Fainting: causes and first aid

A syncope, the causes of which will be discussed later, is not a disease. It is expressed in short-term loss of consciousness. This condition is caused by an acute decrease in cerebral blood supply, accompanied by a violation of cardiovascular activity. Its scientific name is syncope. Further consider why a syncope may occur . Symptoms of syncope will also be described in the article.

Classification

First of all, it is worth saying that even a healthy person is not safe from a fainting state, so you should not rush to consider it as a sign of any serious pathology. However, if a syncope occurs, consult a specialist. In practice, a real syncope is distinguished from conditions resembling it. The first include:

1. Neurocardiogenic form.
2. Orthostatic collapse. This fainting condition is caused by a slowdown in brain blood flow with a sharp movement of the body to a vertical position from horizontal.
3. Arrhythmogenic syncope. It is considered the most dangerous. In this case, the prerequisites are morphological changes in the vessels and heart.
4. Loss of consciousness due to cerebrovascular disorders. These include changes in the vessels of the brain, a disorder of blood supply.

Some conditions are called syncope, but they are not considered syncope, although they look very similar to it. These include:

1. Loss of consciousness due to metabolic disorders. For example, glycemia - a decrease in glucose, hyperventilation with a decrease in carbon dioxide, oxygen starvation.
2. Epileptic seizure.
3. Ischemic transient attack of vertebrogenic nature.

Other forms

Some conditions resemble fainting, but are not accompanied by loss of consciousness. Among them:

1. Cataplexy - short-term muscle relaxation. A person in this case cannot keep his balance and falls.
2. Syncopal conditions of psychogenic origin.
3. A sudden disturbance in the coordination of movements is acute ataxia.
4. Transient attack associated with circulatory disorders in the carotid arteries (carotid pool).
   

Neurocardiogenic form

It is believed that this is the most common syncope. The causes of its occurrence are not associated, as a rule, with changes in the heart and blood vessels. It is caused by the most common household factors. For example, a swoon occurs in transport, a stuffy room, due to stress. Syncope also occurs when performing various medical procedures. It is worth saying that blood pressure, which drops when fainting, in the normal state has a normal level. It follows from this that the entire "responsibility" for the onset of an attack rests with the nervous autonomic system, in particular its parasympathetic and sympathetic departments. Under the influence of some circumstances, they cease to function in concert, dizziness, weakness begins . A swoon of this kind in adolescents and children makes parents anxious. At the same time, the words that syncope is not caused by serious pathologies are usually not reassured by adults. It is worth saying that in many respects the fears of parents are fully justified. Fainting is accompanied by a fall, which, in turn, can lead to serious injuries.

Key premises

Fainting can occur for a variety of reasons. They can be serious and, in general, banal. Among the main premises, it should be noted:

1. The heat. The concept of "high temperature" is interpreted by different people in different ways. Some feel quite normal at 40 degrees, and for someone 25-28 - already unbearable heat, especially indoors. Typically, such fainting occurs in transport during the summer. The situation is complicated by factors such as large crowds, different smells.
2. Continuous lack of water and food. People who tend to lose weight quickly or who are forced to significantly reduce the amount of food consumed often faint.
   
3. Diarrhea, vomiting, loss of large amounts of fluid.
4. Feeling of anxiety, accompanied by rapid breathing.
5. Pregnancy. It is accompanied by a variety of disorders. Among them - a decrease in pressure, frequent urination, nausea. Fainting during pregnancy is a frequent occurrence. Moreover, it is syncope that often testifies to it.
6. Food poisoning. Shock, pain often accompany dizziness. Fainting can be caused by a nervous shock.
7. Rapid blood loss. Often, donors lose consciousness during a blood donation. This is not because a certain volume of fluid has left the vessel, but because the body was unable to turn on the protective mechanism in time.
8. Type of blood or wounds. It is worth saying that in these cases, men lose consciousness more often.
9. Side effect of certain medications.

Pathological background

These include:

1. Hypovolemia. When the volume of circulating blood decreases rapidly due to the use of vasodilators and diuretics, a person loses consciousness.
2. Decrease in sugar content (hypoglycemia).
3. Anemia (anemia).
4. Heart attack, subarachnoid hemorrhage.
5. A number of endocrine pathologies.
6. Volumetric formations in the brain that impede blood circulation.
   

Most often, changes in the functioning of the vascular system associated with a decrease in pressure lead to fainting. In such situations, the body does not have time to turn on the protection in a short time, to adapt to conditions. The pressure decreases, the heart does not have time to increase the release, the blood, accordingly, will not bring the necessary amount of oxygen to the brain.

Signs of fainting

First of all, a person becomes ill. As a rule, with this word, patients characterize their condition. Then comes cold sweat. Then nausea begins, legs give way. Externally, pale skin is observed. In my ears it begins to ring, before my eyes - flashes of flies. Before losing consciousness, dizziness begins . Fainting occurs fast enough. A person loses consciousness. At the same time, his face has a grayish tint. His pressure is reduced, his pulse is weak and, as a rule, quickened. However, bradycardia (slow rhythm) is not excluded. The patient's pupils are dilated, but a reaction to the light is present, albeit with a delay. Usually after a few seconds a person comes to his senses. If the attack lasts longer (from five or more minutes), convulsions, involuntary urination can be observed. Unaware people may consider that an epileptic seizure has begun.

What to do?

Often the recovery occurs without medical assistance (if there are no injuries and the syncope was short-lived). However, it is necessary to alleviate the post-syncope state. If a person has lost consciousness, the following must be done:

1. Spray on your face with water (cold).
2. Move victim to horizontal position. At the same time, you need to put a pillow or roller under your feet so that your head is below their level.
3. Loosen the tie, unfasten the gate, providing air access.
   

Many eyewitnesses immediately begin to grab ammonia. But you need to consider that you need to handle it very carefully. In particular, you should not bring the cotton wool moistened with ammonia very close, since sudden inhalation of the vapor can cause reflex respiratory arrest. As for emergency care, its provision is more related to eliminating the cause of fainting or its consequences (head injury, cuts, bruises, etc.). Meanwhile, you should not hope to find out the prerequisites of a protracted syncope without having the appropriate education. A sharp syncope may be associated with serious vascular pathologies. In this regard, the most reasonable way out is to call an ambulance.

Diagnostics

First of all, the victim is examined. During it, the characteristics of the body are determined, the pulse, pressure (on two hands) are measured, heart sounds are heard. In addition, neurological pathological reflexes are detected , the activity of the nervous autonomic system is investigated. Laboratory diagnostics involves taking traditional general tests of urine and blood, the latter also for sugar. Some biochemical tests are also performed depending on the possible diagnosis. At the initial stage of diagnosis, the patient is given an electrocardiogram. If necessary, radiographic methods are used.

Key events

If you suspect the arrhythmogenic nature of fainting, the focus is on the heart. In particular, the following are carried out:

1. Bicycle ergometry.
2. Ultrasound
3. X-ray of the heart, contrast of the esophagus.
4. Holter monitoring.
   

In stationary conditions, special methods for the study of cardiac pathologies can be used. If it is assumed that syncope is caused by organic brain lesions or the cause of its appearance is vague, the set of diagnostic procedures expands significantly. The activities listed above may include:

1. X-ray of the skull, cervical spine, Turkish saddle.
2. Examination by an ophthalmologist.
3. An electroencephalogram, including monitoring if there is a suspicion of the epileptic origin of the attacks.
4. Echoencephaloscopy.
5. Ultrasound with doppler (with vascular pathology).
6. MRI, CT in the presence of hydrocephalus, volume formations.

Therapy

Treatment and prevention of syncope will depend on the cause of their occurrence. In this case, the doctor does not always recommend medications. For example, with orthostatic and vasovagal conditions , work is primarily done with a psychologist. The specialist teaches the patient to avoid situations that cause syncope. In addition, vascular tone training, hardening are recommended. It is necessary to try to be less in confined and stuffy rooms, to avoid a quick change in body position. Men are sometimes advised to urinate while sitting. Syncope, due to a decrease in pressure, is usually treated with drugs that increase blood pressure. The cause of the condition is also taken into account. As a rule, it is caused by neurocirculatory dystonia. Accordingly, in such situations, drugs are prescribed that affect the nervous autonomic system. Much attention is paid to repeated fainting. They can have an arrhythmogenic nature. It must be remembered that it is they who increase the risk of sudden death.

Conclusion

It is impossible to speak unequivocally about the danger or harmlessness of syncope. Before the cause of the syncope is revealed, and the seizures periodically bother the person, it is rather difficult to predict something. How high the risk is can only be determined through a comprehensive study.