Syncope

Syncope, commonly known as fainting or passing out, is a brief, sudden loss of consciousness and postural tone.

It occurs due to a temporary reduction of blood flow to the brain, leading to a lack of oxygen supply.

This can be caused by a variety of factors, including low blood pressure, changes in heart rate, dehydration, emotional stress, or certain medical conditions.

The loss of consciousness is usually short-lived, and recovery is typically rapid and complete once blood flow to the brain is restored.

Evaluation often includes a physical examination, ECG, and blood tests to determine the underlying cause and rule out more serious conditions.

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Syncope meaning with examples

• During the marathon, dehydration caused the runner to experience syncope, collapsing briefly before medical attention could be reached. The doctor found dehydration and low blood pressure caused the incident.
• Upon hearing the bad news, her emotional distress led to a moment of syncope; she fainted in shock but regained consciousness quickly. Stress and the emotional reaction resulted in a change in her normal blood flow.
• The patient reported several episodes of syncope after standing up too quickly, a common indicator of orthostatic hypotension. Orthostatic hypotension and the positional change had reduced blood flow to the brain.
• After several fainting episodes, the elderly patient underwent cardiac monitoring to rule out heart-related causes of syncope, such as arrhythmias. The monitoring was implemented as a preventative measure.
• The doctor ordered several tests after the patient experienced syncope, looking for underlying medical issues and heart conditions to treat.