What causes loss of consciousness?
Table of Contents
What causes loss of consciousness?
Fainting, or passing out, is usually caused by a drop in blood pressure, which reduces blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Most fainting spells are nothing to worry about. But talk to a healthcare provider if you lose consciousness repeatedly or have any other symptoms.
What does loss of consciousness feel like?
Some warning signs indicate that a person might be about to experience a loss of consciousness. These include a sudden inability to respond to external stimuli, slurring speech, rapid heartbeat, dizziness or lightheadedness, and confusion.
What is temporary loss of consciousness?
Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness that happens when the brain does not receive enough oxygen. It comes on suddenly, only lasts for a short time and you recover fully within a short time. It is also often called a blackout. The medical term is syncope.
What is the cause of sudden blackout?
Most unexplained blackouts are caused by syncope Many people, including doctors, assume that blackouts are due to epileptic seizures, but much more commonly they are due to syncope (pronounced sin-co-pee) – a type of blackout which is caused by a problem in the regulation of blood pressure or sometimes with the heart.
What happens to your body when you lose consciousness?
Fainting (also called syncope) occurs when your brain isn’t getting enough oxygen or nutrients. It could be due to an overreaction of the parasympathetic nervous system. This system in the body normally calms the body down by reducing blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.
How do I know if I have loss of consciousness?
Symptoms of Loss of Consciousness
- Dizziness.
- Feeling of heat or a hot flush.
- Blurred vision.
- Cold sweats.
- Heaviness in the legs and difficulty in moving the body and even to speak.
- Confusion, bewilderment.
- Nausea, and sometimes vomiting, can accompany the symptoms.
What causes a sudden blackout?
What causes sudden loss of awareness?
Syncope is caused by a temporary reduction in blood flow to the brain. This temporary reduction in the blood supply in the brain can be caused by heart diseases and, more commonly, due to other conditions that do not directly involve the heart.
Can you drive if you have had one seizure?
Seizures are unpredictable, and even a small one at the wrong time can lead to an injury or death. The best solution, if possible, is to get them under control. In most states, you must be seizure-free for anywhere from 6 months to a year before you’ll be allowed to drive.
Can you drive if you have had a seizure?
If you drive, one immediate effect of having a seizure is that you have to stop driving. This is true for all types of seizures, and whether you have a diagnosis of epilepsy or not. For many people, this can have a big impact on their life and it may be very difficult or upsetting.
What medical conditions cause blackouts?
Serious or life-threatening causes of blackouts
- Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats)
- Cardiomyopathy (weakened or abnormal heart muscle and function)
- Epilepsy.
- Heart valve diseases and disorders.
- Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- Seizures.
- Severe infection.
- Stroke.
Are blackouts serious?
Having even one blackout can be dangerous. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism , alcohol delays signals in the brain that control the gag reflex and other autonomic responses.
What causes a person to blackout for a few seconds?
What can cause blackouts?
What causes a blackout?
- epileptic seizures.
- fainting.
- low blood pressure.
- psychogenic seizures.
- low blood sugar.
- certain medications.
- oxygen restriction.
