Orthostatic hypotension — also called postural hypotension — is a form of low blood pressure that happens when standing after sitting or lying down. Orthostatic hypotension can cause dizziness or lightheadedness and possibly fainting.
There are many different causes of blackout – it might be an effect of drugs or alcohol, a problem with circulation, or a problem within the brain, such as epilepsy. It may not be serious, but it is important to see your doctor and try to establish the underlying cause.
You'll be glad to know that most often, it's benign. Postural hypotension typically happens when you've been seated or horizontal long enough for blood to pool in your legs. When you stand up, it takes your body a few seconds to adjust to the change in position and send enough blood and oxygen to your brain.
Before fainting, it's common to experience some of the following: dizziness. lightheadedness. sweating.
Most fainting will pass quickly and won't be serious. Usually, a fainting episode will only last a few seconds, although it will make the person feel unwell and recovery may take several minutes. If a person doesn't recover quickly, always seek urgent medical attention.
Syncope (pronounced “sin-ko-pea”) is the medical term for fainting or passing out. It happens when you have a sudden, temporary drop in the amount of blood that flows to your brain.
In an otherwise healthy person, fainting may not be cause for alarm. But in rare cases, it can be a sign of a serious underlying health condition. Syncope is usually caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure or heart rate that causes decreased blood flow to the brain.
Most often, there is a warning prodrome, consisting of nausea, sweating, pallor, feeling of warmth, tingling of extremities, “graying out” and/or tunnel vision. This prodrome usually affords the patient a warning, allowing time to brace for a fall, thereby preventing serious injury.
This causes blood pressure to drop, so less blood flows to the brain and fainting (syncope) or near-fainting (pre-syncope) occurs. Reflex syncope is the most frequent cause of fainting. Vasovagal syncope — the common faint — occurs in one third of the population. It is by far the most common form of reflex syncope.
When we get out of bed or stand up, the blood vessels in our body need to clamp down rapidly to maintain blood pressure going to the brain. If we stand too quickly, blood pressure can drop and cause dizziness, lightheadedness or fuzzy vision.
This is called orthostatic hypotension, and it occurs when blood pressure drops suddenly after you stand or change posture. Orthostatic hypotension is part of a category of temporary loss of vision called transient obscurations of vision (TOV), which only last for several seconds.
Psychogenic Blackouts: Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are the most common causes of psychogenic blackouts. This can be due to chronic stresses, such as being foreclosed on or having someone close to you pass away. Psychogenic blackouts are, however, more commonly associated with a single stressful event.
Associated Data. A blackout, or transient loss of consciousness (T‐LOC) occurs because there is: a disorder of the circulation—syncope; a disorder of the brain—epilepsy (or other rare neurological condition); a disorder of the psyche—psychogenic seizures.
' If you have fainted, you should see a physician or visit an emergency room right away to identify the cause of your fainting and to ensure you do not have a serious underlying condition. Generally, fainting indicates a drop in blood pressure resulting in too little blood (and, hence, oxygen) reaching your brain.
Although the act of syncope can be terrifying, it is usually harmless and most likely does not signify a serious disease or a life threatening problem. For most people, syncope occurs once or twice in a lifetime; for others, various medical conditions may lead to numerous fainting spells throughout their life.
Excessive alcohol use, stress, medication, and epilepsy can all cause blackouts. While blackouts are a frightening experience, treatment can allow people to lead a normal life without the fear of falling unconscious or losing their memory.
Some jerky movements may occur, especially if the person is still sitting or slouched with their head higher than their body. When coming round after a faint, the person often feels awful, sickly and may vomit, or even have diarrhoea. Often there is prolonged fatigue after a faint.
Fainting becomes a more serious concern when it happens to people who have a prior history of a heart attack, people who have had heart surgery, or those who have heart disease or an irregular heart rhythm. In those situations, fainting could be a sign of a heart problem requiring treatment.
Syncope can be classified into four categories: reflex mediated, cardiac, orthostatic, and cerebrovascular.
Syncope is a symptom that can be due to several causes. Many non-life-threatening factors, such as overheating, dehydration, heavy sweating, exhaustion or the pooling of blood in the legs due to sudden changes in body position, can trigger syncope.
It is the stage that occurs just before losing consciousness. Someone with presyncope may feel the effects for seconds or minutes . Some people believe that presyncope is less serious than syncope, but this is not necessarily the case. Some causes of presyncope are relatively mild, while others can be life threatening.
It most often occurs when blood pressure is too low (a condition called hypotension) and the heart doesn't pump enough oxygen to the brain. It can be harmless or a symptom of an underlying medical condition.