Fainting
- Fainting Overview
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Fainting Overview
Fainting, which medical professionals call syncope (pronounced SIN-ko-pea), is a temporary loss of consciousness. Unlike a seizure, the person who faints usually regains alertness soon after regaining consciousness. Fainting is caused by a temporary loss of the brain’s blood supply. Fainting can sometimes be a sign of a more serious condition.
People of any age can faint, but elderly persons more often have a serious underlying cause.
- Three percent of adults aged 30-62 years have an episode of syncope, but 6% of those older than 75 years faint.
- Syncope accounts for 1-3% of emergency department visits and 1-6% of hospital admissions.
- The biggest risk is in people with heart disease, especially those with congestive heart failure or coronary heart disease.
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Fainting
Seizures in Children Overview
A seizure occurs when the brain functions abnormally, resulting in a change in movement, attention, or level of awareness. Different types of seizures may occur in different parts of the brain and may be localized (affect only a part of the body) or widespread (affect the whole body). Seizures may occur for many reasons, especially in children. Seizures in newborns may be very different than seizures in toddlers, school-aged children, and adolescents. Seizures, especially in a child who has never had one, can be frightening to the parent or caregiver.
- Around 3% of all children have a seizure when younger
than 15 years, half of which are febrile seizures (seizure brought on by a fever). One of every
100 children has epilepsy-recurring seizures.
- A febrile seizure occurs when a child contracts an illness such as an ear infection, cold, or chickenpox accompanied by fever. Febrile seizures are the m...
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Syncope and Related Paroxysmal Spells »
Syncope is a term used to describe the loss of consciousness from temporary disruption of cerebral oxygenation.
