Is this your symptom?
- Fainting is a sudden brief loss of consciousness with falling down; passing out
- Feeling suddenly sick or sweaty; dizzy or light-headed
- A return to being awake and alert happens within 1 minute
Fainting Basics
- Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness. Normal awareness returns in less than 1 minute if the person is allowed to lie down.
- If standing, the person falls to the ground.
- If sitting, the person slumps over. Lie them down on the ground, if you can. Take care not to injure them as you lower them to the ground.
- Fainting can happen at any age.
- Causes: for people less than 40 years old, it is most often a simple faint. In older adults, serious causes are much more common. These need to be ruled out by a doctor.
- Cause of Simple Fainting: decreased blood flow to the brain.
- Risk Factors: mild dehydration, fasting, hot weather, lack of sleep, recent illness, change in altitude.
- Most fainting is harmless. There is a risk of a head or face injury from sudden falling.
Warning Signs For Simple Fainting
- Dizziness (light-headed), blurred vision, nausea, sweating, feeling cold.
- These last for 5 to 10 seconds before passing out.
- The person may look pale just before passing out.
Types of Simple Fainting
- Standing too long in one place before fainting is the most common type. Happens at church, graduations, weddings or at events when standing a long time. It is more common if one keeps the knees "locked." This pools the blood in the leg veins. A person who stands long enough in one place will faint.
- Standing up quickly(often after lying down) before fainting is a less common cause. Often this just causes a person to feel dizzy for a short time. It is more common in the morning after not eating or drinking during the night.
- Sudden stressful feelings before fainting. Seeing a badly injured person or pet can trigger fainting. Also, stressful events such as public speaking can cause fainting.
- Sudden physical pain before fainting, such as getting a shot or a blood test. Having stiches taken out can also trigger fainting. The stress of the event may cause the fainting rather than the pain itself.
- Orthostatic Hypotension
is a drop in blood pressure upon standing up. It can be caused by:
- Medicine taken to lower blood pressure
- Dehydration due to vomiting, diarrhea or heat exposure
- Neurological disease such as Parkinson's or peripheral neuropathy
- A big meal
- Feeling faint in pregnancy. This may happen if you stand up quickly. Take your time getting up to your feet. Sit back down again if you feel light-headed or dizzy. You may also feel faint if you are lying on your back during the later stages of pregnancy. The weight of the uterus and baby slow the blood flow back to your heart. This causes you to feel faint. If it happens, turn over and lie on your side. If the faint feeling does not pass quickly, call your doctor right away.
- Cardiac Syncope
is due to a heart problem with symptoms including:
- Chest pain prior to fainting
- Rapid or irregular pulse
- Sensation of thumping heart (palpitations)
- Shortness of breath
- Fainting during exercise
Other Serious Causes of Fainting:
- Epilepsy
- Stroke or mini stroke (TIA or transient ischemic attack)
- Blood loss; large amount or bleeding inside the body
- Concussion or head injury
- Sudden drop in blood sugar. Mainly happens in people with diabetes.
- Poisoning
- Drug or alcohol abuse
- Seizure
When to Call for Fainting
Call 911 Now
Go to ER Now
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
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Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
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Self Care at Home
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Call 911 Now
- Chest Pain
- Severe breathing trouble
- Still passed out or hard to wake up after 2 minutes
- Caused by choking on something
- Happened after an electric shock
- Fainted right after taking medicine, eating allergic food or a bee sting
- Bleeding large amount (vomiting blood, blood in stool, or heavy vaginal bleeding)
- Severe stomach pain
- Talking or acting confused for more than 5 minutes
- You think you have a life-threatening emergency
Go to ER Now
- Faint happened after a head injury
- Fainted during exercise or while lying down
- Heart beat is unsteady, too fast, or too slow
- Muscle jerking or shaking during fainting (now stopped)
- Feel too dizzy to stand after drinking fluids
- Pregnant or could be pregnant
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- Happened after a stomach injury
- First fainting spell
- You feel dehydrated (dark urine, dry mouth)
- Fainted 2 times in one day
- Cause of fainting is not clear. You were not: standing for a long time, standing suddenly, in pain or had a stressful event.
- You feel weak or very sick
- You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
- Simple fainting from standing too long, sudden standing or pain happens often
- You have other questions or concerns
Self Care at Home
- Simple fainting and now alert and feel fine
- How to prevent simple fainting
Care Advice for Stomach Pain
What You Should Know About Stomach Pain:
- Mild stomach pain can be caused by something simple. It could be from gas pains or eating too much.
- Sometimes, stomach pain signals the start of a viral infection. This will lead to vomiting or loose stools.
- Watching your child for 2 hours will help tell you the cause.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Lie Down:
- Have your child lie down and rest until feeling better.
Clear Fluids:
- Offer clear fluids only (such as water, flat soft drinks or half-strength Gatorade).
- For mild pain, offer a regular diet.
Prepare for Vomiting:
- Keep a vomiting pan handy.
- Younger children often talk about stomach pain when they have nausea. Nausea is the sick stomach feeling that comes before they throw up.
Pass a Stool:
- Have your child sit on the toilet and try to pass a stool.
- This may help if the pain is from constipation or diarrhea.
- Note: for constipation, moving a warm wet cotton ball on the anus may help.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Any drug (like ibuprofen) could upset the stomach and make the pain worse.
- Do not give any pain medicines or laxatives for stomach cramps.
- For fever higher than 102° F (39° C), acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be given.
What to Expect:
- With harmless causes, the pain is most often better or gone in 2 hours.
- With stomach flu, belly cramps may happen before each bout of vomiting or diarrhea. These cramps may come and go for a few days.
- With serious causes (such as appendicitis), the pain worsens and becomes constant.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Constant pain lasts more than 2 hours
- Mild pain that comes and goes lasts more than 24 hours
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Extra Help - Worried Stomach:
- Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain. Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
- Help your child worry less about things she can't control.
- To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed. Lying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths may help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath. Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to audios that teach how to relax might also help.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains. Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
- Caution: your child should see her doctor for an exam. Do this before concluding frequent stomach pains are from worrying too much.
