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Syncope is a medical term used to describe a temporary loss of consciousness due to the sudden reduction in blood flow to the brain. Syncope is commonly called fainting or blackout. If an individual is about to faint, he or she will feel, lightheaded, or feel sick but not vomit and there may be darkness in front of their eyes. Some people may feel as if the room is spinning around them. The skin may be cold and clammy. The person may lose conciousnesss and fall down. This may be associated with injury to the head or brain
After fainting, an individual may be unconscious for a couple of minutes but will gradually recover and become normal in a few minutes. True syncope due to cardiac causes recovers within a few minutes and the person feels normal. However ,there may a confusion lasting for a few hrs or 24 hrs when this may be due to epilepsy. A carefully taken history usually helps the doctor differentiate between syncope from cardiac causes and epilepsy.
Syncope can occur in otherwise healthy people and affects all age groups, but occurs more often in the elderly.
There are several types of syncope.
syncope usually has an easily identified triggering event such as emotional stress, trauma, pain, the sight of blood, or prolonged standing.
happens because of constriction of the carotid artery in the neck and can occur after turning the head, while shaving, or when wearing a tight collar.
Situational syncope happens during urination, defecation, coughing, laughing or as a result discomfort in stomach.
Syncope can also be a symptom of heart disease or abnormalities that causes an irregular heart beat that affects blood flow to the brain and other organs of the body.
Syncope isn’t normally a primary sign of a neurological disorder, but it may indicate an increased risk for neurologic disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), diabetic neuropathy, and other types of neuropathy.
Certain classes of drugs are associated with an increased risk of syncope, including diuretics, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, nitrates, antipsychotics, antihistamines, levodopa, narcotics, and alcohol.
The immediate treatment for an individual who has fainted involves checking first to see if their airway is open and they are breathing. The person should remain lying down, on their side , for at least 10-15 minutesin n a quiet space. Avoid overcrowding around the person If this isn’t possible, have the person sit forward and lower their head below their shoulders and between their knees. Ice or cold water may help.
For individuals who have problems with chronic fainting spells, therapy should focus on recognizing the triggers and learning techniques to keep from fainting. At the appearance of warning signs such as lightheadedness, nausea, or cold and clammy skin, counter-pressure maneuvers that involve gripping fingers into a fist, tensing the arms, and crossing the legs or squeezing the thighs together can be used to ward off a fainting spell. If fainting spells occur often without a triggering event, syncope may be a sign of an underlying heart disease or neurological conditions which would require extensive tests.
Syncope is a dramatic event and can be life-threatening if not managed properly. Generally, however, people recover completely within minutes to hours.
If syncope is symptomatic of an underlying condition such as heart or brain, then the long term prognosis will reflect the course of that disease.
