Fainting

• Fainting Overview
• Fainting Causes
• Fainting Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Fainting Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Multimedia
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

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.