Fainting

Balance Disorders: Vertigo, Migraines, Motion Sickness and More

Medical Author:

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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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 and will not have involuntary movement while unconscious. Fainting is caused by a temporary loss of the brain's blood supply and can be a sign of a more serious condition.

People of any age can faint, but elderly persons more often have a serious underlying cause.

Up to 35 % of the population has at least one episode of syncope during their lifetime.
Syncope accounts for 1%-3% of emergency department visits and 6% of hospital admissions.
The most common causes of syncope are vasovagal (about 20%, see below) and cardiac (10%) conditions. In up to 40 % of cases of syncope the cause is unknown.

Fainting Causes»

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Glossary

Fainting Topic Guide

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