Also called: Also called: Syncope
If you've ever fainted, you are not alone - at least one third of people faint sometime in their lives. Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness. You lose muscle control at the same time, and may fall down. Most people recover quickly and completely.
Fainting usually happens when your blood pressure drops suddenly, causing a decrease in blood flow to your brain. This is more common in older people. Some causes of fainting include
- Heat or dehydration
- Emotional distress
- Standing up too quickly
- Certain medicines
- Drop in blood sugar
- Heart problems
Fainting is usually nothing to worry about, but it can sometimes be a sign of a serious problem. If you faint, it's important to see your health care provider and find out why it happened.
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Fainting: What Causes It(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/065.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/articles/065.printerview.html
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Syncope
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/syncope/syncope.htm
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JAMA Patient Page: Fainting(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/292/10/1260.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/292/10/1260/DC1/1
- Syncope(American Heart Association) - http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/113/16/e715
- Faintness(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/faintness/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
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Syncope(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/syncope/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
- Tilt Table Test (HUT Head Up Tilt)(Heart Rhythm Society) - http://www.hrspatients.org/patients/heart_tests/tilt_table.asp
- Fainting: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/first-aid-fainting/FA00052/METHOD=print
- Treatments for Cardiovascular Syncope(Heart Rhythm Society) - http://www.hrspatients.org/patients/signs_symptoms/fainting/treatment.asp
- Adams-Stokes Disease(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4418
- Cardiovascular Syncope(Heart Rhythm Society) - http://www.hrspatients.org/patients/signs_symptoms/fainting/cardiovascular.asp
- Fainting during Urination (Micturition Syncope): What Causes It?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/micturition-syncope/AN01608/METHOD=print
- Neurocardiogenic and Non-Cardiovascular Syncope(Heart Rhythm Society) - http://www.hrspatients.org/patients/signs%5Fsymptoms/fainting/non-cardiovascular_syncope.asp
- Vasovagal Syncope (Fainting)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/vasovagal-syncope/DS00806/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Fainting (Syncope) After Vaccination(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/syncope.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Syncope(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Syncope%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Ask the doctor. I want to donate blood, but I... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18822512&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Head-up tilt table testing in syncope: safety and efficiency of... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18760129&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Clinical reasoning: A 51-year-old woman with syncopal episodes and multiple... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18711104&tool=MedlinePlus
- Fainting -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=syncope[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Heart Association - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000
- Heart Rhythm Society - http://www.hrspatients.org/
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
- Syncope(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=994
- Syncope(Children's Hospital Boston) - http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site514/mainpageS514P0.html
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Fainting(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/health_basics/fainting.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/cuerpo/fainting_esp.html
- Fainting (Syncope)(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging) - http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/chapters_ch_trial.asp?ch=24
- Low Blood Pressure - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lowbloodpressure.html
- Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html
- Symptoms - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/symptoms.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Fainting is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/