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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Black out / Fainting
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Black out / Fainting
by brian, Aug 18, 1999 12:00AM
Hi, I've read some of the other responses to fainting related questions, but I’d still like to ask about my friend.
She is 17 years old. We were kneeling down during church, and she leaned back onto the pew and didn’t look well. I asked her if she was alright, and she shook her head. Then she started to pass out, so I caught her and then she completely passed out. Just before she passed out, she said that she couldn’t see. When she regained consciousness, she still couldn’t see, but then it came back to her. Later when I asked her about it, she said that at first she felt very warm, and then nauseous. When she started to black out, it started to get dark from the outer part of her vision and then it moved inwards, and also that I sounded very far away when I was talking as it happened. She was also shaking afterwards, but that is probably because she was scared.
She has never blacked out before, but she has told me that she thinks that she has low blood pressure, and has had the problem where when she gets up, things go blurry and she looses her balance. But that hasn’t happened in a while, and in this case, we hadn’t been moving in a while, and were kneeling down. She doesn’t have any problems with her eating habits, hasn’t been under any stress recently or doing any strenuous activities and it wasn’t really a hot day. She had a summer job for parks and recreation taking care of kids that ended the day before, but it had been raining that day, so she did not spend the day out in the sun. She wasn’t tired or anything, and this was around 5:30 in the afternoon. (And she is not pregnant. I added this, because her mother said that she, herself had blacked out a few times while she was pregnant.)
She also claims that it may have been caused by the nail polish that she had put on, but I do
She is 17 years old. We were kneeling down during church, and she leaned back onto the pew and didn’t look well. I asked her if she was alright, and she shook her head. Then she started to pass out, so I caught her and then she completely passed out. Just before she passed out, she said that she couldn’t see. When she regained consciousness, she still couldn’t see, but then it came back to her. Later when I asked her about it, she said that at first she felt very warm, and then nauseous. When she started to black out, it started to get dark from the outer part of her vision and then it moved inwards, and also that I sounded very far away when I was talking as it happened. She was also shaking afterwards, but that is probably because she was scared.
She has never blacked out before, but she has told me that she thinks that she has low blood pressure, and has had the problem where when she gets up, things go blurry and she looses her balance. But that hasn’t happened in a while, and in this case, we hadn’t been moving in a while, and were kneeling down. She doesn’t have any problems with her eating habits, hasn’t been under any stress recently or doing any strenuous activities and it wasn’t really a hot day. She had a summer job for parks and recreation taking care of kids that ended the day before, but it had been raining that day, so she did not spend the day out in the sun. She wasn’t tired or anything, and this was around 5:30 in the afternoon. (And she is not pregnant. I added this, because her mother said that she, herself had blacked out a few times while she was pregnant.)
She also claims that it may have been caused by the nail polish that she had put on, but I do
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB, Aug 18, 1999 12:00AM
Dear Brian
The exact cause of fainting can be difficult, sometimes impossible, to figure out. It sounds like what is called vasovagal syncope; this often occurs in church, on a hot day, after lots of standing. Even though this does not appear to be the exact set of circumstances of your friend, it is still the most likely diagnosis. Other possibilities include heart conditions, such as an arrhythmia or causes such as seizures. If it happens again she should get a detailed medical evaluation. It might be a good idea to get a general check-up now anyway. If her blood pressure is really low, there are treatments for that also.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
The exact cause of fainting can be difficult, sometimes impossible, to figure out. It sounds like what is called vasovagal syncope; this often occurs in church, on a hot day, after lots of standing. Even though this does not appear to be the exact set of circumstances of your friend, it is still the most likely diagnosis. Other possibilities include heart conditions, such as an arrhythmia or causes such as seizures. If it happens again she should get a detailed medical evaluation. It might be a good idea to get a general check-up now anyway. If her blood pressure is really low, there are treatments for that also.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
