| Fainting is temporary loss of consciousness. The scientific term for fainting is syncope.
Syncope may be due to heart or brain conditions |
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| Brain conditions |
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- Stroke
- Brain tumour
- Epilepsy (Seizure)
- Brain trauma (concussion)
- Drugs which cause sedation
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| Heart conditions |
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- Excessively slow heart rate
- Excessively fast heart rate
- Low blood pressure
- Narrowed heart valve (aortic stenosis)
- Thick heart muscle (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)
- Blood clot to the lung (pulmonary embolus)
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| It is important to rule out serious conditions of the heart and brain because fainting is only a warning symptom. Correction of the underlying condition may save the patient’s life. |
