Fainting

by Maria Diaz, MD FAAP

Fainting, also called syncope, is a temporary loss of consciousness. It is common among healthy adolescents but should not be ignored. It usually creates a lot of anxiety among patients and parents because of the fear that people with syncope are at risk for sudden death.

The most common cause of fainting in adolescents is dehydration. If the body doesn’t get enough fluid intake, the blood pressure can drop, which can cause inadequate blood flow to the brain. Fear, pain, low sugar levels, crowded or hot rooms, hot showers, the sight of blood, and standing for a very long time or getting up too quickly after sitting or lying down can also cause fainting.

In many cases, pediatricians will recommend to drink more fluids, increase salt intake, and avoid skipping meals. Also, move around and take frequent breaks when sitting or standing for long periods of time.

There are also serious medical conditions that can cause syncope. They include heart defects or heart problems, anemia, and blood clots.

Usually before fainting, the person experiences dizziness, lightheadedness, muffled hearing, visual changes like blacking out, sweating, or unsteady balance.

Some of the red flags that should lead to further investigation include:

• Syncope that occurs with exercise
• Syncope that occurs without warning signs (no dizziness, muffled hearing or visual changes)
• Syncope that results in serious injury
• A family history of sudden unexplained death, cardiomyopathy or congenital heart disease

Take your child to the emergency room or call 911 if he or she is having trouble speaking, seeing, moving, has chest pain, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, or if he or she is having a seizure or was physically active when it happened.

Always contact your child’s doctor about any fainting episodes.