These are often referred to as the ABCs of first aid. Decreased consciousness can affect your ability to remain awake, aware, and oriented. Learn about the symptoms of this potential medical emergency. Syncope is a loss of consciousness that happens due to a decrease in blood flow to your brain. It is more commonly known as fainting, and can happen….
A head injury is an injury to your brain, skull, or scalp. This can range from a mild bump or bruise to a traumatic brain injury. Common head injuries…. Learn more. The vagus nerve is the longest of the 12 cranial nerves. Here, learn about its anatomy, functions, and the kinds of health problems that can occur.
Muscle twitching refers to small muscle contractions in the body. Learn more about the causes and treatment here. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. First Aid for Unconsciousness. That's usually enough to restore adequate blood flow to the brain. If it is very hot, try to move to a cooler location. Loss of consciousness that lasts for more than a minute or two can be serious, however. Often it is a sign of a serious medical problem, such as seizure, serious blow to the head, concussion, heart attack, diabetic coma, epilepsy, or another condition.
It is important to treat someone who has fainted or lost consciousness with care to avoid injury. If someone remains unconscious for more than a minute, get help as quickly as possible. If you suspect that the cause is excessive heat, move the person to a cooler place. Lay the person on her back, elevating the legs eight to 12 inches. This will help blood flow to the brain. Wipe her forehead with a cool damp cloth.
Loosen any tight clothing, especially at the neck and waist. If she is alert, give her a sports drink such as Gatorade or a glass of water with a teaspoon of salt. Also, make sure there is plenty of fresh air, particularly if you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning.
Check the ABCs -- airway, breathing, and circulation. Gently tilt the victim's head back, lifting the chin. This will help air get through the nose and mouth. Put your ear to the person's mouth to make sure you can hear breathing. If the victim is not breathing, call and begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR immediately.
If the victim vomits, roll her onto her side to prevent her from choking. Fainting is also called syncope. It can be caused by triggers that include heat, standing for a long time, seeing blood, or a shock. It can also happen when you stand up quickly, especially if you are tired, dehydrated or have low blood pressure or low blood sugar. Very occasionally, people collapse without losing consciousness — their muscles just give way.
This can happen due to problems with generalised weakness and frailty, a problem with the heart or brain, a seizure or an issue affecting the inner ear. If someone collapses, follow these steps. After a collapse, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Your doctor or the hospital will run tests including blood sugar levels, blood tests , heart tests, a urine test to rule out an infection and x-rays , especially if you injured yourself when you collapsed.
You may need to have intravenous fluids, medicines or oxygen. Do not drive after you have collapsed. Make sure there is someone with you. If you are likely to faint, avoid triggers like standing up too quickly or getting dehydrated. When you change position or stand up after lying or sitting, do so slowly and carefully.
Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Syncope fainting or passing out is a sudden, temporary loss of consciousness. Find out more about the causes, diagnosis and treatment. Read more on myDr website. Fainting is a sudden, usually temporary loss of consciousness often caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain.
When a person is unconscious they are unable to respond. This can make it harder for the blood pressure to stabilize. Therefore, less blood and oxygen reaches the brain. Uncontrolled diabetes: A person with diabetes may need to urinate frequently, leading to dehydration. High blood sugar levels can damage certain nerves, especially those that regulate blood pressure. Some medications: Taking diuretics, beta-blockers , and antihypertensive drugs may cause orthostatic hypotension in some people.
Alcohol: Some people faint if they consume too much alcohol in a short amount of time. This may lead to orthostatic hypotension.
Carotid sinus syndrome: The carotid artery is the main artery that supplies blood to the brain. When there is pressure on the pressure sensors, or carotid sinus, in the carotid artery, it can cause fainting.
This may result in fainting. This is more common among older males. Apart from distinguishing episodes of fainting by their underlying cause, one of two different types of fainting might occur:. Losing consciousness is the primary symptom of fainting.
The following symptoms may occur leading up to a fainting episode:. If a person with an underlying health condition faints, they will require treatment. This will help prevent future fainting episodes.
Often, however, no further treatment is necessary. To help prevent further fainting episodes, people should try to avoid triggers, such as long periods of standing still, dehydration, and spending a lot of time in hot environments. If the sight or thought of injections or blood make a person feel faint, they should tell their doctor or nurse before undergoing a medical procedure that may involve this. The doctor or nurse can then make sure that the individual is in a safe position, such as lying down, before starting the procedure.
People mainly use beta-blockers to treat high blood pressure. However, some adverse effects of beta-blockers include fatigue , cold hands and feet, a slow heartbeat and pulse, nausea, and diarrhea.
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