What Is Syncope (Fainting)?
Syncope, commonly known as fainting, is a temporary loss of consciousness caused by a brief reduction in cerebral blood flow, followed by spontaneous recovery.
The major categories include:
Reflex Syncope
Often triggered by:
- Emotional stress
- Pain
- Fear
- Prolonged standing
- Heat
- Dehydration
Orthostatic Syncope
Occurs when blood pressure falls significantly after standing.
Possible contributors include dehydration, blood loss, medications, and autonomic dysfunction.
Cardiac Syncope
May result from:
- Bradycardia
- Tachyarrhythmias
- Aortic stenosis
- Cardiomyopathy
- Other structural heart diseases
The evaluation usually begins with a detailed history, physical examination, blood pressure assessment, and ECG.
Depending on the suspected cause, further evaluation may include echocardiography, prolonged ECG monitoring, exercise testing, tilt-table testing, or electrophysiological evaluation.
Treatment depends entirely on the underlying mechanism.