Is it syncope or gravity?

Sometimes I want to march down 7 flights and through the underground labyrinth into the Emergency Department and find the doctor that admitted an obviously drunk patient with syncope and yell “Drunky had a run in with gravity not syncope!! Discharge them at once!!!” I don’t of course, because that would be unprofessional.

What’s syncope? Syncope is a fancy-pants way to say fainting. The blood flow to your brain box was interrupted and down you went. Ouch.

What are some causes of syncope? Syncope can sometimes be caused by neurological problems like seizures. Neuro-cardiogenic syncope, doctors don’t fully understand why some people develop this type of syncope caused by an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is the involuntary operation between the brain, the heart, and the blood vessels. This type of syncope results in an inappropriate relaxation of the blood vessels leading to low blood pressure.  

The two most common causes of syncope are related to the heart or the blood vessels. Fainting is most often the body’s response to low blood pressure. Some causes of low blood pressure are dehydration (Okay, okay, so that drunk could be dehydrated, don’t rub it in), heart arrhythmia, and occluded blood vessels of the neck. Think of a time where you strained on the toilet and then felt lightheaded or maybe you've held your breath too long, or read about that really stupid choking game kids play.These are all examples of impaired blood flow to the brain. 

The best ways to prevent syncope? Hydration with non-caffeinated beverages. Caffeine can cause dehydration by increasing the flow of urine. If you are prone to fainting learn the warning signs, such as dizziness, weakness, blurred vision. 

If you feel a faint coming on take antigravity action…Lay down. Lying down allows the blood that may have pooled in your lower body to return to your heart to be pumped to the brain, and you can’t fall off the floor, so you’ll also avoid injury by being proactive.

We could be here forever talking about what could make a person fall out. You get the point. Syncope is fainting. Not all falling is fainting. And yes, that drunk could have had a syncopal episode. Sheesh.