Fainting linked to heart, not brain

Passing out in most of the cases is related to heart rhythm disorder instead of any brain dysfunctioning.

According to Dr Vanita Arora, associate director and head, cardiac electrophysiology lab and arrhythmia, Max Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, fainting followed by blurring of vision, black out, light-headedness, feeling of nausea, dizziness should not be passed off as just a mere normal occurrence as all this may be a warning sign of a serious heart ailment.

Dizziness is normal after strenuous work but fainting coupled with these signs is abnormal and warrant some seriousness if you are ignoring it.

Fainting or syncope, as known in medical terms, is loss of consciousness. A person who has fainting spells returns to full consciousness, but has no inkling of having lost it in the first place.

The bout of fainting happens when the blood supply to the brain is hampered. The interruption in oxygen supply to brain happens due to low blood pressure, the result of which is less availability of blood to the brain as the heart is unable to pump blood.

There could be many reasons for fainting or passing out. Anemia, low blood sugar, metabolic disorders, improper blood circulation are some of the reasons behind fainting spells. While fainting as such is not a cause to press the panic button, falling after passing out can cause severe injuries, especially to the head which is a very sensitive area.

While some fainting spells do not pose major risk to the body, most of the cases are related to a heart problem, says Dr Arora. If fainting is caused by irregular heart rhythms -- arrhythmia, then it should not be ignored and medical advise must be sought at the earliest.

Fainting is serious if:

• It takes place while exercising, driving or during a rigorous activity
• There is a numbness in the body
• There is shortness of breath
• There is a chest pain
• It happens for a short span
• If there is tingling in one part of the body

Triggers for fainting:

• Suddenly standing up or standing up for a long time
• Emotional turmoil
• Incessant coughing
• Non-prescribed medication
• Loss of body fluid
• Fear or sudden scare

Dr Arora says arrhythmia is the major cause of fainting or syncope. There are two major conditions associated with arrhythmia – bradycardia and tachycardia. When hearbeat is too fast, it is bradycardia; while it is known as tachycardia when the situation is just the contrary.

During tachycardia, the heart beats too fast giving considerably less time to the heart to fill blood after each heat beat. This blocks adequate supply of blood to different parts of the body. In bradycardia, the heart rate is too slow to pump enough blood to the body parts. As in both the conditions, the supply to brain is interrupted, the outcome is fainting.

Precautions to be taken:

• Do not stand for a long time. Keep moving
• If you have been sitting, then get up slowly
• After a fainting spell, relax for a while
• Immediately sit if you have blurred vision
• Look for a safer place to sit
• During dehydration, increase intake of fluids

If fainting is related to heart rhythm irregularity, doctors can gauge the same through regular monitoring and suggest a treatment plan which could involve implantation of devices like pacemakers or defibrillators.