Can vasovagal syncope lead to stroke?

My otherwise healthy, 47 year old husband is prone to fainting during midnight episodes of stomach upset, and only then. The problem is that because there are walls around 3 sides of the toilet seat in our master bathroom, he remains sitting upright on the toilet after he loses consciousness instead of falling on the floor.

Does remaining in a sitting position in this event delay his return to consciousness, and more importantly - does it put him at risk for a stroke due to the reduced blood flow to the brain during the syncopal event?

Thanks,

Worried Wife

[drrajgopal18]

Hi,
Vasovagal syncope is rarely life-threatening in itself, but is mostly associated with injuries from falling while having an episode.Stroke is caused by increase in blood pressure and not by decrease in blood pressure .So there are no chances of your husband getting a stroke due to syncope . Prolonged standing or upright sitting and standing up very quickly are the triggers for the attack .  Please take adequate measures to decrease the episodes of syncope .For some helpful measures , please visit the site - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasovagal_episode. Hope this helps you . Take care and regards !