Which can cause fainting. Symptoms of fainting

Fainting is caused by a temporary loss of blood supply to the brain and may be a sign of a more serious illness...

Temporary loss of consciousness - fainting

Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness.

Fainting is caused by a temporary loss of blood supply to the brain and may be a sign of a more serious illness.

People of any age can faint, but older people may have more serious causes.

The most common causes of fainting are vasovagal (a sharp decrease in heart rate and blood pressure) and heart disease.

In most cases, the cause of fainting is unknown.

Fainting can have many different causes:

Vasovagal syncope also known as "general weakness". This is the most common cause of fainting due to an abnormal vascular reflex.

The heart pumps more vigorously, the blood vessels relax, but the heart rate does not compensate fast enough to keep blood flowing to the brain.

Causes of vasovagal syncope:

1) environmental factors(more often happens when it's hot);

2) emotional factors (stress);

3) physical factors(load);

4) illness (fatigue, dehydration, etc.).

situational syncope only happens in certain situations.

Causes of situational syncope:

1) cough (some people faint with a strong cough);

2) when swallowing (in some people, loss of consciousness is associated with a disease in the throat or esophagus);

3) when urinating (when a susceptible person passes out with an overflowing bladder);

4) hypersensitivity of the carotid sinus (in some people when turning the neck, shaving or wearing a tight collar);

5) Postprandial syncope can occur in older people when their blood pressure drops about an hour after eating.

orthostatic syncope occurs when a person feels fine in a lying position, but when he gets up, he may suddenly faint. Brain blood flow decreases when a person is standing due to a temporary drop in blood pressure.

This syncope sometimes occurs in people who have recently started (or received a replacement for) certain cardiovascular medications.

Orthostatic syncope can be due to the following reasons:

1) low circulating blood volume caused by blood loss (external or internal blood loss), dehydration, or heat exhaustion;

2) impaired circulatory reflexes caused by the intake medicines, diseases of the nervous system or congenital problems. Cardiac syncope occurs when a person loses consciousness due to cardiovascular disease.

Cardiac causes of syncope are usually life-threatening and include the following:

1) anomaly of the heart rhythm - arrhythmia. Electrical problems in the heart impair its pumping ability. This leads to a decrease in blood flow. The heart rate may be too fast or too slow. This condition usually causes fainting without any warning.

2) cardiac obstacles. Blood flow may be obstructed blood vessels in the chest. Cardiac obstruction can cause loss of consciousness during exercise. Miscellaneous diseases can lead to obstruction (heart attacks, diseased heart valves with pulmonary embolism, cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac and aortic tamponade).

3) heart failure: the pumping ability of the heart is impaired. This reduces the force with which blood circulates in the body, which can reduce blood flow to the brain.

neurological syncope may be associated with neurological conditions.

Its reasons are:

1) a stroke (bleeding in the brain) can cause fainting associated with a headache;

2) transient ischemic attack(or mini-stroke) can cause loss of consciousness. In this case, fainting is usually preceded by double vision, loss of balance, slurred speech, or dizziness;

3) in rare cases, a migraine can cause fainting. Psychogenic fainting. Hyperventilation due to anxiety can lead to fainting. The diagnosis of psychogenic syncope should only be considered after all other causes have been ruled out.

Syncope symptoms

Loss of consciousness is an obvious sign of fainting.

Vasovagal syncope. Before fainting, a person may feel light-headed; blurred vision will be noted. A person can see "spots before the eyes."

The patient has pallor, dilated pupils, and sweating.

During a loss of consciousness, a person may have low frequency heart rate (less than 60 beats per minute).

The person must quickly regain consciousness. Many people do not have any warning signs before fainting.

Situational fainting. Consciousness returns very quickly when the situation passes.

Orthostatic fainting. Before a fainting episode, a person may notice blood loss (black stools, heavy menstruation) or fluid loss (vomiting, diarrhea, fever). The person may also be delirious. Observers may also note pallor, sweating, or signs of dehydration (dry lips and tongue).

Cardiac fainting. The person may report palpitations, chest pain, or shortness of breath. Observers may note weakness, irregular pulse, pallor, or sweating in the patient. Fainting often occurs without warning or after exertion.

Neurological fainting. The person may have a headache, loss of balance, slurred speech, double vision, or dizziness (feeling like the room is spinning). Observers note a strong pulse during the unconscious period and normal skin color.

When to seek medical help?

Since fainting can be caused by a severe condition, all episodes of loss of consciousness should be taken seriously.

Any person, even after the first episode of loss of consciousness, should see a doctor as soon as possible.

depending on what is shown medical checkup, the doctor may require tests to be done.

These tests may include: blood tests; ECG, daily monitoring, echocardiography, functional stress test. Table tilt test. This test tests how your body reacts to changes in position. Tests to detect problems of the nervous system (CT of the head, MRI of the brain or EEG).

If the person next to you has fainted, help him.

Lay it on the ground to minimize the chance of injury.
Stimulate the person actively and call 911 immediately if the person does not respond.
Check the pulse and start CPR if necessary.
If the person recovers, let him lie down until the ambulance arrives.
Even if the cause of fainting is not dangerous, have the person lie down for 15-20 minutes before getting up.
Ask him about any symptoms such as headache, back pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, weakness, or loss of function because these may indicate life-threatening causes of fainting.

Syncope treatment

Treatment for fainting depends on the diagnosis.

Vasovagal syncope. Drink plenty of water, increase your salt intake (under medical supervision), and don't stand for long periods of time.

Orthostatic fainting. Change your lifestyle: sit down, bend over calf muscles for a few minutes before getting out of bed. Avoid dehydration.

Elderly people with low blood pressure large meals should be avoided after meals, or plans should be made to lie down for a few hours after meals. In most cases, you should stop taking drugs that cause fainting (or replace them).

Cardiac fainting. To treat cardiac syncope, the underlying disease must be treated.

Valvular heart disease often requires surgery, while arrhythmia can be treated with drugs.

Medications and lifestyle changes.

These procedures are designed to optimize the performance of the heart, control of high blood pressure is necessary; in some cases, antiarrhythmic drugs may be prescribed.

Surgery: bypass surgery or angioplasty are used to treat coronary heart disease; in some cases the valves can be replaced. A pacemaker may be implanted to normalize the heart rate (slows the heart for fast arrhythmias or speeds up the heart for slow arrhythmias). Implanted defibrillators are used to manage life-threatening rapid arrhythmias.

Syncope Prevention

Preventive measures depend on the cause and severity of the fainting problem.

Fainting can sometimes be prevented by taking simple precautions.

If you are weak because of the heat, cool the body.
If you faint while standing (after lying down), move slowly while standing. Slowly move into a sitting position and rest for a few minutes. When you are ready, stand up using slow and fluid movements.

In other cases, the causes of fainting may be elusive. That's why see your doctor to determine the cause of fainting.

After determining the cause, treatment of the underlying disease should begin.

Cardiac syncope: due to high risk death from cardiac syncope people who experience it should be treated for the underlying disease.

Periodic fainting. Consult a doctor to determine the causes of frequent loss of consciousness.

Prognosis due to syncope

The prognosis for a person who has fainted depends largely on the cause, the age of the patient, and the treatments available.

Cardiac syncope has the greatest risk of sudden death, especially in the elderly.
Syncope that is not associated with cardiac or neurological disease is a more limited risk than in the general population.

Checking the pulse in the neck. The pulse is well felt only near the throat (trachea).

If a pulse is felt, note if it is regular and count the number of beats in 15 seconds.

To determine the heart rate (beats per minute), multiply this number by 4.

The normal heart rate for adults is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.

If you fainted only once, then you don't have to worry about it.

It is important to see a doctor because fainting can have serious causes.

Fainting can be a sign of a serious problem if:

1) it often happens during short period time.

2) it happens during exercise or vigorous activity.

3) fainting occurs without warning or in a supine position. In mild syncope, the person often knows that it is about to happen, vomiting or nausea is noted.

4) a person loses a lot of blood. This may include internal bleeding.

5) there is shortness of breath.

6) there is pain in the chest.

7) the person feels that his heart is pounding (palpitations).

8) Fainting occurs along with numbness or tingling in one side of the face or body. published .

If you have any questions, ask them

The materials are for informational purposes only. Remember, self-medication is life-threatening, consult a doctor for advice on the use of any medications and treatments.

P.S. And remember, just by changing your consumption, we are changing the world together! © econet

Temporary loss of consciousness due to transient general hypoperfusion of the brain. The syncope clinic consists of precursors (lack of air, “lightheadedness”, fog or “flies” before the eyes, dizziness), a period of lack of consciousness and a recovery stage in which weakness, hypotension, and dizziness persist. Diagnosis of syncope is based on data from the tilt test, clinical and biochemical analyzes, ECG, EEG, ultrasound of extracranial vessels. In relation to patients with syncope, as a rule, differentiated therapy is used, aimed at eliminating the etiopathogenetic mechanisms for the development of paroxysms. In the absence of convincing data on the genesis of syncope, undifferentiated treatment is carried out.

General information

Fainting (syncope, syncope) was previously regarded as a transient loss of consciousness with loss of postural tone. Indeed, it is disorder muscle tone causes a person to fall down during fainting. However, many other conditions fit this definition: different kinds seizures, hypoglycemia, TBI, TIA, acute alcohol intoxication, etc. Therefore, in 2009, a different definition was adopted, interpreting syncope as a transient loss of consciousness caused by general cerebral hypoperfusion.

According to generalized data, up to 50% of people have fainted at least once during their lives. Typically, the first episode of syncope occurs between the ages of 10 and 30, with a peak at puberty. Population studies indicate that the incidence of syncope increases with age. In 35% of patients, recurrent syncope occurs within three years after the first.

Global transient cerebral ischemia causing fainting, may have the most various reasons both neurogenic and somatic. The variety of etiopathogenetic mechanisms of syncope and its episodic nature explains the significant difficulties encountered by doctors in diagnosing the causes and choosing treatment tactics for fainting. The foregoing emphasizes the interdisciplinary relevance of this problem, which requires the participation of specialists in the field of neurology, cardiology, and traumatology.

Causes of fainting

Normally, the blood flow through the cerebral arteries is estimated at 60-100 ml of blood per 100 g of brain matter per minute. Its sharp decrease to 20 ml per 100 g per minute causes fainting. Factors causing a sudden decrease in the volume of blood entering the cerebral vessels can be: a decrease in cardiac output (with myocardial infarction, massive acute blood loss, severe arrhythmia, ventricular tachycardia, bradycardia, hypovolemia due to profuse diarrhea), narrowing of the lumen of the arteries supplying the brain (with atherosclerosis , occlusion of the carotid arteries, vascular spasm), dilatation of blood vessels, a rapid change in body position (the so-called orthostatic collapse).

A change in the tone (dilatation or spasm) of the vessels supplying the brain is often of a neuroreflex nature and is the leading cause of syncope. Such a syncope can provoke a strong psycho-emotional experience, pain, irritation of the carotid sinus (when coughing, swallowing, sneezing) and the vagus nerve (with otoscopy, gastrocardial syndrome), an attack of acute cholecystitis or renal colic, trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, an attack of vegetative-vascular dystonia, overdose of certain pharmaceuticals, etc.

Another mechanism that provokes fainting is a decrease in blood oxygenation, i.e., a decrease in the oxygen content in the blood with normal bcc. Syncope of this genesis can be observed in blood diseases (iron deficiency anemia, sickle cell anemia), carbon monoxide poisoning, respiratory diseases (bronchial asthma, obstructive bronchitis). A decrease in blood CO2 can also cause fainting, which is often observed with hyperventilation of the lungs. According to some reports, about 41% are fainting, the etiology of which has not yet been established.

Syncope classification

Attempts to systematize various types syncope led to the creation of several classifications. Most of them are based on the etiopathogenetic principle. The group of neurogenic syncope includes vasovagal states, which are based on a sharp vasodilation, and irritative (carotid sinus syndrome, syncope with glossopharyngeal and trigeminal neuralgia). Orthostatic syncope includes syncope caused by autonomic failure, a decrease in BCC, and drug-induced orthostatic hypotension. Syncope of the cardiogenic type occurs due to cardiovascular diseases: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, stenosis pulmonary artery, aortic stenosis, pulmonary hypertension, atrial myxoma, myocardial infarction, valvular defects hearts. Arrhythmogenic syncope is provoked by the presence of arrhythmias (AV blockade, tachycardia, SSSU), a malfunction of the pacemaker, side effect antiarrhythmics. There is also a cerebrovascular (dyscirculatory) syncope associated with the pathology of the vessels supplying the cerebral structures. Fainting, the trigger factor of which could not be established, is classified as atypical.

The clinical picture of fainting

The maximum duration of syncope does not exceed 30 minutes, in most cases, syncope lasts no more than 2-3 minutes. Despite this, during a syncope, 3 stages are clearly traced: a presyncope state (harbingers), the syncope proper and a post-syncope state (recovery period). The clinic and the duration of each stage are very variable and depend on the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying syncope.

The presyncope period lasts a few seconds or minutes. It is described by patients as a feeling of lightheadedness, severe weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath, blurred vision. Possible nausea, flashing dots before the eyes, ringing in the ears. If a person manages to sit down with his head down, or lie down, then loss of consciousness may not occur. Otherwise, the growth of these manifestations ends with a loss of consciousness and a fall. With the slow development of fainting, the patient, falling, is held by surrounding objects, which allows him to avoid injury. Rapidly developing syncope can lead to serious consequences: TBI, fracture, spinal injury, etc.

During the period of fainting, there is a loss of consciousness of various depths, accompanied by shallow breathing, complete muscle relaxation. When examining a patient during the period of fainting, mydriasis and delayed pupillary reaction to light, weak filling of the pulse, arterial hypotension are observed. Tendon reflexes are preserved. A deep disorder of consciousness during fainting with severe cerebral hypoxia can occur with the occurrence of short-term convulsions and involuntary urination. But such a single syncopal paroxysm is not a reason for diagnosing epilepsy.

The post-syncope period of syncope usually lasts no more than a few minutes, but can last 1-2 hours. There is some weakness and uncertainty of movements, dizziness, low blood pressure and pallor persist. Possible dry mouth, hyperhidrosis. It is characteristic that patients remember well everything that happened before the moment of loss of consciousness. This feature makes it possible to exclude TBI, for which the presence of retrograde amnesia is typical. The absence of a neurological deficit and cerebral symptoms makes it possible to differentiate syncope from stroke.

Clinic of individual types of syncope

Vasovagal syncope is the most common type of syncope. Its pathogenetic mechanism is a sharp peripheral vasodilation. The trigger for an attack can be prolonged standing, staying in a stuffy place, overheating (in a bathhouse, on the beach), excessive emotional reaction, pain impulse, etc. Vasovagal syncope develops only in an upright state. If the patient manages to lie down or sit down, get out of a stuffy or hot room, then fainting may end at the presyncope stage. The vasovagal type of syncope is characterized by pronounced staging. The first stage lasts up to 3 minutes, during which patients have time to tell others that they are “bad”. The stage of fainting itself lasts 1-2 minutes, accompanied by hyperhidrosis, pallor, muscle hypotension, a drop in blood pressure with a thready pulse when normal heart rate. In the post-syncope stage (from 5 minutes to 1 hour), weakness comes to the fore.

Cerebrovascular syncope often occurs with pathology of the spine in cervical region(spondylarthrosis, osteochondrosis, spondylosis). The pathognomonic trigger for this type of syncope is a sudden head turn. The resulting pressure vertebral artery leads to sudden cerebral ischemia, resulting in loss of consciousness. At the presyncopal stage, photopsies, tinnitus, and sometimes intense cephalgia are possible. The syncope itself is characterized by a sharp weakening of the postural tone, which persists in the post-syncope stage.

Irritative syncope develops as a result of reflex bradycardia when the vagus nerve is stimulated by impulses from its receptor zones. The appearance of such syncope can be observed with achalasia of the cardia, peptic ulcer of the 12th intestine, hyperkinesia of the biliary tract, and other diseases accompanied by the formation of abnormal viscero-visceral reflexes. Each type of irritative syncope has its own trigger, for example, a specific attack of pain, swallowing, gastroscopy. This type syncope is characterized by a short, only a few seconds, period of precursors. Consciousness is switched off for 1-2 minutes. The post-syncope period is often absent. As a rule, repeated stereotypical syncope is noted.

Cardio- and arrhythmogenic syncope observed in 13% of patients with myocardial infarction. In such cases, syncope is the first symptom and seriously complicates the diagnosis of the underlying pathology. Features are: the occurrence regardless of the position of the person, the presence of symptoms of cardiogenic collapse, a great depth of loss of consciousness, the repetition of syncopal paroxysm when the patient tries to get up after the first syncope. Syncopal conditions included in the clinic of the Morgagni-Edems-Stokes syndrome are characterized by the absence of precursors, the inability to determine the pulse and heartbeat, pallor, reaching cyanosis, and the beginning of recovery of consciousness after the appearance of heart contractions.

orthostatic syncope develops only during the transition from a horizontal position to a vertical position. It is observed in hypotensive patients, persons with autonomic dysfunction, elderly and debilitated patients. Typically, such patients report repeated episodes of dizziness or "fogging" with a sudden change in body position. Often, orthostatic syncope is not a pathological condition and does not require additional treatment.

Diagnostics

A thorough and consistent questioning of the patient, aimed at identifying the trigger that provoked syncope and analyzing the features of the syncope clinic, allows the doctor to determine the type of syncope, adequately determine the need and direction of the diagnostic search for the pathology behind the syncope. In this case, the priority is to exclude urgent conditions that can manifest fainting (PE, acute myocardial ischemia, bleeding, etc.). At the second stage, it is established whether syncope is a manifestation organic disease brain (aneurysms of cerebral vessels, etc.). Initial inspection the patient is seen by a therapist or a pediatrician, a neurologist. In the future, you may need to consult a cardiologist, epileptologist, MSCT or MRI of the brain, MRA, duplex scanning or transcranial ultrasound, radiography of the spine in the cervical region.

In the diagnosis of syncope of uncertain origin, the tilt test has found wide application, which allows to determine the mechanism of syncope.

First aid for fainting

It is paramount to create conditions conducive to better oxygenation of the brain. To do this, the patient is given a horizontal position, the tie is loosened, the collar of the shirt is unbuttoned, and the flow is provided. fresh air. Splashing in the patient's face cold water and bringing ammonia to the nose, they try to cause reflex excitation of the vascular and respiratory centers. In severe syncope with a significant drop in blood pressure, if the above actions have not been successful, the introduction of sympathicotonic drugs (ephedrine, phenylephrine) is indicated. With arrhythmia, antiarrhythmics are recommended, with cardiac arrest - the introduction of atropine and chest compressions.

Treatment of patients with syncope

Therapeutic tactics in patients with syncope is divided into undifferentiated and differentiated treatment. An undifferentiated approach is common to all types of syncopal conditions and is especially relevant for an unidentified genesis of syncope. Its main directions are: lowering the threshold of neurovascular excitability, increasing the level of autonomic stability, achieving a state of mental balance. The first-line drugs in the treatment of syncope are b-blockers (atenolol, metoprolol). If there are contraindications to the appointment of b-blockers, ephedrine, theophylline are used. Second-line drugs include vagolytics (disopyramide, scopolamine). It is possible to prescribe vasoconstrictors (etaphedrine, midodrine), serotonin uptake inhibitors (methylphenidate, sertraline). AT combined treatment use various sedatives (valerian root extract, lemon and peppermint extracts, ergotamine, ergotoxin, belladonna extract, phenobarbital), sometimes tranquilizers (oxazepam, medazepam, phenazepam).

Differentiated therapy for syncope is selected according to its type and clinical features. Thus, the therapy of syncope in carotid sinus syndrome is based on the use of sympathetic and anticholinergic drugs. In severe cases, surgical denervation of the sinus is indicated. The main treatment for syncope associated with trigeminal or glossopharyngeal neuralgia is the use of anticonvulsants (carbamazepine). Vasovagal syncope is treated mainly as part of undifferentiated therapy.

Recurrent orthostatic syncope requires measures to limit the volume of blood deposited in the lower body when moving to an upright position. To achieve peripheral vasoconstriction, dihydroergotamine and a-adrenergic agonists are prescribed, and propranolol is used to block peripheral vasodilation. Patients with cardiogenic syncope are supervised by a cardiologist. If necessary, the issue of implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator is decided.

It should be noted that in all cases of syncope, the treatment of patients necessarily includes the treatment of concomitant and causative diseases.

Update: October 2018

Fainting is unconsciousness, which occurred as a result of a sharp oxygen starvation of the brain and is accompanied by inhibition of reflexes and vegetative-vascular disorders. This is a momentary loss of consciousness.

For the first time, fainting was described by the ancient doctor Areteus. The Greek name for fainting (syncope, i.e. cutting) from the shores of Cappadocia (modern Turkey) gradually reached New Orleans, where it merged into the jazz rhythms of Negro orchestras.

Causes of loss of consciousness

The cerebral cortex is extremely sensitive to lack of oxygen. It is the starvation of the bark that becomes main reason fainting state. From the severity and duration oxygen deficiency depends on the depth and duration of fainting. Such starvation can develop through several mechanisms:

cerebral ischemia

This is insufficient blood flow through the arteries due to:

embolism, thrombosis, spasm or narrowing of the lumen of the vessels supplying the brain with atherosclerotic plaques
insufficient cardiac output
or venous congestion.

Metabolic disorders

by type) during fasting
insulin overdose
violations of glucose utilization against the background of fermentopathy
there may also be protein metabolism disorders with the accumulation of acetone-like ketone substances that poison brain cells
can also be included here various poisonings(cm. , )

Syncope classification

Depending on the main conditions of occurrence, all fainting is divided into three large groups.

Reflex develop against the background of pain, strong fear, emotional stress, after coughing, sneezing, urination, when swallowing, defecation, against the background of pain in the internal organs, during physical exertion.
syncope can be with diabetes mellitus, amyloidosis, taking antihypertensive drugs, Parkinson's disease, a decrease in circulating blood volume, blood retention in the veins.
Cardiogenic associated with diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

Syncope symptoms

The loss of consciousness is immediately preceded by a period of precursors:

nausea, stupidity
sour taste in the mouth
, flashing flies before the eyes, darkness in the eyes
pale skin and mucous membranes

During the period of fainting, the muscles are relaxed, the body is motionless.
The pupils are dilated and do not react to light, the pulse is rare and superficial, breathing is slowed down, reduced arterial pressure.
During a deep syncope, involuntary urination and muscle cramps may develop.

Fainting in healthy people

A perfectly healthy person under certain circumstances can bring himself to fainting.

Starvation

With strict diets, starvation, the brain loses glucose and starts the metabolic pathway of starvation of the cortex. If you start to work intensively on an empty stomach, it is quite possible to get a hungry faint.

Abuse of sweet and simple carbohydrates

If you eat only sweets or tea with honey, then the pancreas releases a portion of insulin into the blood to receive carbohydrates. Since the carbohydrate is simple, it is quickly absorbed and its concentration in the blood is quite large immediately after eating. A portion of insulin will be adequate to this level of sugar in the blood. But then, when all the simple sugar is utilized, the insulin in the blood will still work and, in the absence of sugar, will decompose blood proteins. As a result, ketone bodies will enter the bloodstream, which will work like acetone, causing metabolic disorders in the cortex and causing fainting.

Injuries

With injuries, you can lose consciousness as from severe pain, and against the background of bleeding. Both conditions reflexively cause the centralization of blood circulation with the accumulation of the main mass of blood in the vessels of the abdominal cavity and the impoverishment of cerebral blood flow.

Stuffy room, tight belt or collar

If you stand in clothes with a tight collar and belt for a long time in a stuffy room or transport, you can faint.

fright

With a strong fright, people with a mobile autonomic nervous system may faint. A similar thing can be observed in hysterics, who literally turn off the cortex by the power of thought and imagination.

Other reasons

If you dive into cold water in the heat, you can cause a spasm of the neck vessels and lose consciousness.
When a person climbs mountains or high altitudes, the partial pressure of oxygen in the blood rises. Oxygen is less utilized by cells. Oxygen starvation may occur.
If you soar in the bath for a long time and concentratedly, you can lose consciousness. A similar fortune can be earned with any other heat stroke, for example, sunny.
If you get black from inhaling smoke or smoking a lot of cigarettes, you can get metabolic and hypoxic disorders in the cells of the cerebral cortex.
When motion sickness, you can also lose consciousness.
The second stage of alcohol intoxication may include not only sleep, but also fainting. Loss of consciousness after alcohol poisoning is more typical.
More rare causes are playing wind instruments or weightlifting.

Fainting in pregnant women

A pregnant woman should not normally faint. Although in an interesting position, multiple prerequisites are created for the deterioration of cerebral blood flow. The uterus, stretched by the fetus, strongly presses not only on the internal organs, provoking venous congestion, but also on the inferior vena cava, worsening the venous return to the heart and somewhat reducing the portions of blood pushed out by the heart to the brain. Therefore, with a grown belly is not recommended:

lean forward and down
wear tight clothes or underwear
squeezing the neck with collars or scarves
sleep on your back.

Immediately after childbirth, the compression causes of fainting disappear.

In second place in the frequency of fainting causes in pregnant women are anemia (see). During gestation, iron is excessively spent on the growth of the unborn baby and depletes the mother's blood with the main oxygen carrier - hemoglobin. After birth bleeding, anemia can not only persist, but also increase. Therefore, it is so important to correct low hemoglobin and red blood cells during pregnancy, reduce blood loss during childbirth, and treat postpartum anemia (see).

Fainting in a woman

Gentle ladies and young ladies of past centuries considered it good form to get away from all sorts of everyday difficulties and delicate situations with the help of a banal swoon. This passage was facilitated by tight corsets, squeezing the ribs and making breathing difficult, dietary restrictions leading to anemia and a mobile psyche, loosened by reading French novels. Nekrasov's and Leskov's characters of peasant and petty-bourgeois origin suffered from fainting much less often, and did not know hysterical loss of consciousness at all.

Today, women most often faint among full health on the background menstrual bleeding. This happens for the following reasons:

neglect on critical days iron-containing preparations that prevent the development of acute posthemorrhagic anemia against the background of heavy periods,
the presence of untreated gynecological or hormonal problems, leading to a violation of the contractility of the uterus and provoking menstrual pain, easily stopped by indomethacin.

Fainting in diseases

Vascular diseases

Atherosclerosis, stenosis of the vessels of the neck and brain lead to chronic disorders of cerebral circulation, in which, along with impaired memory, sleep and hearing, periodic syncope of various durations can be observed.

Traumatic brain injury

Head injuries (concussions, bruises of the brain) are accompanied by loss of consciousness of different depths. Fainting itself is a criterion by which an express diagnosis of a concussion is carried out.

Shock

Shock (painful, infectious-toxic) is often accompanied by impaired consciousness. In case of injury or illness internal organs pain or toxins trigger a reflex chain vascular reactions leading to depression of the cerebral cortex.

Cardiac pathologies

Defects of the heart and large vessels provoke an insufficient release of blood into big circle blood circulation and malnutrition of the brain. Acute infarction myocardium is often complicated by loss of consciousness due to sharp drop contractility of the heart. Also, severe rhythm disturbances go to syncope: sick sinus syndrome, atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, transverse heart block and frequent extrasystoles. A typical rhythm disorder in which there are bouts of loss of consciousness is the Morgagni-Adams-Stokes syndrome.

Pulmonary pathologies

For example, bronchial asthma, lead to violations of gas exchange between the lungs and tissues. As a result, oxygen does not get enough to the brain. Also, loss of consciousness is accompanied by pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension.

Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus leads to loss of consciousness due to hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis, which can quickly develop into a coma. Therefore, it is so important to observe the regimen and dose of hypoglycemic drugs.

Diseases accompanied by irritation of the reflex zones of the vagus nerve

it peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, pancreatitis, especially destructive ones, cause over-irritation of the vagus nerve, which also innervates the heart. As a result, the conditions of blood supply to the cerebral cortex worsen.

Other reasons

A sharp decline volume of circulating blood against the background of bleeding, vomiting or diarrhea does not make it possible to adequately supply the brain with oxygen.
Vegetative-vascular dystonia does not allow the vessels to timely and adequately adjust the lumen to the requirements of a changing external environment. The result is extremely frequent fainting against the background jumps pressure.
Poisoning by neurotoxic snake venoms, alcohol and its surrogates, organophosphorus compounds also lead to fainting.
Loss of consciousness can be a side effect of neuroleptics, hypnotics, hypotensives, ganglion blockers, tranquilizers, isoniazid derivatives.
Fainting can be the result of uremia in renal failure.
Hypersensitivity of carotid sinus baroreceptors can lead to syncope.

Fainting in children

Children suffer from fainting for the same reasons as adults. Since the adaptive capabilities of the child's body are weak, every fainting in a child is an occasion to be examined by a pediatrician and a neurologist. For quite harmless short-term loss of consciousness in a child, terrible diseases of the nervous system or blood can be hidden.

Fainting in a teenager

This is often a consequence rapid growth. Girls are more likely to suffer from latent anemia and vegetative dystonia, young people - from dysplasia connective tissue hearts. For example, such a mild defect as prolapse mitral valve, which thin tall young men most often suffer from, almost the only striking manifestation is darkening in the eyes or loss of consciousness when standing up abruptly.

How is fainting different from loss of consciousness?

Acute thromboses, embolisms or ruptures of vessels become the causes of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke which may begin with loss of consciousness. In this case, the loss of consciousness is longer and deeper than fainting. She could easily go into a coma.

Epilepsy, accompanied by impaired consciousness (for example, atonic seizures) is also not exactly fainting. At the heart of epileptic seizures is a violation of excitation nerve cells bark. Which trigger an imbalance of excitation and inhibition, secondarily causing metabolic disorders in neurocytes.

In any case, fainting and loss of consciousness is a reason for rendering emergency care and subsequent visits to the doctor.

Help with fainting

The fainted person should be laid on a flat surface with legs raised above the level of the body, eliminating, if possible, the cause of the loss of consciousness (remove from a direct source of heat, unfasten the tight belt and collar, free the neck from unnecessary objects).
Provide fresh air supply.
Let the vapors of ammonia be inhaled.
Put a towel moistened with cold water on your forehead and temples.

First aid for loss of consciousness

If the activities carried out during a normal faint are ineffective in the first two minutes, you should immediately call an ambulance team that can provide specialized assistance and take the patient to the hospital for treatment and clarification of the causes of loss of consciousness.

Some people are familiar with the feeling of fainting, which is characterized by loss of consciousness. Types of fainting depend on the causes of its occurrence. The symptoms are similar in many cases. It should be noted that fainting is frequent during pregnancy, in children, in diseases, and especially at the time of hunger (hungry syncope). Treatment takes into account the features and causes of the condition.

Fainting occurs due to many factors. Often they lie in the physiological balance, which is disturbed in a specific period of time. It should be noted that fainting does not appear after a time after the occurrence of all the factors for its occurrence. Fainting manifests itself immediately as a consequence of all favorable conditions for this.

Since readers of the online magazine site may have experienced fainting themselves or observed it for other people, it is necessary to know why it occurs and how to behave if it happened to another person.

What is fainting?

Let's start with the definition of what a faint is. This is a short-term loss of consciousness, which occurs due to impaired blood circulation in the brain. This state is passing. In some cases, it lasts no more than a minute, as blood circulation is quickly restored.

Fainting with loss of consciousness is a protective way for the brain to restore poor blood supply. Oxygen deficiency disrupts metabolic processes. Dizziness and subsequent fainting are often the consequences of a certain ailment, which specialists can find out about after diagnosing the body. Many illnesses can cause fainting. These include aortic stenosis, anemia, myocardial infarction.

If a person has a fainting state or he fainted, then you should find out for what reasons this happened.

Causes of fainting

It is not possible to give the entire list of diseases that provoke fainting. A lot of pathologies can develop in the human body, therefore, there are also enough factors that provoke loss of consciousness. Often we are talking about disorders in the cardiovascular or nervous systems:

Decreased cardiac output (angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmias, aortic stenosis).
Defects in the nervous regulation of capillaries (rapid change in body position).
Hypoxia.
Decrease in blood pressure when the body does not adapt to rapid change flow of blood through the capillaries.
Diseases leading to heart rhythm disorders. Human body feels oxygen deficiency, which causes fainting.
Expansion of muscle vessels as a result of physical activity.
Decrease in the amount of circulating blood, which is possible with blood loss or dehydration (diarrhea, excessive urination, sweating).
When swallowing food, coughing or urinating, which indicates a violation of the functions of organs in these systems.
Hyperventilation of the lungs with anemia, low blood sugar or carbon dioxide.
Microstrokes in the elderly due to a decrease in blood supply to individual segments of the brain.
Dehydration.
Diabetes.
Parkinson's disease.
Vascular disorders in the extremities.
Medications that affect blood pressure.
Cerebral hemorrhages.
migraine-like conditions.
Pre-stroke states.
Heart rhythm anomaly: either fast or slow.
Aortic stenosis (dysfunction of the heart valves).
High pressure in arteries or capillaries.
Cardiomyopathy.
Aortic dissection.
Epileptic seizures, which is associated with the work of the brain.

Types of fainting

There is no officially accepted classification of syncope types. However, they can be distinguished independently by the factors of occurrence:

Somatogenic. Associated with dysfunction of internal organs. It happens:

Cardiogenic - in cardiac pathologies, when not enough blood is ejected from the left ventricle. It is observed with narrowing of the aorta and arrhythmias.
Hypoglycemic - with a decrease in blood glucose. It is observed in diabetes mellitus, starvation, tumor processes, hypothalamic insufficiency, fructose intolerance.
Anemic - with low hemoglobin or red blood cell counts in blood diseases.
Respiratory - with a decrease in lung capacity, which is observed with various diseases this body, for example, with emphysema, whooping cough, bronchial asthma.

Neurogenic. Associated with nervous processes, often with the work of receptors. The reflex system activates the parasympathetic nervous system and depresses the sympathetic. Blood is retained in the muscles and is not delivered to the brain as a result of the corresponding processes. Here are distinguished:

Painful syncope.
Irritative - irritation of the receptors of internal organs.
Discirculatory - defects in neurological ailments in the regulation of capillary tone.
Maladaptive - adaptive dysfunction of the body (intense physical stress, overheating).
Orthostatic - insufficient effect on the capillaries of the lower extremities.
Associative - reminiscent of the experience of situations of past fainting states.
Emotional - due to strong emotional experiences. Inherent in persons prone to hysteria and suffering from neurosis-like conditions.

Extreme. Associated with extreme situations when the body is forced to mobilize forces. It happens:

Hypovolemic - with blood loss or dehydration.
Hypoxic - with a lack of oxygen, for example, in the mountains.
Hyperbaric - when under high pressure.
Intoxication - in case of poisoning of the body, for example, carbon monoxide, alcohol or dyes.
Iatrogenic, or medicinal, - with an overdose of certain drugs.

Multifactorial - a combination of several factors.

Syncope symptoms

Presyncope is accompanied by some symptoms, which in different people appear in different combinations. This is not yet fainting, but it can lead to it. Symptoms of pre-fainting are:

Sickness.
Goosebumps or veil before the eyes.
Nausea.
Tinnitus.
Yawn.
Sudden weakness.
Knocking of the legs, wadded and naughty.
Premonition of impending fainting.
Numbness of tongue and fingertips.
Lump in throat.
Air deficiency.
Anxiety.

When fainting already occurs, it is characterized by the following symptoms:

Cold perspiration.
Light blush.
Dilated pupils that react slowly to light.
Paleness of the skin.
Decreased muscle tone.
Ash gray skin color.
Weakness of the pulse.
Frequent or slow heartbeat.
Reduced or completely absent reflex reactions.

The average duration of fainting is from a few seconds to a minute. Duration of more than 4-5 minutes is accompanied by convulsions, increased sweating and possible spontaneous urination.

When fainting, consciousness turns off suddenly. However, it may be preceded by a semi-conscious state, which is characterized by the following symptoms:

Noise in ears.
Dizziness.
Acute weakness.
Numbness of limbs.
"Vacuum" in the head.
Yawn.
Nausea.
Darkening in the eyes.
Sweating.
Paleness of the face.

Fainting occurs more often in a standing position, less often in a sitting position. In the supine position it passes quickly.

After leaving a fainting state, a person may experience the following symptoms within 2 hours: headaches, weakness, increased sweating.

Thus, there are 3 phases of fainting:

Pre-syncope (lipothymia) - lasts 30 seconds - 1 minute before fainting. Sometimes this is where it all ends if a person has taken a supine position.
Fainting - may occur without pre-fainting. There is a feeling of leaving the earth from under the feet, a gradual sliding down, weakening of the muscles. The lack of restoration of blood supply to the brain within 20 seconds is accompanied by spontaneous defecation, urination or convulsions.
Post-syncope state (post-syncope stage) - a gradual return of consciousness. Return of sight, hearing and sensation own body. Orientation in time, space and one's personality is restored. A person experiences fear, fatigue, weakness, heart rate accelerates, breathing quickens.

Fainting during pregnancy

Many girls and women dream of getting pregnant and becoming mothers. However, frequent cases of fainting during pregnancy can be noted. Why is such a happy period overshadowed by fainting spells? Not every woman has them, but they are quite frequent.

Often, fainting is attributed to low blood pressure, which can be triggered by:

Stuffy.
Overwork.
Emotional instability.
various respiratory pathologies.
Hunger.
Exacerbation of chronic diseases.

The enlarging uterus begins to put pressure on the capillaries that are nearby. This leads to a decrease in blood flow to the lower extremities, pelvic organs and back. In the supine position, everything can be amplified. This results in a pressure drop.

Physiological changes also occur during pregnancy. The amount of blood increases by 35%, which can also lead to fainting until the body adapts.

The amount of blood increases due to the increase in plasma volume. In this case, the blood becomes rarefied due to the low number of red blood cells. It leads to low level hemoglobin and, consequently, anemia.

Low glucose levels also affect the condition of a pregnant woman. Improper or inadequate nutrition is a consequence of toxicosis. Because of this, microelements decrease in their quantity, which leads to fainting.

Fainting in children

Conditions become quite restless when fainting is observed in children. Mothers want to know why this happens to their children, as well as what to do in such situations. Let's try to figure it out.

The cause of fainting in a child may be:

Emotional turmoil.
Hunger.
Stuffy room in which the child stayed in a standing position.
Strong pain.
Frequent deep breathing.
Blood loss.
infectious diseases.
Disorders in the work of the ganglionic nervous system.
Low blood pressure.
Quick change of body position from lying to standing.
Brain injury.
Violation of the conducting system of the myocardium.
Atrioventricular blockade (Morgagni-Adams-Stokes syndrome), which is accompanied by convulsive seizures, fainting, cyanosis of the skin and pallor. It often comes on at night and goes away on its own.

What can parents do if their child faints?

Put the child on the bed.
Remove the pillow from under the head, and raise the legs by 30 °.
Provide fresh air and its flow to the body: unfasten tight clothes, remove from the throat, open a window, etc.
Bring to consciousness various irritants: mother's spirits, ammonia, splashing cold water or rubbing the ears.

When the baby regains consciousness, you need to let him lie down for 10-20 minutes, then drink sweet tea.

Hungry swoon

Frequent fainting is in women who exhaust themselves with strict diets and hunger strikes. Wanting to become beautiful, many people forget about the physiological characteristics of the body, which must receive daily carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the right quantities. Hungry fainting occurs after debilitating diets, when there is a deficiency of some element in the body.

Since it does not enter the body enough fat, protein or carbohydrates, it is forced to change the functions of metabolism to replenish itself. Reserves exist, but not in all systems. First of all, the nervous system suffers, which lacks the necessary elements.

Stress can also cause hunger pangs. When the body is under stress, it activates all its energy reserves. Blood pressure rises, blood flow occurs to the necessary organs for survival. If the brain does not receive the necessary elements, then fainting occurs.

The factors of hunger syncope should also include excessive physical exercise when the body consumes all available elements. Their deficiency primarily affects the functioning of the brain.

Syncope treatment

When fainting occurs, the most important task is only to eliminate the cause that caused it. For example, extreme syncope requires only withdrawal from the corresponding stressful situation, and hunger syncope is corrected by observing good nutrition. Treatment in rare cases requires a medical approach.

First of all, an ambulance is given to restore hemodynamics. To do this, the body is given a horizontal position, and the legs rise slightly above the head.

Pharmacological assistance is necessary only in cases where syncope is the result of dysfunction of individual body systems, for example, heart disease or disorders in the nervous system. Prior to this, people who experience fainting are taught various measures on how to behave when it occurs:

Clench your palms into fists.
Cross the lower limbs.
Take the most horizontal position.

Outcome

Fainting is a rapidly occurring consequence of some unhealthy condition. You should not worry about its occurrence, since we are talking only about violations in the work circulatory system. If you consult a doctor for medical care, then you can quickly establish the causes of your condition.

Close relatives should know what to do when others faint. This state is reversible. However, treatment should not be ignored, especially when it comes to disorders and pathologies in the body.

At least once in a lifetime, every person has experienced a faint or pre-fainting state. In this case, for many, fainting becomes a cause of unrest and anxiety, and most often because such a reaction of the body is not always clear.

Fainting is sudden loss consciousness for a short time (from a few seconds to 5 minutes), which is caused by a decrease in blood pressure. The most common cause of fainting is acute circulatory failure, due to which the blood circulation to the brain is reduced and, as a result, to a lack of oxygen supply to the brain.

The insidiousness of fainting is that it always happens suddenly, and if you think that you are young and relatively healthy, so losing consciousness does not threaten you, then you are greatly mistaken. Fainting can happen at any age, in both women and men. He may well be healthy people, for example, with a sharp change in body position from horizontal to vertical, with a strong emotional outburst, in stuffy space and for many other reasons.

The picture of fainting can be described as dizziness, darkening of the eyes and tinnitus, an attack of lightheadedness, pallor, nausea, weakness in the legs, cold sweat. In most cases, all these signs are not dangerous and pass quickly. And a hot day, overeating, severe stress- all this is enough for the blood pressure to drop. A sharp decrease in pressure, even for a few minutes, disrupts blood flow in the brain, causing the patient to lose consciousness.

Most often, women become victims of fainting, as their blood pressure is more prone to jumps, and the nervous system is more vulnerable.

Causes of fainting

The causes of fainting are quite diverse: from cardiovascular diseases, pregnancy, blood loss, overheating to banal fright or "hungry" fainting in women who abuse the diet. Doctors still have not been able to fully figure out why, under certain circumstances, a person's blood pressure drops sharply and he loses consciousness. the true reason fainting can be established only in half of the patients.

Vasodepressor syncope is the most common type of syncope in adolescence and adolescence. This condition can often be caused emotional reactions(fear, sight of blood) or being in a stuffy room.

Situational syncope can occur under certain circumstances. There are syncope associated with defecation, where important role plays straining, which causes an increase in intrathoracic pressure and a decrease in venous return. A similar mechanism also works with cough syncope, which occurs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

One of common causes syncope in older men is hypersensitivity of the carotid sinus if they suffer arterial hypertension and atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries. Such fainting may be caused by wearing a tight collar or turning the head abruptly. The mechanism of syncope is associated with the activation of the vagus nerve.

The most common cause of fainting (25%) is heart disease. In addition, this is the most dangerous variant of fainting, which should be paid attention first of all. Quite often, fainting occurs in the elderly due to a violation of the heart rhythm. And if other types of syncope occur, as a rule, in an upright position, then such a cardiogenic syncope can also happen with a recumbent person. The danger of such syncope is that it occurs very suddenly, unlike vasodepressor, when pathological condition preceded strong heartbeat. A fall can even cause injury.

First aid for loss of consciousness

As a rule, fainting passes very quickly by itself, as soon as the patient takes a horizontal position and the blood is evenly distributed throughout the body.

The first thing to do for a fainted person is to provide sufficient access to fresh air and lay him in a horizontal position.

To make the patient come to his senses faster, you can splash cold water in his face or hold a cotton swab with ammonia under his nose. When a person comes to his senses, you can offer him strong tea or coffee, as well as a piece of dark chocolate to raise blood pressure.