What are the symptoms of fainting?

The symptoms of syncope are actually quite common in life. Usually patients will show sudden dizziness, trance or confusion, and sometimes may cause weakness in the limbs and fainting, so these symptoms must be taken seriously.

1. Clinical manifestations

1. The patient suddenly feels dizzy, dazed, blurred vision or black eyes, and weakness in the limbs. This is the precursor to syncope; then he loses consciousness and falls to the ground. He recovers within seconds to minutes and stands up and walks. Some patients may feel general fatigue within half an hour.

2. In many cases, the patient collapses quickly instead of falling, and there is no loss of consciousness, or if it happens repeatedly and the patient has gained experience and squats down in time, the symptoms will disappear quickly. When fainting, the heart rate slows down or speeds up, blood pressure drops, the face becomes pale, and cold sweats may occur. Syncope basically occurs when standing or sitting. If it occurs in a lying position, you should pay attention to whether you have cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as arrhythmia, transient ischemic attack or epilepsy.

2. Causes

1. Autonomic nervous system dysregulation and vasomotor disturbances

For example, when hypotension occurs in the upright position, cerebral blood supply disorders may cause syncope, which is more common in people with poor physical constitution. Urinating a large amount of blood at one time or coughing continuously may reduce the amount of blood returning to the heart and cause syncope.

2. Cardiogenic cerebral ischemia

This cause of syncope is the most serious and is often seen in severe fast or slow arrhythmias or cardiac arrest. It can occur in any body position, and severe ischemia may be accompanied by convulsions of the limbs and incontinence.

3. Cerebrovascular disease

This situation is mostly caused by sudden insufficient blood supply to the brainstem. Due to ischemia of the ascending activation system of the brainstem reticular formation, the normal state of consciousness cannot be maintained, and it should be called transient cerebral (posterior circulation) ischemic attack.

4. Others

Syncope can also occur in patients with hypoglycemia, severe anemia, and hyperventilation.