Fainting: First Aid

By Matt Unangst, 20 Feb 19:27

You will faint if your heart does not supply enough blood to your brain for a moment, forcing the brain to shut down some functions, making you unconscious. Unconsciousness caused by fainting is normally brief. Most fainting has no long term effects on a person’s health, but it can also be a sign of a serious condition. Because of this, you should treat a loss of consciousness as a medical emergency until the person has regained consciousness and you have determined the cause of the problem.

If you feel faint, you should lie down until you no longer feel faint. If you do not have somewhere convenient to lie down, sit down and place your head between your knees.

Recurrent fainting spells should be discussed with your doctor.

If you see someone else faint, you should lay the person on his/her back with the legs elevated about a foot above the heart. Raising the fee above the heart helps to restore blood flow to the brain. Other steps to take in order to help with blood flow include: loosening belts, collars, and restrictive clothing. Make sure that the person is able to breathe and is not vomiting, which could block the airway. Look for signs of circulation, such as breathing, coughing, or movement. If you do not see any signs of circulation, perform CPR on the person and call 911. A person treated in this way should recover within one minute. If not, you should call 911 for help.

Any injuries suffered in a fall after fainting should be treated as normally.

Tags: fainting, first aid, blood