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Summary
Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness. If you're about to faint, you'll feel dizzy, lightheaded, or nauseous. Your field of vision may "white out" or "black out." Your skin may be cold and clammy. You lose muscle control at the same time, and may fall down.
Fainting usually happens when your blood pressure drops suddenly, causing a decrease in blood flow to your brain. It is more common in older people. Some causes of fainting include:
- Heat or dehydration
- Emotional distress
- Standing up too quickly
- Certain medicines
- Drop in blood sugar
- Heart problems
When someone faints, make sure that the airway is clear and check for breathing. The person should stay lying down for 10-15 minutes. Most people recover completely. Fainting is usually nothing to worry about, but it can sometimes be a sign of a serious problem. If you faint, it's important to see your health care provider and find out why it happened.
Symptoms
- Vasovagal Syncope (Symptoms and Causes) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Diagnosis and Tests
- Tilt Table Test (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Vasovagal Syncope (Diagnosis and Treatment) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Treatments and Therapies
- Fainting: First Aid (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Fainting and Vaccines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Syncope (Fainting) (Heart Rhythm Society)
Specifics
- Fainting during Urination (Micturition Syncope): What Causes It? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Syncope
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Syncope, Vasovagal
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Detection rate by time period and predictors of serious arrhythmias in...
- Article: A physician-pharmacist partnership intervention for deprescribing (P3iD) among older adults attending...
- Article: Prevalence of Sleep Apnea in Patients with Syncope of Unclear Cause:...
- Fainting -- see more articles
Find an Expert
Children
- What to Do About Fainting (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Dizziness and Fainting in Children and Teens (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Fainting (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Older Adults
- Fainting (Syncope) (AGS Health in Aging Foundation)
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.