Should people who feel faint sit with their heads between their knees? How can you tell whether someone who has fainted should go to a hospital accident and emergency department – or even see a cardiologist?
Dr Elijah Behr, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, explains five things to know about fainting.
Fainting or blacking out, also known as syncope, is a temporary loss of consciousness because of insufficient blood flow to the brain.
1. Different types of fainting
Vasovagal syncope is the medical term for the most benign kind of fainting, simple fainting without a serious underlying cause, Behr explains.
This type of fainting is common.
“In some people, if they have a drop in blood pressure from emotional distress, pain, illness or dehydration, for example, or just generally have low blood pressure, any provocation causes a reflex in the heart,” Behr says.
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