The Best ways to Deal with Fainting Spells
Fainting spell
Handling fainting spell condition
In this piece, we shall take a look at a very important topic, which is how to go about dealing with a fainting spell. By the time you are done reading this article, you would have been furnished with some useful tips on how to deal with fainting spell.
Now, before we talk about how to deal with fainting spells properly, let us take a moment to find out what fainting really is.
What is fainting?
Fainting or Syncope, as it is referred to by scientists, is an act of collapsing as a result of a drop in the blood flow to the brain. Fainting spell is caused by a number of medical conditions including; heart or nervous system tissues, low blood sugar, exhaustion and anemia. But it is equally possible for a hitherto healthy person to experience a fainting spell. Research has shown that fainting spells account for nearly 6% of emergency room visits.
Warning signs you are about to faint
Fainting spells usually happen when you are in a standing position. Some of the most common warning signs that you are about fainting include the following:
- Sudden sweat nausea.
- Dizziness
- Fast and deep breathing
- Confusion
- Lightheadedness.
- Blurred vision or seeing white or black spots in front of your eyes
- Ringing in your ears. These are the most common things that happen to an individual right before he or she faints.
How to deal with fainting spell
After recognizing the warning signs, you would have to take steps to deal with the spell should it eventually occur. The following tips will help you to deal with the spell:
- As stated earlier, fainting spells most often occur when one is standing. If you therefore find yourself standing and then you suddenly begin to feel dizzy or lightheaded, the best thing to do is to find a safe place to sit down and place your head between your knees for between 10 to 20 minutes. Assuming this position will help restore blood flow to the brain, hence, prevent a fainting spell. If you feel that your environment is safe enough to lie down, then you can also lie down on your back. This will also allow blood to flow back to the brain and reduce the likelihood of you going unconscious.
- Prepare yourself for losing consciousness if you start to experience the signs of fainting. You can prepare your surrounding for a possible fainting. This is vital in ensuring that you are in a safe, sound and secured place. You can also start telling people near you what is happening to you and ask for assistance, try lying down, or try bracing yourself against a wall to prepare for what is to happen next. If you happen to find yourself on a staircase or other unsafe surroundings, sit down and hold on to a railing immediately so that in the event that you faint, you do not injure yourself.
- Breathing deeply through your nose and exhaling through your mouth can result in a calming effect, especially when you are dealing with anxiety, stress or hyperventilation. Breathing can help you deal with the fainting spell within a few seconds.
- You should also hydrate yourself with water. Fainting spells can also be dealt with through hydration. Drinking more water and fluid-food sources like watermelon, milk and soups are very good and can help you to deal with the fainting spell.
According to health experts, the above are some of the most useful tips that you can practice to deal with a fainting spell. If you frequently experience fainting, then it is imperative that you take note of the points above and memorize them so that you know what to do when that dreadful moment starts to occur.