- May 2, 2018
- Posted by: admin
- Category: Health tips
Concepts
Fainting
Fainting is a sudden and brief loss of consciousness, which happens when blood flow to brain suddenly decreases. Doctors call it Syncope.
Loss of consciousness
Loss of consciousness is when someone cannot respond to his/her surrounding.
Lipothymia
Lipothymia is when someone collapses without loss of consciousness.
Coma
Coma is a long loss of consciousness and it is related to brain injury.
Causes
Fainting can occur because of emotional stress (especially when one receives a bad news), tiredness or heavy sweating, pain, violent coughing or in fact anything that can lead to rapid change in blood pressure and flow to brain including medications like some antihypertensive drugs.
What you can do
1. Calmness: very important. The place should have less people possible and well ventilated.
2. Position: help the person to lie on the flow with the legs raise above the head.
3. Call for help and check breath and pulse.
4. Remove any tight clothing, collars, belts etc.
People usually recover in a short time with these few and simple steps above. Then you can give the person some water with sugar.
5. Optional:
– You can clean the person’s face/body with cold water if he is overheated
– Control bleeding if any with direct pressure
– Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Final words
Fainting may or not be important medically. It is a serious condition in people with underlying disease or family history of fainting. Health workers usually give Oxygen and drip to the patient. Blood sugar level and record of heart beat (electrocardiogram – ECG) are checked also.
N.B. Breath can be checked bringing your ear to the persons nose. Wrist pulse is checked with index and middle finger on the wrist. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be started if there is no pulse.
