Fainting happens when you lose consciousness for a short period of time because your brain is not getting enough oxygen. The medical term for fainting is syncope, but it is more commonly known as “passing out”. A fainting spell generally lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Feeling light-headed, dizzy, weak, or nauseous sometimes happens before you faint. Some people become aware that noises are fading away, or they describe the sensation as “blacking out” or “whiting out”. A full recovery usually takes a few minutes. If there is no underlying medical condition causing you to faint, you may not need any treatment.
Fainting can be triggered by a number of factors including, severe or other emotional trauma, severe pain ,sudden drop in blood pressure, low blood sugar due to diabetes, hyperventilation, dehydration, standing in one position for long, standing up too quickly, physical exertion in hot temperatures, coughing too hard, straining during a bowel movement, consuming drugs or alcohol and seizures.
Medications that cause your blood pressure to drop can also increase your chance of fainting. These include certain medications used to treat high blood high blood pressure, allergies, depression and anxiety.
There are also different types of fainting: Vasovagal syncope, this involves the vagus nerve.it can be triggered by emotional, trauma, stress, the sight of blood, or standing for a long period of time.
Carotid sinus syncope, this type happens when the carotid artery in the neck is constricted, usually after turning your head to one side or wearing a collar that is too tight. Situational syncope, this type occurs due to straining while coughing, urinating, moving your bowels, or having gastrointestinal problems.