Losing Consciousness In A Dream? Best 191 Answer

What is syncope?

Syncope (SINK-a-pee) is another word for swooning or swooning. Someone is considered syncopated when they fall unconscious and go limp and then soon recover. Syncope occurs occasionally, if at all, in most people and is not a sign of a serious illness. For others, however, syncope may be the first and only warning sign of sudden cardiac death. Syncopation can also lead to serious injury. Talk to your doctor if syncope occurs more frequently.

Presyncope is the feeling that you are about to faint. Someone with presyncope may be light-headed (dizzy) or nauseated, have a visual “greying” or hearing problem, have a palpitations or feel faint, or be sweaty suddenly. When discussing syncope with your doctor, you should also consider presyncope episodes.

Loss of consciousness due to a seizure, heart attack, head injury, stroke, poisoning, hit to the head, diabetic hypoglycemia, or other emergency is not considered syncope.

Someone who faints should be encouraged to lie down to allow blood to flow to the brain. If they do not regain consciousness immediately, begin CPR.

What causes syncope?

Syncope occurs when there is insufficient blood flow to the brain. There are many possible causes, but the most common are:

Serious cardiovascular disease (cardiac syncope)

If fainting is common and not due to dehydration or sudden changes in posture, you may need to be evaluated for a serious heart or vascular condition. Cardiac syncope often occurs suddenly, without dizziness or other presyncope symptoms.

Common causes of cardiac syncope:

Arrhythmia and abnormal heart rhythms: During episodes of abnormal heart rhythms, the heart works inefficiently and cannot circulate enough oxygen-rich blood to the brain. There are many types of arrhythmias that can cause syncope. These include bradyarrhythmias (the heart beats too slowly) and tachyarrhythmias (the heart beats too fast).

Aortic dissection, a tear in the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. This is a very rare but life-threatening condition.

Aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the valve between the heart and aorta. Aortic stenosis can be congenital (present from birth) or develop in old age.

Reflex syncope (neural mediated syncope, vasovagal syncope, vasodepressor syncope, shared fainting)

Reflex syncope is the result of a reflex response to a trigger, in which the heart slows down or the blood vessels dilate (dilate). This causes blood pressure to drop, so less blood flows to the brain, leading to fainting (syncope) or near-fainting (presyncope). Reflex syncope is the most common cause of fainting.

Vasovagal syncope – the frequent fainting – occurs in a third of the population. It is by far the most common form of reflex syncope. Vasovagal syncope is often triggered by a combination of dehydration and upright posture. However, it can also have an emotional trigger, such as seeing blood (“fainting at the sight of blood”).

Some vasovagal syncope triggers

seeing blood (not considered a serious symptom)

Getting an injection or having blood drawn (not considered serious)

Standing up quickly (a “headrush” is considered presyncope)

Stand upright for a long time

Sudden and unexpected trauma, stress or pain, e.g. B. by a blow

blood donation

Other types of reflex syncope include:

Situational syncope, a sudden reflex response to a trigger other than those listed above. Triggers include:

Cough, sneeze, laugh, swallow

Pressure on the chest after exertion or sport

bowel movement

Urinating (post-micturition syncope: occurs in males while standing to urinate)

Eat a meal

Sudden abdominal pain

Blowing a brass instrument or lifting weights

Carotid sinus syncope, a reaction in older adults that occurs when pressure is applied to the carotid artery. Hard twisting of the neck, wearing a tight collar, and pressing on the artery are triggers for carotid sinus syncope.

Orthostatic hypotension

Orthostatic (upright) hypotension (low blood pressure when standing) can also lead to fainting as blood struggles to work against gravity to reach the brain. Orthostatic hypotension is defined as a fall in systolic blood pressure of 20 mm Hg or more on standing resulting in syncope or presyncope. Orthostatic hypotension is common in the elderly and is often made worse by dehydration or antihypertensive drugs such as diuretics. Less commonly, orthostatic hypotension can be caused by a neurological disorder such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple system atrophy, formerly known as Shy-Drager syndrome.

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (increased heart rate when standing), or POTS, is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by an increase in heart rate of at least 30 beats per minute when standing and orthostatic intolerance – when standing produces symptoms such as palpitations, light-headedness, and fatigue . POTS generally occurs in young women. After excluding other causes, the diagnosis is made by physical examination, medical history and tilt table test. Treatment usually consists of increased salt and fluid intake, supine exercise (not standing), and education to avoid triggers. POTS doesn’t usually get worse with age.

How is syncope diagnosed?

It’s important to identify the cause of syncope, if possible, to rule out dangerous heart disease. Depending on your symptoms and circumstances, the following tests can be used to find the cause:

On-site diagnostic tests

Electrocardiogram (EKG or EKG): Wires attached to different parts of your body to create a graph of your heart’s electrical rhythm

Stress Test: ECG recorded during strenuous physical activity

Echocardiogram or transesophageal echocardiogram : Ultrasound of the heart

Physical examination, including orthostatic vital signs and carotid sinus massage

Tilt Table Test: Measurement of heart rate and blood pressure in response to an upright tilt that simulates prolonged standing

Electrophysiology study (EP): test that examines the electrical activity of the heart from the inside; used to diagnose many cardiac arrhythmias

In-home diagnostic monitors

Holter monitor: a wearable EKG that you wear continuously for one to seven days to record your heart’s rhythm over time

Event monitor: a portable ECG that you wear for a month or two that only records when triggered by an abnormal heart rhythm or when you manually activate it

How is syncope treated?

Treatment for syncope depends on the underlying condition but may include:

Q: I’ve passed out a few times; should i be concerned?

A: Occasional fainting spells are usually harmless. But if you’re older and have certain risk factors, recurrent fainting could indicate a dangerous problem with your heart.

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People over 60 are more likely to pass out from heart-related reasons than younger people. For example, it’s not uncommon to take too many blood pressure medications, causing your blood pressure to drop too low. Once the dose is adjusted, you should stop fainting.

Of much greater concern are fainting episodes caused by slow or fast episodes. The most dangerous is an abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation (VFib).

With VFib, your heart fibrillates (races away in a disorganized manner). After four to five seconds, you’ll lose consciousness, stop breathing, and have no pulse. When this happens, it’s called sudden cardiac arrest.

It is possible to just temporarily lose consciousness and then wake up. When this happens, you think you just fainted. But with VFib, or sudden cardiac arrest, you won’t wake up — and unless someone restores a normal heart rhythm with an automated external defibrillator (AED), you’ll die within 10 minutes.

Sudden cardiac arrest is fatal in 95% of cases. It is the leading single cause of death in our country. So it’s important to know if you have any of these risk factors for it:

scarring of the heart.

Poorly treated heart failure.

A low ejection fraction.

A family history of unexplained deaths at a young age.

Smoking.

If you have any of these risk factors, tell your cardiologist about these fainting episodes right away. He will test your heart’s electrical system with an electrocardiogram in the office.

If you are at risk for VFib or sudden cardiac arrest, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) can save your life. Whenever an episode occurs, the ICD automatically restores the heart’s normal rhythm – within seconds.

– Cardiac arrhythmia specialist Bruce Wilkoff, MD

Have you ever woken up from a dream feeling horrible? You may even feel depressed. You look around and see that your partner hasn’t actually left you or you haven’t been running down the hallways of your school in your underwear. When you wake up you realize your dream was absolutely ridiculous! And yet they all looked so real. Your feelings felt real. Your chest may still be tight and you may sweat even when you get out of bed.

It’s not uncommon for dreams to feel very real, even when they have a very unreal premise. Take a moment to reflect as we examine how our brain processes dreams. If our emotions can run so high during a dream, what does it mean for our emotions in real life?

Why do dreams feel real?

Dreams feel real because we use the same brain to process them! Parts of the brain that process “real” sensory information while awake are active during REM sleep. The more rational parts of our brain only kick in when we are awake. That’s why dreams play out like any “real” experience!

About dreaming

We dream in REM sleep. What does that mean? Sleep with rapid eye movements. It’s true! We don’t just lay our head on the pillow, fall asleep and wake up. Our bodies go through many stages of sleep that are essential to our growth, recovery, and cognition!

Most sleep phases are non-REM sleep phases. During this time, our brain is less active than our body. Our internal temperatures rise and fall, our breathing rates change, and tissue is critically repaired. During the deepest stages of non-REM sleep, our bodies also release human growth hormones. Sleep helps us grow! We don’t dream in non-REM sleep.

It is in REM sleep that all the weird, bizarre, and pleasant dreams take place. Our bodies are mostly paralyzed. (That’s why you can’t live out your dreams!) The only thing that moves are our eyes. And yes, they move pretty fast. Our eyes and brain are very active during this time of the night. Good thing the brain is active! We are able to learn more efficiently, remember more, and create proteins that help us function throughout the day.

What parts of the brain are active or inactive while we dream?

Even though this heartbreak isn’t “real” in our dream, we may feel the same way in our bodies and minds when we wake up. Our visual cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and thalamus work hard to process information and emotions while we are dreaming.

It is particularly important to note that the thalamus, which processes sensory information, is active during REM sleep and inactive during non-REM sleep. That’s why we don’t dream when we’re in other stages of sleep. Nothing in our brain tells us what “is going on!”

Our frontal lobe is not active during REM sleep. This is the part of the brain that rationalizes and uses logic. Without it activated, you can’t look at the giant marshmallow man chasing you and think, “That doesn’t make any sense!”

How do experts explain lucid dreaming?

In some dreams, the prefrontal cortex may even be active. Most of the time, when we dream, our frontal cortex is turned off. But have you ever had a lucid dream? If so, you may have been using parts of your brain that you don’t normally use!

Lucid dreaming occurs when the dreamer realizes they are in a dream. Some lucid dreamers can actually go through their “dream world” and manipulate the situation they find themselves in. You may realize that the giant marshmallow man is part of a crazy dream, stop running and take a chunk out of his leg. Or you might realize you’re in a dream and finally have the courage to call your crush!

Experts aren’t exactly sure why we have lucid dreams. We know they have been going on for centuries and they are difficult to pin down. Observing someone’s brain while they sleep and wait for a lucid dream can take months of research. There have been cases where a person has had lucid dreams and technology has shown that parts of the frontal cortex are activated, but more research needs to be done to confirm what happens during this type of phenomenon.

Why do we remember our dreams?

There are nights when it seems like waking up in the middle of a dream. Maybe your alarm clock is part of the dream. Or you wake up and have to take a moment to realize that you are not in your dream world! Other nights you wake up and can’t remember if you even dreamed!

Why is this happening? Sleep experts believe this is because we may wake up in different stages of sleep. We go from light sleep to deep sleep, to REM sleep, to deep sleep, and to light sleep many times during the night. In a perfect world, we would move smoothly from lightest sleep to wakefulness. When this happens, we are less likely to remember our dreams. Too much time has passed since the dream and our mind just forgot about the dream.

If you wake up and remember your dream, chances are you were in REM sleep at the time you woke up. That’s not bad! It’s not always easy to adjust our alarm clock to our sleep schedule, and we need to get up at some point to go to work or school. Plus, it can be fun to remember our dreams.

Overview Lucid dreaming occurs when you are aware that you are dreaming. You are able to recognize your thoughts and emotions as the dream is happening. Sometimes you can control the lucid dream. You may be able to change the people, the setting, or the plot. These types of control dreams could potentially reduce nightmares and anxiety. Read on to learn more about lucid dreaming – what it is, when it occurs, and what you can do to experience it.

When Lucid Dreaming Occurs When you sleep, your brain cycles through rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep. Non-REM sleep includes three separate phases. During non-REM, your brain waves, heartbeat, and eye movements gradually slow down. In REM sleep, your brain is extremely active. Your heart rate and eye movements also increase. Lucid dreaming, like most dreams, usually occurs during REM sleep. In a lucid dream, you know you are dreaming. You are aware of your awareness during the dream state. About 55 percent of people have experienced one or more lucid dreams in their lifetime. However, frequent lucid dreaming is rare. Only 23 percent of people have lucid dreams at least once a month.

How to Experience Lucid Dreaming To explore lucid dreaming, try the following tips: Get more REM sleep Because lucid dreaming usually occurs during REM sleep, giving yourself more time increases your chances of lucid dreaming spend in this phase. You can prolong REM sleep by getting enough sleep overall. If you have healthy sleeping habits, your body can properly cycle through all four stages of sleep. To practice good sleep hygiene: Follow a sleep schedule.

Train daily.

Avoid electronics before bed.

Create a relaxing sleeping environment.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. Even if you’re not lucid dreaming, these habits will help you get restful sleep. Browse our sleep shop and discover the best products to achieve a deeper sleep. Keep a dream journal. Many people use a dream journal or dream journal to aid in lucid dreaming. Writing down your dreams forces you to remember them. This is believed to help your brain become more aware of dreaming. To keep a dream journal, keep a notebook and pen by your bedside. Write down your dream as soon as you wake up. Read your journal regularly to familiarize your brain with your dreams. Practice Reality Tests Your level of awareness is similar when you are awake and dreaming. So by increasing your awareness during your waking state, you can increase your awareness during your dream state. Reality testing is a popular way to do this. It trains your mind to recognize your own consciousness while you are awake. The method is to do reality checks throughout the day. As testing reality becomes a habit, you can create awareness while dreaming. Popular reality checks are: Finger through palm. Press your fingers against your opposite palm. When they go through you dream.

Press your fingers against your opposite palm. When they go through you dream. Mirror. In a dream state, your reflection will not look normal.

In a dream state, your reflection will not look normal. pinch nose pinch your nose You will be able to breathe when you are in a dream.

pinch your nose You will be able to breathe when you are in a dream. Reading. Look away from the text and then back again. When you dream, the text changes.

Look away from the text and then back again. When you dream, the text changes. tattoos. If you have tattoos, look at them. They look different in dreams. Pick a reality check and do it several times a day. You may need to experiment with different reality checks to determine which one works best for you. Try Induction Techniques While lucid dreaming often happens randomly, it is possible to initiate lucid dreaming through induction techniques. These methods include: Wake back to bed (WBTB). Wake up five hours after bedtime. When you go back to sleep, you’re more likely to enter REM sleep while you’re still conscious.

Wake up five hours after bedtime. When you go back to sleep, you’re more likely to enter REM sleep while you’re still conscious. Mnemonic induction of lucid dreams (MILD). Tell yourself that you will have a lucid dream tonight. You can do it before bed or during WBTB when you are awake.

Tell yourself that you will have a lucid dream tonight. You can do it before bed or during WBTB when you are awake. Waking Initiated Lucid Dream (WILD). In WILD, you enter REM sleep from wakefulness while maintaining awareness. It’s about lying down until you have a hypnagogic hallucination. To increase your chances of lucid dreaming, use these reality testing and dream journaling techniques.

The Benefits of Lucid Dreaming Lucid dreaming has several potential benefits: Less Nightmares While occasional nightmares are normal, recurring nightmares can be distressing. They can interfere with consistently good sleep. Common nightmares usually affect people with: Stress

fear

depression

sleep deprivation

sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

medication

Substance Abuse Lucid dreaming could provide relief by reducing recurring nightmares. During a lucid dream, you can realize that the nightmare is not real. It also lets you control the dream, allowing you to transform a nightmare into a more neutral or pleasant scenario. Alleviating Anxiety By reducing nightmares, lucid dreaming can alleviate anxiety associated with nightmares. It is also used to relieve anxiety due to PTSD. There is also anecdotal evidence that lucid dreaming helps with general anxiety, but more scientific research is needed. Some people say it allows them to get past the source of their fear. Improving Motor Skills Visualizing physical movements can increase the actual ability to perform them. This can happen during a lucid dream, which allows the dreamer to mentally train their motor skills. Performing motor skills while dreaming activates your brain’s sensorimotor cortex. This is the part of the brain that controls movement. In this regard, lucid dreaming could help in the physical rehabilitation of people with physical disabilities. It may also benefit those without physical disabilities by improving athletic performance and other motor skills. Increase Creativity Lucid dreaming could potentially increase your creativity. Typically, people who are more creative are more prone to lucid dreaming. This could be due to their increased ability to remember dreams and visualize events. However, according to anecdotal reports, it also works the other way around. People claim that lucid dreaming increases their creativity and imagination. Although not scientifically proven, many people use lucid dreaming to sharpen their creativity.

Interpreting Lucid Dreams It is possible to interpret a lucid dream just like a normal dream. Dream Interpretation can help you understand the relevance of your dreams. In fact, people say that dream interpretation is easier during a lucid dream. Your awareness increases your ability to observe the dream as it happens. Lucid dreams are also more vivid, which helps you remember the events and details. Keep a dream journal to interpret your lucid dreams. Writing down your dreams will help you discover important themes. It is also recommended to keep a regular journal. By charting your dreams and daily life, you are more likely to find connections.

The Risks of Lucid Dreaming Lucid dreaming is generally considered safe, but there are some risks for people with mental disorders. These include: Insomnia. Because lucid dreaming techniques intentionally disrupt sleep, it can be difficult to get adequate sleep. The risk is higher if you have a sleep disorder.

Because lucid dreaming techniques intentionally disrupt sleep, it can be difficult to get adequate sleep. The risk is higher if you have a sleep disorder. depression and anxiety. Sleep problems can increase depressive symptoms and anxiety.

Sleep problems can increase depressive symptoms and anxiety. derealization. Induction of lucid dreaming combines reality and dreaming, making it difficult to determine what is real.

Induction of lucid dreaming combines reality and dreaming, making it difficult to determine what is real. Dissociation. The intersection of reality and dreams can also lead to disconnection from your surroundings or your self.

overview

A nightmare is a disturbing dream associated with negative feelings like anxiety or fear that wakes you up. Nightmares are common in children but can occur at any age. Occasional nightmares are usually nothing to worry about.

Nightmares can begin in children between the ages of 3 and 6 and tend to decrease after the age of 10. During the teenage and young adult years, girls seem to have more nightmares than boys. Some people have them as adults or throughout their lives.

Although nightmares are common, nightmare disorders are relatively rare. Nightmare disorder is when nightmares occur frequently, cause stress, disrupt sleep, cause problems with daytime functioning, or create anxiety about going to bed.

Product and Service Book: Mayo Clinic Guide to Raising a Healthy Child

symptoms

You are more likely to have a nightmare in the second half of your night. Nightmares can occur infrequently or more frequently, even several times a night. The episodes are generally short, but they do wake you up and it can be difficult to get back to sleep.

A nightmare can include these characteristics:

Your dream appears vivid and real and is very upsetting, often becoming more disturbing as the dream unfolds.

Your dream story is usually related to security or survival threats, but it can also have other troubling themes.

Your dream wakes you up.

You are feeling anxious, anxious, angry, sad or disgusted because of your dream.

You feel sweaty or have a pounding heartbeat while lying in bed.

You can think clearly upon awakening and remember details of your dream.

Your dream causes stress that prevents you from going back to sleep easily.

Nightmares are only considered a disorder if you experience:

Common occurrences

Excessive exertion or impairment during the day, such as B. Anxiety or persistent anxiety or fear at bedtime of having another nightmare

Concentration or memory problems, or you can’t stop thinking about images from your dreams

Daytime sleepiness, tiredness or lack of energy

Dysfunction at work, school or in social situations

Behavior problems related to bedtime or fear of the dark

Having a child with nightmare disorder can cause significant sleep disruption and stress for parents or caregivers.

When to the doctor

Occasional nightmares are usually nothing to worry about. If your child is having nightmares, you can simply bring them up during a routine check-up of the child. However, consult your doctor if nightmares:

Occur frequently and persist over time

Disrupt sleep regularly

cause anxiety about falling asleep

Causes behavioral problems or dysfunction during the day

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causes

Nightmare disorder is what doctors refer to as parasomnia — a type of sleep disorder associated with unwanted experiences that occur while falling asleep, during sleep, or upon waking up. Nightmares usually occur during the sleep phase known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. The exact cause of nightmares is not known.

Nightmares can be triggered by many factors, including:

stress or anxiety. Sometimes the mundane stresses of everyday life, like a problem at home or at school, trigger nightmares. A major change, like moving house or the death of a loved one, can have the same effect. Experiencing fear is associated with a higher risk of having nightmares.

Sometimes the mundane stresses of everyday life, like a problem at home or at school, trigger nightmares. A major change, like moving house or the death of a loved one, can have the same effect. Experiencing fear is associated with a higher risk of having nightmares. Trauma. Nightmares often occur after an accident, injury, physical or sexual abuse, or other traumatic event. Nightmares are common in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Nightmares often occur after an accident, injury, physical or sexual abuse, or other traumatic event. Nightmares are common in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sleep deprivation. Changes in your schedule that cause irregular sleep and wake times, or interrupt or reduce sleep duration, can increase your risk for nightmares. Insomnia is associated with an increased risk of nightmares.

Changes in your schedule that cause irregular sleep and wake times, or interrupt or reduce sleep duration, can increase your risk for nightmares. Insomnia is associated with an increased risk of nightmares. medication. Some medications — including certain antidepressants, blood pressure medications, beta-blockers, and drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease or to stop smoking — can trigger nightmares.

Some medications — including certain antidepressants, blood pressure medications, beta-blockers, and drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease or to stop smoking — can trigger nightmares. substance abuse. Alcohol and recreational drug use or withdrawal can trigger nightmares.

Alcohol and recreational drug use or withdrawal can trigger nightmares. Other disorders. Depression and other mental disorders can be associated with nightmares. Nightmares can occur with some medical conditions, such as heart disease or cancer. Other sleep disorders that interfere with getting enough sleep can be associated with nightmares.

Depression and other mental disorders can be associated with nightmares. Nightmares can occur with some medical conditions, such as heart disease or cancer. Other sleep disorders that interfere with getting enough sleep can be associated with nightmares. Scary books and movies. For some people, reading scary books or watching scary movies, especially before bed, can be associated with nightmares.

risk factors

Nightmares are more common when family members have a history of nightmares or other sleep parasomnias, such as: B. Sleep talking.

complications

Nightmare Disorder can cause:

Certain techniques can increase the likelihood of experiencing a lucid dream.

Most experts believe that lucid dreams are the rarest type of dreams.

While you are dreaming, you are aware that you are dreaming, but you continue to dream.

According to researchers, 55 percent of people experience these types of dreams at least once in their lives.

Experts believe that in lucid dreams you may be able to influence the outcome of the dream or control your involvement in the imaginary (dream) world.

Lucid dreams can be good, bad, or scary and are notoriously difficult to research. However, lucid dreaming is real and the science behind it is interestingly studied.

A few years ago, a Johns Hopkins University study found that pregnant women who had an intuition about their baby’s gender were right 70% of the time — but women who had a dream about their baby’s gender were right 100% of the time % of cases correct !

We have access to very deep knowledge there, and we sleep through it most of the time.

dreams never lie

Dreams tell you what you really know about something you really feel. They point you to what you need for growth, integration, expression, and the health of your relationships with people, places, and things. They can help you fine-tune your direction and show you your unfinished business. You mean machines. And they never lie. Author Tom Robbins once said that dreams don’t come true; they are true. When we talk about making our dreams come true, we’re talking about our ambitions.

Dreaming is ultimately about awakening. The unconscious from which dreams arise seems to hold an image of how you should be and continually works day and night to express that potential. It often knows things about which one is otherwise groping in the dark, things that remain invisible in the broad daylight of consciousness, like the stars playing to an empty house in the day when the sun is shining. Some things you can only see when it’s dark. Trying to solve your problems or find your way or get a grip on your priorities without the information that dreams provide is like being a judge with only half the facts of a case.

Ignoring dreams is tearing pages from your own unfolding story as it weaves through the night shift, cutting yourself off from that place of passion and calling. Most spiritual traditions clearly regard dreams as revelations of the gods and goddesses and consider the separation of waking life from dreaming, the conscious from the unconscious, to be no different than the separation of a plant from its roots.

Dreaming is metaphorical communication

Jungian author James Hillman wrote: “When I ask: ‘Where is my soul, how do I meet it, what does it want now?’ the answer is: turn to your paintings.” By this he means primarily Dreams and art, since both speak a visual language. So, if you want a guiding light to help you know your soul and navigate your life, there is nothing better you can do than turn to your dreams.

On the one hand, they are masterpieces of metaphorical communication:

Trying to choose between passion or safety, you have dreams of throwing a rock through a bank window and then burying your briefcase in the backyard.

Answering a call to a very public life, you don’t realize your true feelings about sacrificing privacy until a nightmare shows the island you live on being towed to the mainland.

Someone you are considering working with appears in a dream with costume jewelry and fake leather shoes.

You put off an important decision and dream of “missing the boat”.

Not sure if you have the ability to accomplish a seemingly impossible task, but then you have a flying dream.

In the weeks leading up to losing a job I was holding on to mostly for security and status early in my journalism career, my dreams were bursting at the seams with signs of how I really felt about trading integrity for comfort and heaps of prestige. And although I diligently recorded them in my dream journal, I did absolutely nothing to interpret them. Somehow I didn’t want to know what they had to tell me. Which is another way of saying I knew what they had to tell me.

In a dream I was handed a stack of hundred dollar bills and later discovered that I had been scammed: only the top bill was a hundred; the rest were ones. In another, I lost my wallet with all my IDs in it. In another I found a golden calf, deformed and chained to the ground. In another instance, I was invited to an extravagant pool party at the boss’s mansion, but the pool was empty.

That’s not exactly rocket science. The meaning of these dreams could not have been more obvious if they were tattooed across the bridge of my nose. I was invited to take a close look at what I’m doing in this job, how it makes me feel, and because I didn’t want to look, the sudden loss of the job – the official reason was, appropriately, “there’s no seizure” – was for me a complete shock, although it shouldn’t have been.

Dreamwork and Avoidance

Contrary to the rationalist whoop that dreams aren’t real (“You’re just dreaming”), dreams are very real. They convey real information, real impact, real emotion, and have real consequences if ignored. If you don’t honor your dreams, you will at least dream them until you do, or the unconscious will “make up” other channels for its messages to get through, such as symptoms, neurosis, and compulsions. As with anything you avoid, dreams become more persistent the more you ignore them.

A tribe in Malaysia called the Senoi values ​​their dreams and gathers together every morning to share them. When they dream of being followed, they assume that what is chasing them is an ally rather than an enemy, so they turn to their pursuer to ask what the pursuit is about, what the message that the pursuer is carrying.

This is at the heart of the dreamwork, to unveil the nature of the calls whose fins break the surface in your dreams, to decipher the messages they bring. The challenge is to turn around and face what is there instead of running from it. The fact is, there’s gold in those hills, but it takes some nerve to study your dreams, the same nerve it takes to study a firecracker that didn’t go off.

This certainly helps explain why remembering dreams is such a raunchy affair. Part of us doesn’t want to remember them because of the messages they carry, the things they reveal, the direction they show us. The truth may set you free, but chances are it will scare you to death at first.

dream interpretations

As for the dream material itself, some is like junk mail, only a small percentage is actually useful and worth digging through. Some of it, too, comes in such a maddening mambo of imagery, vignettes, metaphors, and other psychic ephemera that trying to make sense of it is like running down the street trying to grab the loose papers of a manuscript that the wind has torn from your hands.

But don’t necessarily run with the first interpretation that comes to mind. Brainstorm any associations you can conjure up for the dream images or events, especially the strongest ones in the dream. What words, ideas, people, memories and feelings does it remind you of? Then take the one that elicits the most energy from you, the one that has the most momentum.

Avoid a dream-dictionary, it-means-that approach to interpretation. Dreams are far too subjective for that. Water, for example, will mean something very different to someone who almost drowned as a child than to someone who is more at home in the water than in the fish.

Since most dreams (though not all) seem to relate to something happening in the present, ask what, if anything, the dream has to do with your life right now. Where have you seen this particular scenario lately? What is it trying to tell you? What is its central message? If you dream about flying, falling, defeating enemies, not being able to find something, having extraordinary powers, being hunted, ask how this can be symbolic of aspects of your life. But check the physical world first before settling on an interpretation. If you dream that your car is losing its brakes, check your brakes. If nothing shows up, examine where in your life you may be feeling unable to get out of control.

dreams and your attention

However, it is not even necessary to understand dreams or search them for meaning, writes Thomas Moore in Care of the Soul. Merely giving them your attention, granting them their autonomy and mystery goes a long way in opening the portals and moving from analysis to responsiveness. In fact, what largely determines whether you remember dreams at all is simply the amount of interest you pay them.

Dreams respond not only to attention, but also to direct requests. In other words, you don’t have to wait for them to appear. You can petition them. You can negotiate with them. If you make a habit of asking for dream guidance as you fall asleep, dreams will beat a path to your door. Just prepare to record dictation: have a pad and pen by the bedside or a tape recorder. Promise yourself that if you receive a dream, you will write it down when you wake up, even if it is at 3am. Challenge them with specific questions. Ask the way. Ask for clues. Ask what your next step should be. Ask for clarification of last night’s dream.

Just get to your dreams before the world does. Write them down before you even get up, because the moment your feet hit the ground, you literally ground yourself and the lightning energy of dreams disappears into the earth.

Finally, consider performing a ritual to flesh out a dream, bringing it from the dream state into waking life, from the abstract into your muscles, emotions, and physical life. A ritual is a staging of the dream message, the change that the dream calls for. It’s a way to take a small step in that direction and make an outward sign of an inner purpose. It’s a little rite of passage.

There’s an old tradition in the Christian Church that if your lips haven’t moved, you haven’t prayed. It expresses the psychological truth that something physical has to happen to establish that you mean business, that your commitment to growth is real and not just a high opinion you have of yourself.

For example, if you dream of the need to prioritize passion over safety, you might ritualistically burn a dollar bill while beseeching the gods of courage. If a dream portends the need to break with tradition, take a wooden stick and break it in two. If your dream shows you flying over obstacles, set up a row of rocks in the backyard, give them the names of your obstacles and make long jumps over them.

A ritual can also be as simple as putting a flower in a vase, making a circle of stones, burying something that represents an ancient habit, kneeling in prayer, washing in the river, anointing yourself with oil to visit the zoo, to spend some time with the animal in your dream, to plant something, to drum or sing, to feast or fast, to make a mask, to light a candle.

“I can light a candle because I need the light,” says writer Christina Baldwin, “or because the candle represents the light I need.”

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What is unconsciousness? Unconsciousness is the state in which a person is unable to respond to stimuli and appears to be asleep. You may be unconscious for a few seconds – like when you faint – or for a long time. People who fall unconscious do not respond to loud noises or shaking. They may even stop breathing or their pulse may become weak. This requires immediate emergency response. The sooner the person receives first aid, the better their chances.

How do you provide first aid? If you see a person who has passed out, first check if they are breathing. If They’re Not Breathing If they’re not breathing, have someone call 911 or your local emergency services immediately and be prepared to begin CPR. If he’s breathing If he’s breathing, take steps to get him in the recovery position. This helps them keep their airways clear and reduces the risk of choking. This video from the UK National Health Service (NHS) shows you what the recovery position should look like. You can also follow the instructions below: Kneel on the floor next to her. Take the arm closest to you and position it so that it is perpendicular to her body, forming a right angle. The hand should be pointing up. Take your other hand and position it so that the back of your hand is pressed against the cheek closest to you. Hold this position for the next few steps. With your free hand, bend the knee furthest from you. Your foot should be flat on the floor. Help him get to the side by pulling on the bent knee. After turning him over, make sure his upper arm is still helping to support his head. Tilt your head back and lift your chin. This helps open their airways. Check her airway to make sure there is no obstruction. Keep an eye on their condition and stay with them until rescuers arrive. If you are bleeding profusely If major bleeding occurs, find the source of the injury and apply direct pressure to the bleeding area until the bleeding has slowed and professional help has arrived. In cases where the person is bleeding from their limbs, you can also apply a tourniquet over the bleeding area until expert help arrives. Learn how to put on a tourniquet here. If the person has a serious wound, you should: Elevate the injured body part (unless it is the head)

apply medium pressure to their wound (unless they injured their eye)

Help them lie down (so if they faint, they don’t have a chance of falling and injuring themselves again)

How do you perform CPR? CPR is a way to treat someone when they stop breathing or their heart stops beating. If a person stops breathing, call your local emergency services or have someone else do it. Before beginning CPR, ask out loud, “Are you okay?” If the person doesn’t respond, begin CPR. Chest Compressions Unless trained in rescue ventilation, give chest compressions until medical help arrives. Chest compressions are also known as hand-only CPR. Lay the person on their back on a firm surface. Kneel next to your neck and shoulders. If it’s an adult, place the heel of your hands on the center of their chest. Place your other hand directly over the first and interlace your fingers. Make sure your elbows are straight and move your shoulders over your hands. If it’s a child, place only one of your hands on the center of their chest. If it’s an infant, place just two fingers across the middle of their chest, just below their nipple line. Using your upper body weight, press straight down on the chest at least 1.5 inches for infants and 2 inches for everyone else. Then release the pressure. Repeat this process again 100 to 120 times per minute. Many popular songs are 100 to 120 beats per minute and can be used as a guide to how fast you should be moving. Continue until help arrives or there is evidence of movement. Once they come to, you can put them on their side. Rescue breaths To minimize the possibility of injury, only those trained in CPR should perform rescue breaths. If trained in CPR: Tilt the person’s head back and lift their chin to open the airway. If the person is an infant or child, you may be able to open their airway with just a head tilt. Pinch the person’s nose and cover their mouth with a CPR face mask to create an airtight seal. If a mask is not available, cover their mouth with your own mouth. Give two 1-second breaths, noticing chest rise. Continue alternating between chest compressions and breaths—30 compressions and two breaths—until help arrives or there are signs of movement. Once they come to, you can put them on their side.

How is unconsciousness treated? If the loss of consciousness is due to low blood pressure, a doctor will give a drug by injection to increase blood pressure. If low blood sugar is the cause, the unconscious person may need an injection of glucose or something sweet to eat. Medical personnel should treat any injury that has rendered the person unconscious.

What are the complications of unconsciousness? Possible complications of prolonged unconsciousness include coma and brain damage. A person who received CPR while unconscious may have fractured or fractured ribs from the chest compressions. The doctor will X-ray the chest and treat fractures or broken ribs before the person leaves the hospital. Choking can also occur during unconsciousness. Food or liquid may have blocked the airways. This is particularly dangerous and can result in death if left unchecked.

“Would you like to know what happens when your body shuts down?”

My mother and I sat across from the hospice nurse at my parents’ home in Colorado. It was 2005 and my mother had reached the end of treatments for metastatic breast cancer. A month or two earlier she was able to walk the dog in the mountains every day and travel to Australia with my father. Now she was weak, exhausted from the disease, chemotherapy, and painkillers.

My mother was the one who, with her doctor’s blessing, decided not to pursue dwindling chemo options and was the one who asked her doctor to call the hospice. Still, we weren’t prepared for the nurse’s question. My mom and I exchanged a little shocked looks. But what we felt most was a sense of relief.

Although my mother saw two general practitioners, six oncologists, a cardiologist, several radiation technicians, nurses at two chemotherapy facilities, and surgeons at three different clinics during the six and a half years of treatment, to my knowledge not once had anyone spoken to her about what would happen if she died.

There’s a good reason. “From about the last two weeks to the last breath, somewhere in that interval, people become too sick, too sleepy, or too unconscious to tell us what they’re experiencing,” says Margaret Campbell, a professor of nursing at Wayne State University who has been working in palliative medicine for decades. The way death is talked about is based on what family, friends and medical professionals see rather than accounts of what dying actually feels like.

James Hallenbeck, a palliative care physician at Stanford University, often compares dying to black holes. “We can see the effect of black holes, but they are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to look inside. They exert an increasing attraction the closer you get to them. Apparently, when you pass the “event horizon,” the laws of physics begin to change.”

How does dying feel? Despite a growing body of research on death, the actual physical experience of dying—the final days or moments—remains obscure. Medicine is just beginning to look beyond the horizon.

* * *

Up until about 100 years ago, almost all dying happened quickly. But modern medicine has radically changed how long the end of life can be stretched. Today, many Americans who have access to medical care die gradually from long-term diseases such as most terminal cancers or complications from diabetes or dementia, rather than quickly from, say, a farm accident or the flu. According to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans are most likely to die from heart disease, cancer or chronic lung disease.

“Pre-death dreams were often so intense that the dream was carried into waking.”

For many who gradually die, there is a final, rapid decline in about the last few days of life – a phase known as “active dying.” During this time, Hallenbeck writes in Palliative Care Perspectives, his guide to palliative care for physicians, people tend to lose their senses and desires in a certain order. “First hunger is lost, and then thirst. Next, speech is lost, followed by vision. The ultimate senses are usually hearing and touch.”

Whether dying is physically painful or how painful it is seems to vary. “There are some types of conditions where pain is inevitable,” says Campbell. “There are some patients who just get really, really old and just fade and there’s no stress.” Having an illness that comes with pain doesn’t necessarily mean you have to endure a hard death either. Most people who die from cancer need painkillers to feel comfortable, Campbell notes — and the medicine usually works. “If they get good, comprehensive pain management, they can die peacefully,” she says.

When people become too weak to cough or swallow, some start making a noise in their throat. The noise can be deeply disturbing, as if the person is suffering. But that’s not how it feels for the dying, as far as the doctors can tell. In fact, medical researchers believe the phenomenon — commonly referred to as death rattle — probably doesn’t hurt.

Ultimately, since most people lose consciousness or pass out in the last few hours or days, it’s difficult to say for sure how much they’re suffering. “We generally believe that if your brain is really in a comatose situation or you’re not really responsive, your perception – how you feel about things – can also be significantly diminished,” says David Hui, oncologist and palliative care specialist – Nursing specialist who researches the signs of approaching death. “You may or may not be aware of what is happening.”

* * *

A week or two after we spoke to the nurse, my mother sank into a state where she was rarely conscious. When she was awake, only the most basic part of her was there: the part that commanded her legs to move to get her to the bathroom, the automated steps of brushing her teeth and then wiping the sink. Her thoughts turned away from her children and her husband for the first time.

I wanted to know what she was thinking. I wanted to know where her thoughts were. Being at the bedside of an unresponsive dying person can feel like trying to figure out if someone is home by looking through heavily curtained windows. Is the person sleeping, dreaming, experiencing something supernatural? Is her mind gone?

For many dying people, “the brain does what the body does in beginning to sacrifice areas that are less vital to survival,” says David Hovda, the director of the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center. He likens the breakdown to what happens with aging: people tend to lose their abilities for complex or executive planning, learning motor skills, and — what turns out to be a very important function — their inhibition.

“The waves keep getting bigger and eventually carry the person out to sea.”

“When the brain starts changing and starts dying, different parts get excited, and one of the parts that gets excited is the visual system,” explains Hovda. “And that’s when people start to see the light.”

Recent research suggests that the heightened senses some people report also seems consistent with what we know about the brain’s response to dying. Jimo Borjigin, a neuroscientist at the University of Michigan, first became interested in this topic when, in another experiment, she noticed something odd in the brains of animals: just before the animals died, neurochemicals in the brain suddenly spiked. Although scientists knew brain neurons kept firing after a person died, this was different. The neurons secreted new chemicals, and in large quantities.

“Many cardiac arrest survivors describe having this amazing experience in their brain during their unconscious phase,” says Borjigin. “They see lights and then describe the experience as ‘more real than real.'” She realized that the sudden release of neurochemicals might help explain this feeling.

Borjigin and her research team attempted an experiment. They stunned eight rats and then stopped their hearts. “All of a sudden, all the different regions of the brain were synchronized,” she says. The rats’ brains showed higher output in different frequency waves and also what is known as coherence – the electrical activity of different parts of the brain working together.

“When you focus attention, do something, try to figure out a word or remember a face — when you perform high-level cognitive activities, those traits go up,” says Borjigin. “These are well-used parameters in the study of human consciousness in conscious humans. So we figured if you’re awake or aroused, similar parameters should increase in the dying brain as well. In fact, that was the case.”

* * *

During her final weeks, when my mother’s mind seemed to be floating elsewhere most of the time, she would sometimes raise her arms in the air and pluck at invisible objects with her fingers. Once I took her hands in mine and asked what she had done. “Put things away,” she replied, smiling dreamily.

This half-dreaming, half-waking state is common in the dying. In fact, researchers led by Christopher Kerr conducted a study of the dreams of dying people at a hospice center outside of Buffalo, New York. Most of the patients surveyed — 88 percent — had at least one dream or vision. And those dreams usually felt different to her than normal dreams. For one, the dreams seemed clearer, more real. “Patients’ pre-death dreams were often so intense that the dream was carried into waking consciousness and the dying person often experienced it as waking reality,” the researchers write in the Journal of Palliative Medicine.

72 percent of the patients dreamed of reuniting with someone who had already died. 59 percent said they dream of getting ready for a trip. Twenty-eight percent dreamed of meaningful past experiences. (Patients were interviewed every day, so the same people often reported dreams on multiple subjects.)

For most patients, the dreams were comforting and positive. The researchers say the dreams often helped reduce the fear of death. “The dominant quality of dreams/visions before death was a sense of personal significance, which often had emotional meaning for the patient,” they report.

In patients’ final hours, after they stop eating and drinking after losing their sight, “most dying people close their eyes and appear to be asleep,” says Hallenbeck, the Stanford palliative care physician. “From this point on… we can only infer what is actually happening. My impression is that this is not a coma, a state of unconsciousness as many families and clinicians think, but something like a dream state.”

The exact moment when this happens – when a person enters a dream state or even when a person begins to die – is difficult to pinpoint.

That was the case with my mother. In the early hours one morning, after it had snowed, I and two of my mother’s friends stood vigil in her library, the room we had moved them to to accommodate a hospital bed. She seemed peaceful, and in the dim light of the morning we stood in different places around the bed and listened to her hoarse breathing.

She made no dramatic moves or any sign that she was leaving us. She neither opened her eyes nor sat up suddenly. She took a last, slightly louder breath and died.

“It’s as if a storm is brewing,” says Hallenbeck. “The waves came up. But you can never tell, when did the waves come? … The waves keep getting bigger and eventually carry the person out to sea.”

Unconsciousness is when a person is unable to react to people and activities. Doctors often call this a coma, or a comatose state.

Other changes in consciousness can occur without loss of consciousness. These are referred to as altered mental states or altered states of mind. These include sudden confusion, disorientation, or drowsiness.

Loss of consciousness or any other sudden change in mental status must be treated as a medical emergency.

Vasovagal syncope

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What is vasovagal syncope? Vasovagal syncope is a condition that causes fainting in some people. It is also known as neurocardiogenic syncope or reflex syncope. It is the most common cause of fainting. It’s usually not harmful and isn’t a sign of a more serious problem. Many nerves connect to your heart and blood vessels. These nerves help control the speed and power of your heartbeat. They also regulate blood pressure by controlling whether your blood vessels expand or contract. Normally, these nerves coordinate their actions so that your brain always gets enough blood. In certain situations, these nerves can give an inappropriate signal. This can cause your blood vessels to open wide. At the same time, your heartbeat may slow down. Blood can pool in your legs, causing blood pressure to drop, and possibly not enough of it reaching the brain. In this case you may lose consciousness for a short time. If you lie down or fall, blood flow to the brain resumes. Vasovagal syncope is quite common. It most commonly affects children and young adults but can occur at any age. It happens to men and women in roughly equal numbers. Unlike some other causes of fainting, vasovagal syncope does not signal an underlying problem with the heart or brain.

What causes vasovagal syncope? Multiple triggers can cause vasovagal syncope. To reduce the risk of fainting, you can stay away from some of these triggers, such as: B.: Standing for a long time

excess heat

Intense emotions, like fear

Intense pain

The sight of blood or a needle

longer exercise

dehydration

Skipping meals Other triggers include: Urinating

Swallow

Cough

have a bowel movement

What are the symptoms of vasovagal syncope? Fainting is the defining symptom of vasovagal syncope. Often you can have certain symptoms before you actually faint, such as: nausea

warmth

bleaching

Get sweaty palms

dizziness or lightheadedness

Blurred vision If you can lie down at the first sign of these symptoms, you can often prevent fainting. When it happens, this type of fainting almost always occurs while sitting or standing. However, not everyone notices symptoms before they faint. If a person faints, lying down restores blood flow to the brain. Consciousness should return fairly quickly. You may not feel normal for a while after you faint. You may feel depressed or tired for a moment. Some people even feel nauseous and may throw up. Some people only have 1 or 2 episodes of vasovagal syncope in their lifetime. For others, the problem is more chronic and occurs without warning.

How is vasovagal syncope diagnosed? Your doctor will review your medical history and perform a physical exam. This will likely involve taking your blood pressure while lying down, sitting down, and then standing up. Your doctor will also likely do an electrocardiogram (ECG) to evaluate your heart’s rhythm. For many children and young adults, this may be all that is needed. Usually, the doctor can assume that the fainting is due to vasovagal syncope and not a more dangerous form of syncope. Sometimes the doctor needs to look for other possible causes of fainting. Because some causes of fainting are dangerous, the doctor will want to rule out these other causes. Your doctor may perform tests such as the following: Continuous wearable ECG monitoring to further analyze heart rhythms

Echocardiogram to examine blood flow in the heart and heart movement

Stress tests to see how your heart is working during exercise

Blood draw only if your doctor suspects an abnormality. If these tests are normal, you may need what is called a “tilt table test.” For this test, lie down on a padded table. Someone takes your heart rate and blood pressure while you lie down and then recline for a period of time. Sometimes a drug is also given to induce a fainting reaction. If you have vasovagal syncope, you may faint during the upward tilt.

How is vasovagal syncope treated? Watch out for the warning signs of vasovagal syncope, such as dizziness, nausea, or sweaty palms. If you have a history of vasovagal syncope and think you are about to faint, lie down immediately. Squeezing your arms or crossing your legs can help prevent fainting. Passively lifting or propping your legs in the air can also help. To treat someone who has fainted from vasovagal syncope immediately, help the person lie down and raise their legs in the air. This will restore blood flow to the brain and the person should regain consciousness quickly. The person should lie down for a while afterwards. If you’ve had episodes of vasovagal syncope, your doctor can offer some suggestions on how to prevent fainting. These may include: Avoiding triggers such as standing for long periods or the sight of blood

Moderate exercise training

Discontinuation of antihypertensive drugs such as diuretics

Eat a higher salt diet to maintain blood volume

Drink plenty of fluids to maintain blood volume

Wearing compression stockings or abdominal bandages Occasionally, you may need medication to control vasovagal syncope. However, research on these drugs has revealed an uncertain benefit in vasovagal syncope. These are usually only considered when a person has multiple fainting spells. Drugs your doctor may recommend trying include: Alpha-1 adrenergic agonists, used to increase blood pressure

Corticosteroids to increase sodium and fluid levels

Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) to Decrease the Nervous System’s Response When these drugs are ineffective, doctors sometimes try orthostatic training. This method uses a tilt table to gradually increase the time you spend upright. In rare cases where a significant slowing of the heartbeat or an interruption is detected, a pacemaker is required.

What are possible complications of vasovagal syncope? Vasovagal syncope itself is generally not dangerous. Of course, fainting can be dangerous if it occurs at certain times, such as while driving. Most people with rare episodes of vasovagal syncope can drive safely. If you have chronic syncope that is not under control, your doctor may advise you not to drive. This is especially likely if you don’t usually have any warning signs before you faint. Ask your doctor what is safe for you.

When should I call my doctor? See a doctor right away if you have repeated fainting spells or other related problems.

Key Points About Vasovagal Syncope Vasovagal syncope is the most common cause of fainting. It happens when blood vessels open too wide or the heartbeat slows, causing a temporary lack of blood flow to the brain.

It is generally not a dangerous condition.

To prevent fainting, stay away from hot places and don’t stand for long periods of time.

If you feel light-headed, nauseous, or sweaty, lie down immediately and raise your legs.

Most people with occasional vasovagal syncope only need to make lifestyle changes, such as B. drink more fluids and eat more salt.

Some people may need medication or even a pacemaker.

Next Steps Tips to help you get the most out of a visit to your healthcare provider: Understand the reason for your visit and what you want to happen.

Before your visit, make a note of any questions you would like answered.

Bring someone to help you ask questions and remember what your provider tells you.

At the visit, write down the name of any new diagnosis and any new medications, treatments, or tests. Also, make a note of any new instructions your provider gives you.

Learn why a new medicine or treatment is being prescribed and how it will help you. Also find out about the side effects.

Ask if your condition can be treated in other ways.

Knowing why a test or procedure is recommended and what the results could mean.

Know what to expect if you are not taking the medicine or undergoing the test or procedure.

If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose of that visit.

Know how to contact your provider if you have any questions.

Medical Reviewer: Steven Kang MD

Medical Reviewer: Stacey Wojcik MBA BSN RN

Medical Reviewer: Stacey Wojcik MBA BSN RN

© 2000-2021 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your doctor’s instructions.

It’s important to see a doctor if you experience fainting spells. Fainting spells can be caused by a serious problem. However, this is very uncommon unless you are over 40 or it happened while lying down or while exercising. The most common causes are listed below.

Fainting is a temporary loss of consciousness that occurs when the brain doesn’t get enough oxygen. It comes on suddenly, lasts only a short time, and you recover fully within a short period of time. It is also often referred to as a blackout. The medical term is syncope. It’s not the same as a seizure, which usually results in convulsions.

What can you do if you feel like you are going to faint?

What happens if you faint?

If you faint, you will be unconscious for a few seconds. It is also called fainting or blackout. The medical term for this is syncope. You may feel sick and sweaty at first or pass out without warning.

If you pass out, you fall to the ground. It’s not the same as a seizure, which usually makes you wince. You regain consciousness after a few seconds and feel normal again. Some people feel very tired after waking up. Usually, fainting occurs for a specific reason, such as: B. if you are in pain or have stood in a hot place for a long time.

Fainting occurs because the brain constantly needs oxygen. When this supply falls below a certain level, we sink to the ground, allowing the more oxygenated blood to reach the brain more easily.

How common is fainting?

Fainting attacks occur at any age and affect up to 4 in 10 people at least once in their lives. Most people never get medical help. Most people (95%) have their first attack of syncope before the age of 40.

If you first have it after 40, it’s more likely that it’s due to a serious underlying problem. The most common cause is frequent fainting, also called neurally mediated syncope (NMS).

Frequent fainting spells usually begin in the teens and affect girls more than boys. In older people, fainting is more likely to be due to an underlying heart problem, low blood pressure, or a side effect of medication.

What problems can cause fainting?

Here are some of the most common causes of fainting spells:

Common fainting (NMS): This is also known as vasovagal syncope. It is the most common cause of fainting. NMS can occur in different situations. These include:

Fear.

Severe pain or emotional stress.

After extreme exertion.

After standing for a long time, especially in hot places (which is why soldiers on parades can pass out).

When wearing tight collars that constrict the neck.

During attacks you may look pale and feel sweaty. Their eyes usually stay open.

Orthostatic hypotension: This is a drop in blood pressure when standing up, which can lead to fainting. It can happen:

Due to medications prescribed to lower blood pressure.

If you feel sick (vomit) or have loose stools (diarrhoea) and other causes of lack of fluid in the body (dehydration).

As a result of neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and peripheral neuropathy.

After a big meal.

Cardiac syncope: This occurs because of an underlying heart problem. There may be a family history of sudden death. Fainting may be preceded by chest pain or a feeling of a “pounding heart” (palpitations) and may occur during exercise.

What investigations can be advised?

The doctor will want to know more about what you were doing when you passed out.

You will be asked if you have recently started a new medication.

Try to remember if you received an alert before your blackout.

did someone see you fall (If so, ask them to talk to the doctor if possible).

How did you feel when you came over?

This information helps the doctor make a diagnosis. Your doctor will examine you. They will check your heart, including your sitting and standing blood pressure and heart rate. You may be asked to take a heart recording (an electrocardiogram, or EKG). You may have blood tests for anemia and diabetes. Further tests of your heart and nervous system may be required.

General Blood Tests Now Available Check yourself with a general blood profile, now available in the Patient Access Book now

What else could it be?

The most common cause of blackouts is fainting. Other causes include epileptic seizures, syncope due to anxiety (psychogenic pseudosyncope), and other rare causes of fainting.

Other causes of blackouts can be due to low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and lack of oxygen (hypoxia) for various reasons. This may be due to overbreathing (hyperventilation), but this is rare.

They may also faint from a fall or hit to the head, or from excessive alcohol or street drugs.

Stroke and mini-stroke (transient ischemic attack) can also lead to a blackout.

Prolonged blackout, post-event confusion, incomplete recovery, and tongue-biting suggest the cause is not simple fainting.

Treatments for fainting and syncope

Treatment depends on the likely cause of your blackout. You may be asked to keep a journal of your fainting spells, including what you were doing when they happened. Most people only need to see their GP, but you may be referred to a hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

What can you do if you feel like you are going to faint?

Lie with your legs flat on a chair or against a wall, or sit on the floor with your head between your knees. Don’t just sit in a chair.

Squatting on your heels can be very effective and less noticeable in public.

When you feel better, stand up carefully. If symptoms return, resume the position.

If you faint again:

Discuss with your doctor to stop any medications that could be causing this.

Avoid alcohol.

Drink more fluids like water or soft drinks.

Wear support stockings.

Do cross leg and arm stretch exercises.

driving and fainting

A simple faint need not be reported to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), but greater restrictions apply if the situation is more complicated or the diagnosis is unclear.

If in doubt, contact the DVLA.

What should you do next?

You should call an ambulance if you:

Have a power outage while exercising or lying down.

Have a family history of sudden and unexplained death.

have chest pain or a feeling of a ‘pounding heart’ (palpitations).

If the attack recurs or you don’t feel fully back to normal, you should also urgently seek medical attention. In all other cases, you should consult your family doctor. If you have a lot of seizures or have injured yourself because of the fainting, your GP may want you to see a specialist. They may also want you to see a specialist if your fainting could affect your driving.

How can I avoid fainting spells?

You need to find the underlying cause and try to address it if possible. Common fainting is by far the most common cause. Many people who faint know when they usually occur and how to avoid attacks.

How is the view?

The outlook (prognosis) depends on the underlying cause, but is generally very good. For young people, there is no need to worry if the power outages are not related to a heart or nervous system problem. There may be a health risk in the elderly, but this is due to the underlying medical condition and the risk of falling.