Causes of fainting in children and adults, first aid
Fainting is a short-term loss of consciousness that lasts from 5 seconds to 10 minutes. Prolonged unconsciousness is dangerous for a person and requires resuscitation measures by qualified specialists. But providing first aid in case of fainting is within the power of people without medical education.
Causes of fainting
By itself, short-term unconsciousness is not dangerous for a person's life. But it can signal her critical condition. Among these:
- myocardial infarction;
- stroke;
- local disturbance of cerebral circulation;
- trauma of the skull (up to a fracture of its vault or base);
- complete heart block;
- a significant decrease in blood sugar against the background of diabetes.
The causes of fainting in children and adults can also be less critical:
- heat or sun stroke;
- staying in one position for a long time - for example, following the command "slender";
- a sudden sharp drop in blood pressure;
- constant starvation;
- acute, severe sudden pain;
- hyperthermia (increased body temperature).
Do not be surprised if a pregnant woman faints - such cases occur often, even if the pregnant woman is completely healthy. If the fainting is caused by the reorganization of the body and sharp jumps in blood pressure, the pregnant woman still needs constant monitoring by doctors.
Short-term loss of consciousness in a teenager can be triggered by stress, emotional breakdown, menstruation. In such cases, consultation with a gynecologist, endocrinologist, and neurologist is required, and the help of a psychotherapist may be needed.
Signs of loss of consciousness
There are three groups of signs of loss of consciousness:
- Before fainting - harbingers of loss of consciousness. These include a loud noise that builds up and ringing in the ears, sudden weakness ("bend knees"), a feeling of numbness in the upper and lower extremities. The condition before fainting lasts literally 10-20 seconds.
- Fainting itself - consciousness is absent, breathing becomes weak and shallow, pupils dilate, convulsions may appear.
- Condition after fainting. The victim feels very weak, and if he suddenly stands up, fainting may happen again. Shortness of breath, throbbing headache, tremor of the upper limbs are noted.
How to help the victim
The rules for providing assistance in case of fainting are as follows:
The following should be taken into account when providing assistance:
- If a person has fainted from hunger, under no circumstances should he be offered food in the usual doses. First, the victim should drink a glass of water with sugar dissolved in it or eat a few candies - this is done to normalize the level of glucose in the blood. Only after examination and recommendations of the doctor, the victim can eat food.
- If the child has fainted, it is necessary to give him first aid and call the doctors, without resorting to any other actions - the inept actions of people around can cause the child to lose consciousness again. Before the arrival of the medics, the child should be warmed up and given a glass of warm water with sugar to drink.
Any actions on the victims should be extremely careful, as soft tissue and bone damage, brain hemorrhage, and so on could occur.
What should not be done if a person is unconscious:
- rub the temples with alcohol;
- slap on the cheeks;
- plant and shake;
- self transport to the hospital.
Such warnings are caused by the fact that the true cause of fainting is not always known, and people can only harm the victim.
You can learn more about why people faint and how to help them at the same time on the pages of our site Dobrobut.com.
Related services:
Ambulance call 5288
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