Your heart rate slows, and the blood vessels in your legs widen (dilate). Vasovagal syncope occurs when the part of your nervous system that regulates heart rate and blood pressure malfunctions in response to a trigger, such as the sight of blood. You may want to consult your doctor after a fainting spell, especially if you've never had one before. When to see a doctorįainting can be a sign of a more serious condition, such as a heart or brain disorder. However, if you stand up too soon after fainting - within about 15 to 30 minutes - you're at risk of fainting again. Recovery after a vasovagal episode generally begins in less than a minute. Tunnel vision - your field of vision narrows so that you see only what's in front of youĭuring a vasovagal syncope episode, bystanders may notice:.Symptomsīefore you faint due to vasovagal syncope, you may experience some of the following: Your doctor may recommend tests to rule out more-serious causes of fainting, such as heart disorders. But it's possible that you may injure yourself during a vasovagal syncope episode. Vasovagal syncope is usually harmless and requires no treatment. That leads to reduced blood flow to your brain, causing you to briefly lose consciousness. The vasovagal syncope trigger causes your heart rate and blood pressure to drop suddenly. It may also be called neurocardiogenic syncope. Vasovagal syncope (vay-zoh-VAY-gul SING-kuh-pee) occurs when you faint because your body overreacts to certain triggers, such as the sight of blood or extreme emotional distress. Importantly, during the test the blood pressure and heart rate are continuously monitored allowing us to observe any change in these readings corresponding to symptoms.Medically reviewed by. During the tilt test, you are asked to lie down on a tilting table in the supine (flat) position, before being tilted upright at 60 degrees, to enhance venous pooling in the feet, which may then provoke a vasovagal syncope episode. You may also be referred to the Imperial Syncope Diagnostic Unit based in Hammersmith Hospital for a tilt table test which can confirm the diagnosis. If in doubt, further tests can be undertaken to rule out other causes of loss of consciousness, including an ECG, 24 hour ECG recording (Holter monitor), exercise testing, and an echocardiogram to look at the structure and pump function of the heart. Your doctor will take a clinical history which could strongly suggest a diagnosis of vasovagal syncope. Taking more salt (but ensure you have a normal blood pressure reading before you do this)ĭiagnosing vasovagal syncope – How LCC helps.Performing isometric exercises such as teeth and buttock clenching and tensing of the leg muscles, including quadriceps and calves, to improve blood flow back into the heart (think of it as “squeezing” blood that is pooling in the legs, back up into the heart and brain).Recognise warning symptoms (such as dizziness and nausea) and act on these by sitting or lying down.Hydration with plenty of fluids (at least 3L a day).Typically, the following simple management strategies are useful in preventing or minimising episodes of syncope. Standing up rapidly from a squatting or lying position.Having blood taken, or the sight of blood.Standing for long periods (which increases pooling of blood in the legs).Typically, a patient who has a tendency to syncope experiences a whole combination of factors which creates the ideal environment for syncope. These symptoms may be relieved on occasion by sitting down quickly or lying down and keeping the feet elevated. Patients usually feel unwell at this point with symptoms of lightheadedness, dizziness, queasiness, and may be nauseous and sick, sweaty and clammy, before passing out. This usually causes a slowing of the heart beat, and dilatation and pooling of the blood vessels in the leg, which lowers the blood pressure. Syncope usually occurs when the nervous system that controls the heart rate and blood pressure (the autonomic nervous system) starts to malfunction transiently in response to a trigger. This condition is very common, with 1 in 3 individuals experiencing syncope at some stage in their life. Vasovagal syncope (pronounced sin-cope-pee) is a term used to describe an episode of fainting due to a low blood pressure, or heart rate, or a combination of both these factors.
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