First Aid for Fainting
Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness. Someone who faints may pass out for several seconds or up to an hour.
There are many reasons people faint. Medical reasons include:
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) which is common in early pregnancy.
- Anemia.
- Any condition in which there is a rapid loss of blood. This can be from internal bleeding such as with a peptic ulcer, or a tubal pregnancy or ruptured ovarian cyst in females.
- Heart and circulatory problems such as abnormal heart rhythm, heart attack or stroke.
- Heat stroke or heat exhaustion
- Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia.
- Toxic shock syndrome.
Other things that can lead to feeling faint or fainting include:
- A sudden change in body position like standing up too quickly (postural hypotension).
- Extreme pain.
- Any procedure in women that stretches the cervix such as having an IUD inserted, especially in women who have never been pregnant.
- Sudden emotional stress or fright.
- Anxiety
- Taking some prescription medicines. Examples are: some that lower high blood pressure, tranquilizers, antidepressants, or even some over-the-counter medicines when taken in excessive amounts.
Know, also, that the risk for fainting increases if you are in hot, humid weather, are in a stuffy room or have consumed excessive amounts of alcohol.
Just before fainting, a person may:
- Feel a sense of dread
- Feel dizzy
- See spots before his or her eyes
- Have nausea
Here are some dos and don'ts to remember if someone is about to faint or faints:
Dos:
- Catch the person before he or she falls.
- Have the person lie down with the head below the level of the heart. Raise the legs 8 to 12 inches. This promotes blood flow to the brain. If a victim who is about to faint can lie down right away, he or she may not lose consciousness.
- Turn the victim's head to the side so the tongue doesn't fall back into the throat.
- Loosen any tight clothing.
- Apply moist towels to the person's face and neck.
- Keep the victim warm, especially if the surroundings are chilly.
Don'ts:
- Don't slap or shake anyone who's just fainted.
- Don't try to give the person anything to eat or drink, not even water, until they are fully conscious.
Don't allow the person who's fainted to get up until the sense of physical weakness passes. Then be watchful for a few minutes to be sure he or she doesn't faint again.