Edited by KateH, Anson S, Maluniu, Jhnri6 and 26 others
One minute you’re both walking through the park without a care, the next minute they're on the ground lying unconscious. You’re shocked and may be thinking “what happened”? First, it’s important to understand what causes fainting. Fainting is caused when the blood supply to the brain is temporarily inadequate. The cause may be any number of things ranging from dehydration to a serious heart condition. But more importantly, what do you do next?
Method 1 of 2: Dealing With Another Person Fainting
1If the person is collapsing, try to catch them and help them to the ground. When people faint, they are unable to protect themselves with their hands when they fall. Preventing them from hitting the ground will protect them from a head injury.Ad
2Assess the victim. Check their airway, breathing and circulation. If necessary start rescue breathing and CPR before calling EMS. If the victim has a pulse and is breathing, continue to help by elevating their legs. This will increase circulation to the brain.
3Try to arouse the victim by tapping on the shoulder and asking,“can you hear me?”, “are you alright?”. If the victim doesn’t regain consciousness in five minutes, has symptoms of a headache, seizure, numbness or tingling, chest pain, trouble breathing, or is drifting in and out of consciousness, EMS should be called. These are all possible signs of a life threatening emergency.
4Try and think of any preexisting conditions. Preexisting medical conditions often cause fainting such as hypoglycemia, severe allergies, asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart abnormalities, asovagal syncope or epilepsy. If this is the case, EMS should be called immediately.
5Stay calm and reassure the victim. Staying composed and in control of the situation can make all the difference. The last thing the victim needs right now, is someone that is freaking out.
6Give the person room to breath, and fan the victim with fresh air. If fainting happens in a public place, crowds often gather around to see what happened. Tell them to back up unless they are actually helping the situation.
7Give the person water and/or food once they are conscious and stable to help revive them. Dehydration and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) are common causes of fainting.
8Don’t let the person get up too quickly. Once they have regained consciousness, they may try to brush it off by standing and trying to walk too soon after the incident. This often leads to another fall, so keep them off their feet until they are fully recovered. If they need to get somewhere (i.e. out of the heat), carry them to prevent further injury.
Method 2 of 2: Dealing With Your Own Fainting
1Learn to recognize the signs of an oncoming fainting spell. One of the best things you can do if you are prone to fainting is to learn to recognize the signs. If you can tell in advance that you are about to faint, you can take the proper safety precautions and potentially avoid a serious injury. Signs that you may be about to faint include:
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Seeing white or black spots or experiencing blurry or tunnel vision
- Feeling very hot or sweaty
- Having an upset stomach
2Try to stay safe while you faint. If you have recognized the fact that you are about to faint, it's important that you remove yourself from any potential dangers and take some steps to minimize the severity of the faint.
- Increase blood flow to your brain: The best thing you can do is just to lie down with your feet higher than your head -- this increases blood flow to the head. If you can't lie down, sit down and place your head between your legs instead.
- Breathe deeply: Breathe deeply, in through your nose and out through your mouth. This can increase the flow of oxygenated blood to your head. Breathing deeply can also have a calming effect if the fainting spell is brought on by stress or anxiety.
- Call for help: Calling for help is a good idea as it alerts other people to your situation. Another person can then catch you if you fall, place you in the recovery position and call a doctor if necessary.
3Take some preventative steps to avoid fainting. In some cases, it is possible to prevent a potential fainting spell by taking the proper precautions and avoiding any possible triggers. Some preventative steps include:
- Stay hydrated and eat regularly: It is essential to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and other fluids, especially on hot days. Eating regular, healthy meals can also to help feelings of dizziness and weakness associated with hunger.
- Avoid stressful situations: For some people, fainting is brought on by stressful, upsetting or anxiety-producing situations -- therefore it is important to stay calm by avoiding these kinds of situations as much as possible.
- Stay away from drugs, alcohol and cigarettes: These items are full of toxins that are generally unhealthy and can induce fainting in some people.
- Change position slowly: Fainting is sometimes caused by sudden movement, such as standing up too quickly after sitting or lying down. Try to stand up slowly, and hold onto something stable for balance, if possible.
4See a doctor if the problem continues. If you find yourself fainting on even a semi-regular basis, it's important to contact your doctor, as the fainting may be a symptom of a more serious underlying issue, such as heart problems or orthostatic hypotension.
- You should also contact the doctor if you hit your head while fainting, are pregnant, suffer from diabetes, a heart condition or another underlying issue, or if you experience accompanying symptoms like chest pain, confusion or shortness of breath.
|This video shows what to do when someone has fainted.|
- If a person feels dizzy or light headed, have them sit or lay down immediately -- it may not prevent fainting, but it greatly reduces chance of injury!
- If you see some one pass out, keep track of how long they are unconscious, they will need this for the medical files!
- Do not put any food or drink into an unconscious person’s mouth. This may cause choking.
- If you come across someone who is unconscious, assess the surroundings to secure the area before you approach them. The person may be down because of trauma from fumes, fallen power lines, or a traffic collision. The last thing you need in a situation like that is a second victim.
- Do not move the victim if a spinal injury is suspected.
- If possible, give the victim water or a salty snack
- Press the vein below ears, to make a person conscious.
Sources and Citations
Categories: Injury and Accidents
Recent edits by: Souphead, Mechanicone1907, Adelaide
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