What to do When Someone Faints Around You

Fainting is when a person loses consciousness or passes out for a short time, usually about twenty seconds to one minute. In medical terms, it is known as Syncope. Fainting occurs when the brain doesn’t receive enough blood for a brief time. This causes loss of consciousness. People faint as a reaction to pain, exhaustion, hunger or emotional stress. Even though fainting can be serious, sometimes it is not a sign of a serious health problem. A brief loss of consciousness can be caused by a variety of factors, many of which are short-term.

According to Health Partners, The most common causes of fainting are usually not signs of a more serious illness. In these cases, you faint because of:

The vasovagal reflex causes the heart rate to slow and the blood vessels to widen. This reflex can be triggered by many things, including stress, pain, fear, coughing, holding your breath, and urinating.

Orthostatic hypotension, or a sudden drop in blood pressure when you change position. This can happen if you stand up too fast, get dehydrated, or take certain medicines, such as ones for high blood pressure.

Some people know when they are going to faint because they have symptoms beforehand, such as feeling weak, nauseated, hot or dizzy. After they regain consciousness, they may feel confused, dizzy or ill for a while but recover fairly soon. A person who faints usually will not suffer any long-term health effects. However, it is recommended that you see your doctor after a fainting spell.

Preventive Measures

If you have a condition that makes you more likely to faint, there are a few steps that can help you reduce your risk of passing out. Here are a few:

1. Eat Regularly. Do not stay hungry for ridiculously long periods because you want to lose weight. Eat healthy food. Good food contains the nutrients you need to keep your body strong.
2. Stay hydrated. Drink enough water daily. Water is not so expensive. It shouldn’t be rationed. Health experts often recommend people drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.
3. If you need to stand in one place for a long time, be sure to move your legs and don’t lock your knees. Pace if you can, or shake your legs out.
4. If you’re prone to fainting, avoid exerting yourself in hot weather as much as possible.
5. If you feel lightheaded after taking medication, inform your doctor. They may be able to find a different medication for you that doesn’t cause this side effect.

If you feel like you’re about to faint you can try the following:

1. lie down with your legs raised – if you cannot do this, then sit with your head lowered between your knees
2. Drink some water.
3. Eat something
4. Take deep breaths.

What to do if Someone Faints

1. Position the person on the back
2. If there are no injuries and the person is breathing, raise the person’s legs above heart level if possible to restore blood flow to the brain. Loosen belts, collars or other tight clothing. Turn the person on their side if they are vomiting or bleeding from the mouth.
3. To reduce the chance of fainting again, don’t get the person up too fast. If the person doesn’t regain consciousness within one minute, call your local emergency number.
4. Check for a pulse and to see if the person is breathing. If the person is not breathing, begin CPR. Call your local emergency number. Continue CPR until help arrives or the person begins to breathe.
5. If the person was injured in a fall associated with a faint, treat bumps, bruises or cuts appropriately. Control bleeding with direct pressure.

The following are serious situations and should be treated as an emergency. If someone faints and they:

1. are not breathing
2. cannot be woken up within 1 minute
3. have not fully recovered or have difficulty with speech or movement
4. have chest pain or a pounding, fluttering or irregular heartbeat (heart palpitations)
5. have seriously hurt themselves
6. are shaking or jerking because of a seizure or fit
7. fainted while exercising
8. fainted while lying down

Ensure you see a Doctor

If you faint, or feel like fainting, do not take the symptoms lightly. Make sure you seek medical attention. Life is very fickle. Take every little sign seriously.