How to Deal With Fainting Spells

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Pin ItArticle EditDiscussBeing prone to fainting is known as suffering from fainting spells or syncope. It's not that uncommon––indeed, fainting spells are experienced by around a third of healthy adolescents.[1] Fainting is one of the scariest things that can happen to you. And if you experience it often, it can lead to much anxiety and worry. As well, being prone to fainting places you in danger of hurting yourself because it can happen at any moment. Dealing with fainting spells requires both understanding and knowledge of what to do to take good care of yourself.

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Reacting Quickly to Fainting Spells1Know what to do to stay safe when you feel faint. Feeling faint can happen at almost any time. If you don't do the right thing at the right time, you may severely injure yourself. It is recommended that you go through each of the following steps when you faint, to try to reduce the risks involved with a fainting spell:

Sit down. Not sitting means you risk falling and cracking open your head on something sharp or hard, or worse. Don't do anything before you sit down.Breathe deeply. If you are dealing with anxiety, stress or hyperventilating at the moment, deep, slow breathing should help you within seconds.Call for help. Yell as loudly as you can. You may feel like you're talking very quietly because what is happening to you is taking precedence over your hearing. Don't worry; just keep calling for someone until you think you have their attention.If someone does come, tell them that you're going to faint. They will be able to do whatever they can.Find a place to elevate your feet. This will help you become conscious faster.Remain calm. If you can, develop some self-calming techniques that will help you both when you're suffering a fainting spell, and in general. Such things as meditation, visualizing a safe place and repetitive phrases can help you to self soothe.2Be prepared when you become conscious again. Fainting is definitely scary, that's why when you wake up, you might scream and/or feel disoriented. Just be calm, you're okay. There is a chance that you've urinated.

Take some time and lie down or sit up and rest.When you're ready, get up slowly.If you are alone, try and find someone for help.3Tell your doctor that you've fainted. He or she will need to check all the possible reasons behind why you are fainting. Be sure to see a doctor; having the right advice can be helpful because you can work out what to avoid doing that might be causing you to faint.

Prevention1Research the topic of fainting. Understanding the causes behind fainting and feeling dizzy can help you to pinpoint the times when you're likely to be most vulnerable and whether there are things you can do to manage the likelihood of more fainting spells. There are many reasons why you might be fainting, from standing up too quickly to having low blood pressure. Here are some reasons you might be fainting:

Abnormally low blood pressureVasovagal syncope[2]Heart attack[1]StressAbnormal heart rhythmGetting up too fastDehydration or inadequate food intake.2Recognize when you're starting to feel faint. Recognizing an oncoming faint may save your life, or at least prevent injury, enabling you to quickly move to a safe spot and perhaps even give a signal to friends and family in-the-know. There are lots of ways to recognize the onset of a fainting spell. If you keep feeling these symptoms while you're standing, it's best to sit down immediately:

Seeing white or black spotsDizziness/lightheadednessFeeling hot/sweatingPalenessUpset stomachTunnel or blurry vision.[1]3Learn how to prevent fainting. If you have already fainted, you'll know it's not a fun experience. For some people, you might faint 10 times in your whole lifetime. Others, that learn the prevention techniques before fainting for the second time, will experience fainting spells less. You may be able to stop fainting spells by making the right changes to your activities and food and water intake. For example:

Improve your fluid intake.[1] Staying adequately hydrated will keep your body in balance. In particular, stay hydrated when you're going outside on a warm or hot day.Eat enough and eat healthily. If you're getting enough food with good nutrition, you'll be less likely to feel weak or dizzy.Be slow when getting up from sitting or lying anywhere. Sudden rising can send you off-balance easily. It can help to sit where you can see something to hold on to, giving you something to grip or rest on to help keep you steady as you rise.Avoid cigarettes, caffeine, alcohol, or using recreational drugs.[1] The chemicals in these products can have unhelpful interactions with your body that put things out of balance, making fainting spells more likely.Avoid placing yourself in stressful situations. In particular, notice whenever you are in a situation that brings on hyperventilation and anxiety and do your best to remove yourself from such situations. Learning to stay calm and to assert yourself can help you to overcome feelings of anxiety.

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Edit TipsIf you ever see someone who is very pale, looks like they aren't feeling good and are asking for help, sit them down and get help, as it's possible they are about to faint.Anytime that you feel dizzy or feel as if you may pass out, sit down in a safe area.Avoid crowded or hot places.Have a friend near you when you are feeling dizzy. Tell your friend in advance that you're prone to fainting spells, so that he or she knows what to do when it happens.Avoid looking at cuts or blood, as sometimes you will be put into shock and forget to breathe, resulting to you fainting.Keep track of how long you/whoever fainted, is out. Medical staff will need to know this, in order to help with medical diagnosis.Avoid very hot baths or showers, sometimes they can be so calming and relaxing, you can collapse.

Edit WarningsThere is a chance that people will urinate when they have fainted.When feeling faint, the fainting person only has about 15-30 seconds to sit. If the victim does not sit, they may hit their head or injure another part of the body.If the victim is injured, call for help immediately.Fainting spells are dangerous because they're unexpected. Injury and even death can occur as a result.

Edit Related wikiHowsHow to Prevent FaintingHow to Deal With FaintingHow to Overcome DizzinessHow to Cure Feeling Like You're About to FaintHow to Pretend to Faint

Edit Sources and Citations? 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 http://mykentuckyheart.com/information/Fainting.htm? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasovagal_responseArticle Info Featured Article

Categories: Featured Articles | Cardiovascular Health and Blood Pressure | Health

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