Vasovagal syncope: symptoms, causes and treatments

Vasovagal syncope is the most common type of fainting, a temporary loss of consciousness. This is a condition that occurs when your blood pressure and heart rate suddenly drop, offering less oxygen to your brain. This response usually occurs when your nervous system is overthrowed by something physically or emotionally stressful, for example, seeing blood or exercising in extreme heat.

About 40% of adults will experience vasovagal syncope during their lifetime. The condition is not dangerous, but it can have an impact on your quality of life and lead to injuries if you are passing out without warning. Knowing potential triggers and taking certain precautions can help you prevent vasovagal syncope.

Vasovagal syncope is a physical response to stress that leads to fainting. This implies a sudden drop in blood pressure and a slower heart rate that occurs when your vagus nerve, a long nerve in your body that helps control these functions, becomes uptime.

This overstimulation can cause the part of your nervous system responsible for the regulation of heart rate and blood pressure to function badly, which leads to a feeling of evacuation or to vanish.

What are the common triggers?

Not all episodes of vasovagal syncope do not have a clear trigger. Certain current experiences or situations may increase the probability of an episode, in particular:

What endangers you?

Although vasovagal syncope can reach anyone, some people may be more at risk. Things that can affect your risk include:

• Age: Episodes of fainting occur most often in young adults and adolescents, with 85% of the fainting episodes that occur in people under the age of 40. In the elderly, more than 50% of the fainting episodes are due to vasovagal syncope.
• Family history: People who have family members subject to fainting can also experience vasovagal episodes.
• Anxiety or depression: Research suggests that people who experience vasovagal syncope often have one of these mental health problems.

Before vanishing, you can feel several symptoms that can warn you that you are about to pass out. Some people have little or no warning. Current symptoms may include:

• Dizziness
• Stunning
• Feel hot or sweaty
• Nausea
• Cold, pale or moist skin
• Vision of the tunnel or blurred vision
• Ring in your ears

What does Vasovagal syncope look like?

If you feel a vasovagal syncope, you can suddenly feel hot or sweaty, stomach and stunning or unstable. You can also hear ring in your ears and notice the vision of the tunnel or your darkened vision. If you are passing out, you will probably come back in consciousness spontaneously (without any treatment) in a few minutes.

Health care providers generally diagnose vasovagal syncope by excluding other conditions. They can look at your medical history and take blood pressure readings while you stand, sit down and lie down. You can expect to discuss your family history of cardiovascular conditions (cardiac), the potential for blood loss and the drugs you take.

Your health care provider can perform a series of tests, which may include:

• Blood tests: Your health care provider can order blood analyzes to exclude underlying health problems.
• Tilt table test: With this test, you are attached to a padded table that moves in different angles between the elongated and vertical positions. Monitors record your blood pressure, oxygen levels and heart activity throughout.
• Exercise stress test: This test assesses how your heart reacts to different levels of physical activity.
• Heart function tests: Your health care provider can order an echocardiogram, an electrocardiogram and a holter monitor to examine the function of your heart.
• Neurological tests: These tests help your health care provider check the anomalies in your brain function.

What is the severity of vasovagal syncope?

Vasovagal syncope alone is generally not dangerous. If you feel frequent episodes, the condition can disrupt your quality of life and increase your risk of injury. Talk to your health care provider if you recommend that you avoid swimming, driving and heights. The fainting during these activities is very dangerous.

A study revealed that among more than 1,100 adults with vasovagal syncope, 23% of people reported an injury and 3% suffered a serious injury. Among a total of 2,518 episodes of vasovagal syncope, 36% were associated with injuries.

Overall, vasovagal syncope is responsible for 1.5% of emergency services in the United States.

Health care providers generally do not prescribe drugs or other treatment options for vasovagal syncope. Instead, a health professional can advise you to understand your triggers, then avoid them.

It is not always possible to prevent vasovagal syncope, but certain lifestyle approaches can help reduce the number of fainting episodes. Talk to your health care provider for their advice on these strategies, which may include:

• Drink a lot of liquids.
• Increase your salt intake.
• Engage in moderate exercise.
• Avoid being physically active on high heat.
• Wear compression stockings.
• Discuss all the drugs you take that lower your blood pressure as a side effect.

It is also important to take steps to avoid injury when warning symptoms suggest that you are passing out. It can help you lie down for 10 to 15 minutes in a fresh area or sit with your head between your knees. Usually it can help you feel better in a few minutes to a few hours.

It is important for anyone who has passed out to see a health care provider to exclude cardiac and pulmonary anomalies or other potential underlying conditions.

If you have already received a vasovagal syncope diagnosis, consider seeing a health care provider after any fainting to make sure you have not injured your head, neck or members when you fell. Regular visits are also important to ensure that your condition does not get worse or that another condition has not developed.

Vasovagal syncope is a temporary loss of consciousness that occurs when your vagus nerve is overwhelmed. Things like exercise in extreme heat, tension during a saddle or blood are common triggers for this type of fainting.

The sudden heat or nausea, sound in your ears and the vision of the tunnel are early symptoms of an episode of vasovagal syncope. It is important to monitor the signs that you could pass out and take precautions to avoid falling. Although the condition itself is not dangerous, fainting can endanger you.