HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Syncope, or fainting, is a sudden loss of consciousness caused by decreased blood flow to the brain. Recovery occurs within seconds or minutes for many causes of fainting. About 3 - 4% of people, mostly the elderly, experience episodes of fainting.


Signs and Symptoms

You may experience the following signs and symptoms before you faint:

  • Lightheadedness 
  • Blurred vision 
  • Sweating 
  • Heaviness in your lower limbs 
  • Giddiness 
  • Confusion 
  • Yawning 
  • Nausea, and sometimes vomiting 

During a fainting episode, in addition to loss of consciousness, you may experience the following symptoms:

  • Abnormal paleness 
  • Falling down if standing, slumping if seated 
  • Spasmodic jerks of your body 
  • Weak pulse 
  • Drop in blood pressure 


What Causes It?

Fainting often occurs from a simple, non-medical cause, but may be the result of a serious health condition, such as heart disease (decreased blood flow to the heart or irregular heart rhythm), low blood sugar (often related to diabetes), seizures, panic attacks, and problems regulating blood pressure.


Who's Most At Risk?

People with the following conditions or characteristics are at risk for fainting:

  • Over 65 years of age
  • Preexisting heart disease
  • Recreational drug use
  • Taking certain medications such as antihypertensives, insulin, oral hypoglycemics, diuretics, antiarrhythmics, or anticoagulants
  • Pregnancy


What to Expect at Your Provider's Office

If you have fainted, you should see your health care provider. Your health care provider will ask questions, do a physical examination, and perform diagnostic tests. Tests may include blood tests, electrocardiogram (ECG), and imaging of the brain, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Your provider will focus on symptoms associated with the current fainting episode, medications you take, preexisting medical conditions, and your description of any similar episodes you may have experienced in the past. This will help your health care provider pinpoint the cause of the fainting episodes and identify or rule out particular health conditions. If seizures are suspected, your health care provider may also perform a test called an electroencephalogram (EEG).


Treatment Options


Prevention

Some cases of fainting may be preventable, depending on the cause.

  • Avoid fatigue, hunger, and stress.
  • Avoid changing positions quickly, especially rising from a sitting or lying-down position.
  • Sleep with the head of your bed elevated.
  • Avoid standing for long periods of time.
  • You may wear elastic stockings.
  • Diuretics and other prescription and non-prescription medicines can contribute to the problem, so check with your health care provider.
  • Avoid tight clothing around the neck.
  • Turn the whole body and not just the head when looking around.
  • To prevent injuries, cover floors with thick carpeting and avoid driving or operating mechanical equipment.
  • Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Treatment Plan

Any serious underlying health condition must be treated. At the time of the fainting episode, make sure the person is in a position that increases blood flow to the brain, such as with the legs elevated. Loosen all tight clothing, apply cold water to the person's face, and turn the person's head to the side to prevent vomiting or choking. A pregnant woman should lie on her left side to relieve pressure on the heart.

Drug Therapies

When irregular heart rhythm causes fainting, your health care provider may prescribe medications such as beta-blockers or antiarrhythmics. Mineralocorticoids (such as fludrocortisone) or salt tablets may also be prescribed.

Surgical and Other Procedures

A cardiac pacemaker may be necessary in some cases where fainting is caused by an underlying heart condition, such as a slow or rapid heartbeat.

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

A wide variety of alternative therapies help protect the heart and vascular systems. Taking these supplements may help decrease episodes of fainting. Fainting may be caused by a serious underlying health condition, so check with your health care provider before taking any herbs or supplements. Always tell your health care provider about the herbs and supplements you are using or considering using.

You may experience warning signs before fainting. Hypnosis, deep breathing, relaxation techniques, and biofeedback may help you avoid fainting. These techniques may also help you control fainting related to nervous system regulation of your blood pressure.

Nutrition and Supplements

Following these nutritional tips may help reduce symptoms:

  • Eliminate potential food allergens, including dairy, wheat (gluten), corn, preservatives, and food additives. Your health care provider may want to test for food sensitivities.
  • Eat antioxidant foods, including fruits (such as blueberries, cherries, and tomatoes), and vegetables (such as squash and bell peppers).
  • Eat more high fiber foods, including beans, oats, root vegetables (such as potatoes and yams), and psyllium seed.
  • Avoid refined foods such as white breads, pastas, and especially sugar.
  • Eat fewer red meats and more lean meats, cold-water fish, tofu (soy, if no allergy) or beans for protein.
  • Use healthy cooking oils, such as olive oil or vegetable oil.
  • Reduce or eliminate trans-fatty acids, found in commercially baked goods such as cookies, crackers, cakes, French fries, onion rings, donuts, processed foods, and margarine.
  • Avoid coffee and other stimulants, excess sugar, alcohol, and tobacco.
  • Drink 6 - 8 glasses of filtered water daily.
  • Exercise at least 30 minutes daily, 5 days a week.

Nutritional deficiencies may be addressed with the following supplements:

  • Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil, 1 - 2 capsules or 1 tablespoonful oil one to two times daily, to help decrease inflammation and improve heart health. Cold-water fish, such as salmon or halibut, are good sources.
  • A multivitamin daily, containing the antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, the B-vitamins and trace minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, folic acid, zinc, and selenium.
  • Coenzyme Q10, 100 - 200 mg at bedtime, for antioxidant, heart, and muscular support.
  • Acetyl-L-carnitine, 500 mg daily, for antioxidant and heart protective activity.
  • Alpha-lipoic acid, 25 - 50 mg twice daily, for antioxidant support.
  • L-arginine, 1 - 2 grams one to two times daily, for vascular support.
  • L-theanine, 200 mg one to three times daily, for stress and nervous system support.
  • Adrenal hormonal extract, 100 - 200 mg daily, for adrenal stress. Laboratory tests may confirm the need for adrenal hormonal. Ask your health care provider.
Herbs

Herbs are generally a safe way to strengthen and tone the body's systems. As with any therapy, you should work with your health care provider to get your problem diagnosed before starting any treatment. You may use herbs as dried extracts (capsules, powders, teas), glycerites (glycerine extracts), or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated, you should make teas with 1 tsp. herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 - 10 minutes for leaf or flowers, and 10 - 20 minutes for roots. Drink 2 - 4 cups per day. You may use tinctures alone or in combination as noted.

  • Green tea (Camelia sinensis) standardized extract, 250 - 500 mg daily, for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and heart health effects. Use caffeine-free products. You may also prepare teas from the leaf of this herb.
  • Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) standardized extract, 80 mg two to three times daily, for antioxidant and vascular system support.
  • Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) standardized extract, 40 - 80 mg three times daily, for antioxidant and heart health support.
Homeopathy

Before prescribing a remedy, homeopaths take into account a person’s constitutional type -- your physical, emotional, and intellectual makeup. An experienced and certified homeopath will assess your individual constitution and symptoms, and then recommend remedies. Below are common remedies used for fainting or pre-fainting symptoms:

  • Carbo vegetabilis, used for fainting or lightheadedness after rising in the morning, from loss of fluids, or from becoming overheated.
  • Opium, used for fainting due to excitement or fright.
  • Sepia, used for fainting following prolonged standing, exercise, or fluid loss due to fever.
Acupuncture

Acupuncture may be helpful in treating syncope. A clinical analysis of 102 serious cases of loss of consciousness reported that acupuncture helped in a large percentage of these cases.

Acupuncture is known for rarely causing side effects or complications. However, some patients faint during acupuncture treatments although it is not considered a serious complication.


Prognosis/Possible Complications

In most people, simple fainting is not a sign of a life-threatening disease, particularly if it only happens once. The elderly are at increased risk for injury after a fainting episode, especially from fractures.


Following Up

Many people with syncope, especially the elderly and those with preexisting heart disease, may be hospitalized to look for a cause. Continuous ECG monitoring can identify irregular heartbeat as a cause of fainting, especially in people who have recurring fainting episodes.


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