
Fainting can be scary, but it’s often harmless. Known medically as syncope, fainting happens when there’s not enough blood flow to the brain, causing a brief loss of consciousness. But how do you know if it’s just a simple faint or something more serious? Dr. Elijah Behr, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, shares five key facts about fainting: what causes it, how to prevent it and when to see a doctor. Most fainting is harmless, but not always The most common type of fainting is vasovagal syncope, often triggered by emotional stress, pain, illness or dehydration. “In some people, if they have a drop in blood pressure from emotional distress, pain, illness or dehydration, for example, or just generally have a low blood pressure, any provocation causes a reflex in the heart,” Dr. Behr explained in a news release. “Rather than the heart speeding up and pumping more forcefully to maintain the blood pressure, it starts to slow down. The blood pressure drops, the heart rate slows further, and the heart can pause for many seconds; sometimes close to a minute for some people who have more severe fainting episodes.” While simple fainting usually resolves quickly, cardiac syncope — caused by an underlying heart problem — can be more serious. “This is usually a more abrupt loss and return of consciousness than… read on > read on >