Wilderness: Fainting

• Fainting Overview
• Fainting Symptoms
• Fainting Treatment
• When to Seek Medical Care
• For More Information
• Web Links
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Fainting Overview

Fainting occurs because blood flow to the brain may temporarily be inadequate. Poor blood flow can occur with many conditions including common fainting (vasovagal episode, ie, relating to action of a nerve on blood vessels), dehydration, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), heart attack, stroke, seizure, low blood sugar, and other more rare conditions.

Common fainting can be a response to a stimulus such as drawing blood or getting up too quickly. Typically, fainting progresses from lightheadedness to graying of vision, then the person who is fainting slowly drops to the ground with minimal injury.

Sudden onset of a complete loss of consciousness, prolonged jerking movements during the event, chest pain or palpitations, headache, or significant injury from fainting (cuts or lacerations to chin or head) signify the possibility of other more serious causes.