Fainting Linked to Your
Heart, Not Brain!
Passing out in most of the cases is related to heart rhythm disorder instead
of any brain dysfunctioning, writes Dr Vanita Arora, Associate
Director & Head, Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab and Arrhythmia Services, Max
Hospital, Saket
Fainting followed by blurring of vision, black out, light-headedness,
feeling of nausea, dizziness should not be passed off as just a mere normal occurrence
as all this may be a warning sign of a serious heart ailment. Dizziness is
normal after strenuous work but fainting coupled with these signs is abnormal
and warrant some seriousness if you are ignoring it.
Fainting or Syncope, as known in medical terms, is loss of
consciousness. A person who has fainting spells returns to full consciousness,
but has no inkling of having lost it in the first place. The bout of fainting happens
when the blood supply to the brain is hampered. The interruption in oxygen supply
to brain happens due to low blood pressure, the result of which is less availability
of blood to the brain as the heart is unable to pump blood.
There could be many reasons for fainting or passing out.
Anemia, low blood sugar, metabolic disorders, improper blood circulation are some
of the reasons behind fainting spells. While fainting as such is not a cause to
press the panic button, falling after passing out can cause severe injuries,
especially to the head which is a very sensitive area.
While some fainting spells do not pose major risk to the body,
most of the cases are related to a heart problem. If fainting happens due to irregular
heart rhythms -- Arrhythmia, then it should not be ignored and a medical advise
must be sought at the earliest. Reasons for a fainting spell can come to the fore
only after a proper diagnosis by the doctor, so in any case a visit to the
doctor is necessary.
Fainting is serious
if:
·
It takes
place while doing exercise, driving or during a rigorous activity
·
There is
a numbness in the body
·
There is
shortness of breath
·
There is
a chest pain
·
It
happens for a short span
·
If there
is tingling in one part of the body
Triggers for
fainting:
·
Suddenly
standing up or Standing up for a long time
·
Emotional
turmoil
·
Incessant
coughing
·
Non-prescribed
medication
·
Loss of
body fluid
·
Fear or
sudden scare
Arrhythmia is the major cause of fainting
or syncope. There are two major conditions associated with Arrhythmia –
bradycardia and tachycardia. When hearbeat is too fast, it is bradycardia;
while it is known as tachycardia when the situation is just the contrary.
During tachycardia, the heart beats
too fast giving considerably less time to the heart to fill blood after each
heat beat. This blocks adequate supply of blood to different parts of the body.
In bradycardia, the heart rate is too slow to pump enough blood to the body
parts. As in both the conditions, the supply to brain is interrupted, the
outcome is fainting.
Precautions to be taken:
·
Do not
stand for a long time. Keep moving
·
If you
have been sitting, then get up slowly
·
After a
fainting spell, relax for a while
·
Immediately
sit if you have blurred vision
·
Look for
a safer place to sit
·
During
dehydration, increase intake of fluids
Visiting a doctor is imminent in case of any kind of
fainting as only it will underline the trigger for such spells. If fainting is
related to heart rhythm irregularity, doctors can gauge the same through
regular monitoring and suggest a treatment plan which could involve implantation
of devices like pacemakers or defibrillators.
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