Faints

What is a faint?

A faint happens when blood flow to the brain is reduced. This can be for a few reasons and causes the brain to temporarily ‘shut down’. This in turn makes the body faint or collapse.

Before someone faints they may complain of feeling unwell, become pale, sweaty or clammy and then lose consciousness or fall to the ground.

They may appear very still but be breathing and have a pulse and some people have some muscle twitches. They will usually be back to normal within a few minutes.

What are the warning signs of a faint?

There are often warning signs that someone is going to faint. They include:

• feeling dizzy
• a ringing or buzzing noise in the ears
• vision going cloudy or fading
• feeling hot
• feeling clammy
• feeling sick or being sick
• heart palpitations
• headache
• looking pale

This may be followed by a collapse to the floor (faint) unless action is taken.

What causes a faint?

There are lots of things that can trigger a faint, many of which are harmless. These include:

• stress
• hot environments
• not drinking enough and becoming dehydrated
• standing up quickly from lying or standing
• or standing for a long period of time

Some heart conditions can also cause faints.

Some people can faint at the sight of something unpleasant, for example blood or needles.

What tests are needed for a faint?

Usually there is a simple cause for a faint and tests may not be needed. Some simple tests including blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels, heart tracing (ECG) and sometimes a blood sugar may be done.

Will it happen again and what can I do to prevent it?

Some people are more prone to fainting than others, so it may happen again. However, there are some simple things you can do to prevent a faint.

If possible avoid triggers, for example:

• staying hydrated especially when the weather is warm
• standing up slowly from sitting or lying
• avoiding stressful or unpleasant things such as the sight of blood

If you think you or someone else is about to faint, sit down, either on the floor or a chair, and put your head between your legs. This will help the blood flow to the brain and reduce the risk of collapse and injury.

What worrying symptoms should I look out for?

There are some features of a faint that suggest a more worrying cause. These include:

• if there are no warnings before the faint
• if the faint happens when sitting or laying down
• if the faint occurs during exertion or exercise
• if there is also chest pain

If this is the case for your child please seek further advice.