To whoever may happen to pass out here because it is good to know what are the warning signs - present in about 70% of cases - and the precautions to be taken. Fainting, or syncope, in most cases is not due to serious causes. "It is a transient loss of consciousness with spontaneous recovery and quick start - says Michele Brignole, director of the Department of Cardiology, Hospital of Tigullio (Blackboard) -. Loss of consciousness is usually brief (a few seconds to 2-3 minutes) and the mechanism that determines, in the face of different causes, is always a transient reduction in blood flow to the brain. It is not always easy to know if there really was transient loss of consciousness. For example, it may happen that an elderly person falls because of an apparent loss of consciousness, when maybe it's just stumbled and you do not remember the incident because in the confusion. So the first question is always whether there was a real loss of consciousness. The second step is to understand the cause and distinguish from other forms of syncope, transient loss of consciousness related, for example, seizures, poisoning, hypoglycemia. "What are the possible causes of fainting?
"The most common are those syncopations neurally mediated reflex , which include the vasovagal , the situational and other less common forms. Syncope, especially common in young people, is the result of a neurological reflex that, in response to an emotional or painful stimuli, results in an abrupt vasodilation, decreased heart rate and the resulting lack of blood to the brain. Situational syncope may be related to several factors, such as severe cough, gastrointestinal stimulation (swallowing, defecation, abdominal colic), or to be followed by extreme fatigue. Another type of syncope is orthostatic hypotension , which occurs especially when it is long-standing or getting up suddenly. The pressure drops suddenly, the view is blurred, it falters. In some cases, this syncope, can be induced by certain drugs (antihypertensives) or dehydration. A third type of syncope, uncommon but potentially serious, is that from cardiac causes, due, for example, arrhythmias, or aortic stenosis. Finally, in 15-20% the cause remains unknown. "
What to do at the first signs of fainting?
"If you understand to be the next to faint, because the view is obscured, you start to sweat a lot, you feel sick and shaken, must lie down and raise your legs to facilitate the return of blood the heart. If you can not lie can help make simple maneuvers that raise the pressure. In most cases, after the episode, it is not necessary to make special investigations. Only about one in 10, especially when you suspect a heart problem would require further investigation and, sometimes, hospitalization. "
