Help me Help My Dad

[dutchgirl532]

            A few years ago my Opa (grampa) had a sudden stroke.  During that time my dad stayed with him during his final days.  During this time my dad had his first blackout.  He was at my Opa's house with his brothers, they were reminissing and he stood up blacked out and fell into a table.
           A year and approx. a month later (Christmas time) my dad was in the garage.  He again blacked out and fell down and cut his chin and eyebrow.  After this time he started going to the doctor to get tests done.  He did a list of tests including a tilt test but nothing was figured out.  The only conclusion the doctor's came to was that he has Sleep Apnea.  My dad is on machines now but it is still not stopping all of his fatigue or irregular heart palputations.  He has on more then one account said he could feel his heart beating from inside his chest.
          Then this past summer he was accross the street from our house talking to a neighbor with my mom and his other friend and he blacked out again.  This time my mom saw how he fell and she discribed it as a slow motion fall.  He did not go head first but he wabbled and slowly went to his knees and then fell forward.  
          Every time my dad seems to blackout he wakes up and has no recollection of what has happened to him.  For example the last time he blacked out which was on Christmas day, my mom was sleeping upstairs and no one else was in the house, my dad hurt his eye.  The first thing he told my mom was he rubbed his eye and hurt it.  But as the night progressed the bruises on his neck and face started to appear and it was evident that my dad rubbing his eye could not have caused all this.  He later on confessed he really wasn't sure what happened but we know he blacked out again.
           As you can see this is very concerning for my dad and the rest of my family because not only are the blackouts scary but the fact that they happen when he is usually alone is very worrysome.  Other info about my dad that might be relavent to helping find out what it going on with him would be that he is 49 and he is a bit overweight but not by too much.

[kenkeith]

There are many causes for fainting and if heart related the underlying cause can be heart rhythm abnormalityand that condition impairs the heart to pump adequately and reduces blood flow. If your father's fainting is captured with an EKG, that may be helpful to evaluate a heart rhythm disorder.  If you father has had an EKG and there was no episode, the test may not have been of much benefit.  Sometimes having a 24 hour EKG can be helpful, and that would include being connected with a holter.

Low blood pressure, other causes can be vasovagal (abnormal constriction of a vessel with nerve implication), allergy, etc.  Dehydration (kidney implications), thyroid disorder can cause irregular heartbeats, infection can cause low blood pressure
Far more serious is hypovolemic shock, a life-threatening complication of dehydration. It occurs when low blood volume causes a sudden drop in blood pressure and a reduction in the amount of oxygen reaching your tissues. If untreated, severe hypovolemic shock can cause death within a few minutes or hours.

■Blood loss. Losing a lot of blood from a major injury or internal bleeding reduces the amount of blood in your body, leading to a severe drop in blood pressure.
■Severe infection (septicemia). Septicemia can happen when an infection in the body enters the bloodstream. These conditions can lead to a life-threatening drop in blood pressure called septic shock.
■Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Common triggers of anaphylaxis include foods, certain medications, insect venoms and latex. Anaphylaxis can cause breathing problems, hives, itching, a swollen throat and a drop in blood pressure.
■Lack of nutrients in your diet. A lack of the vitamins B-12 and folate can cause anemia, a condition in which your body doesn't produce enough red blood cells, causing low blood pressure.


Vasovagal syncope

•Before fainting, you may feel light-headed and shaky and experience blurred vision.
•You may "see spots in front of your eyes."
•During this time, observers note paleness, dilated pupils, and sweating.
•While unconscious, you may have low pulse rate (less than 60 beats/minute).
•You should quickly regain consciousness.
Situational syncope

•Consciousness returns when the situation is over, usually very quickly.
Postural syncope

•You may have noted a blood loss (black stools, heavy menstrual periods) or fluid loss (vomiting, diarrhea, fever).
•You may have experienced light-headedness when sitting or standing.
•Observers may note paleness, sweating, or signs of dehydration (dry lips and tongue).
Cardiac syncope

•You may report palpitations (awareness of pounding, fast, or abnormal heartbeat), chest pain, or shortness of breath.
•Observers may note a weak, abnormal pulse, paleness, or sweating.
•Syncope often occurs without warning or following exertion.
Neurologic syncope

•You may have headache, loss of balance, slurred speech, double vision, or vertigo (a feeling that the room is spinning).
•Observers note a strong pulse during the unconscious period and normal skin