might be accompanied by fainting, though statistics from the CDC estimate that only about 10% of cases of fainting will accompany a concussion<\/a>: Though these are usually the ten percent that are the most serious of cases and require immediate medical attention if a loss of consciousness has occurred.<\/p>\n The risk of permanent damage is very possible if you have fainted after a concussion, and you should seek medical attention immediately if you spot any of the other symptoms that could lead up to fainting in addition: This can include distortion of vision, extreme confusion, attacks of memory loss and a feeling of pins and needles in the hands and feet. A severe concussion might also include a headache and sensitivity to both light and sound along with nausea and vomiting.<\/p>\n Heart attacks<\/a> affect thousands of people in the United States alone every year, and there are several factors which could put you at a higher risk of having a heart attack during your lifetime. Some of these conditions include high cholesterol, a lack of exercise, high blood pressure and any physical and emotional stress that you have been experiencing; a family history of heart disease could also put you at a higher risk of having a heart attack and mean that you have to watch your health and heart as you get older.<\/p>\n Symptoms of a heart attack can include a feeling of pressure in the chest, and a feeling of numbness in the arms, back or shoulders \u2013 there is no right or wrong arm for a heart attack, and it can vary greatly. Sometimes a heart attack can also be accompanied by an episode of fainting \u2013 seek medical attention.<\/p>\n There are many signs that you could have a severe infection<\/a> that\u2019s making its way throughout your body: The first one is that you will likely be running a temperature that\u2019s higher than normal \u2013 this is your body\u2019s attempt to filter out the infection by raising your core temperature. The second is that you will experience other symptoms that are related to general illness, including that you might experience a sudden decline in the performance of your immune system, and you might also experience other symptoms such as chills, severe shock and the distortion of vision.<\/p>\n In extreme cases, you might also faint because of the pressure that the infection might be placing on your heart and brain: In this case, you will need immediate medical attention. A severe infection \u2013 even if you don\u2019t have any obvious outward signs of a present infection \u2013 could be a fatal condition and kill you. <\/p>\n In ancient times, people thought that epilepsy<\/a> was a condition that was somehow caused by either sin or demonic possession; thankfully, today we know better and have a much better scope of information about the condition, its potential triggers and causes and what you can do to treat it. An epileptic seizure causes an electrical storm on the brain, and can be several levels of severity.<\/p>\n Sometimes one can experience a miniature seizure that leaves the person feeling only slightly confused and with some lost time; other times, a seizure can be much more intense and lead to a full-on seizure \u2013 called, officially, a grand mal seizure. In this case, fainting is common, though sometimes the person is entirely conscious during this process. The most important thing to remember if someone seizes is to keep them safe: Hold the neck, and ensure they don\u2019t bite off their tongue or swallow it in the process.<\/p>\n Diabetes<\/a> is a condition linked to the way your body produces and regulates the hormone known as insulin, which is the hormone which controls just how your body processes sugars \u2013 including the sugars that you take in through your diet, and everything that turns into sugar in the process, including breads and cereals.<\/p>\n There are many symptoms that characterise diabetes or being pre-diabetic, including a more frequent need to urinate, feeling sleepy after taking in sugar (or, as we\u2019ve said, anything that becomes sugar such as pasta) or blurred vision, which can sometimes come with low blood sugar. Fainting is a very possible danger if you have diabetes.<\/p>\n If you suspect that you could have this condition, get your blood sugar levels tested immediately, and find out from your doctor what changes you will need to make to your lifestyle to better manage the condition. Of course, you will need to cut out sugar, too.<\/p>\n A stroke<\/a> is a very serious medical condition that can have several different causes including stress and high-blood pressure. During a stroke, the brain goes into a type of electrical storm that can be likened to an epileptic seizure, and it does much of the same thing to the brain. The neurons fire in the wrong way, and this causes the electrical storm on the brain and cause a range of different symptoms ranging from nerve pain to numbness.<\/p>\n Usually the first sign that someone is having a stroke is the inability to lift their arms higher than their shoulders (but remember this is also possible if you have a rotary cuff shoulder injury!), slurred speech \u2013 and the person is often unable to touch their tongue to the roof of their mouth. Sometimes fainting can also accompany the symptoms of a stroke, in which case immediate medical attention must be sought. The person may also stop breathing as a result.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve already gone through a lot of the causes of fainting in this article, though there are still more to discuss; sometimes fainting can accompany a case of physical shock. Some of the other symptoms that the body has gone into shock can include feeling chills<\/a> and shaking; sometimes the shaking is restricted to the body.<\/p>\n Sometimes the person will be in and out of consciousness \u2013 though care should be taken to keep a person with shock from falling asleep completely, as this could cause the person\u2019s vital signs to drop even further \u2013 into the levels that\u2019s considered dangerous territory. In the case of physical shock that causes unconsciousness, check the breathing and heart rate immediately and administer CPR if necessary until you can reach medical help. You should also try and warm the person up as soon as possible, and continuously keep an eye on their vital signs (breathing and heart rate).<\/p>\n Almost everyone has had alcohol to the point where they have been intoxicated or drunk, and most people will eventually have drank to the point where they start drifting off and get sleepier and sleepier and, well, eventually pass out. This is a normal part of the aging process and something that everyone goes through at some or other point, save a very small part of the population \u2013 yes, there are many people who never touch a drop of alcohol as long as they live.<\/p>\n You should know that alcohol consumption is one of the most common causes of fainting, though care should always be taken to make sure that the intoxicated<\/a> person does not get injured in any way while they are unconscious, and you should remember that vomiting and subsequent choking is many times common and should be avoided. Turn the person on their side to ensure that they are safe from this danger. \r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Chest-Pain.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n2. Angina<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Syncope.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n3. Mental Shock<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Asthma.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n4. Asthma Attacks<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/suffocating.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n5. Smoke Inhalation<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Dehyrdation.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n6. Dehydration<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/dizziness.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n7. Sunstroke<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Pesticide-exposure.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n8. Exposure to Pesticides<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Recent-Illness-Recovery.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n9. Surgery Recovery<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Tattooing.jpg\")
10. Tattooing<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Food-Poisoning.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n11. Certain Poisons<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Whiplash.jpg\")
12. Direct Trauma<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/drugs-induced-Lupus.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n13. Intoxication (Other)<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Risk-Factor_Heart-Attack.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n14. Other<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Air-pollution-1-1024x683-1-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n15. Pollution<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Blood-Sugar.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n16. Low Blood Sugar<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Risk-factor.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n17. Low Blood Pressure<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/shutterstock_171519368.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n18. Concussion<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/heart-attack_772052479-1.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n19. Heart Attack<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Stomach-Infection.jpg\")
20. Severe Infection<\/h3>\n<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/cold-sick-seizure-fever-chiil.jpg\")
21. Epilepsy<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Reduce-Diabetes-Risk.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n22. Diabetes<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/heart.jpg\")
23. Stroke<\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/shock.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n24. Shock<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Alcohol.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n25. Intoxication<\/h3>\n
<\/div>