Patient
Information
Fainting (Syncope) in Children and Adolescents
Fainting,
or syncope, is very common among children and particularly among
teenagers. The most
common cause is the "common faint" which is related to
low blood pressure, and can be triggered by many causes including:
-
Standing
up too quickly or prolonged standing
-
A
frightening or painful stimulus (such as the sight of blood)
-
A
hot shower
-
Dehydration
(not drinking enough fluids)
-
Urinating
-
Having
the hair combed or brushed
-
Breath-holding
spells are a special case of fainting that occurs with a
painful or angering stimulus and follows a very vigorous
scream (or "silent scream" if no sound comes out).
Other
causes of fainting include low blood sugar, migraines,
overexertion, hyperventilation, abnormal heart rhythms, some types
of heart problems and a variety of other conditions.
Only
a small percentage of children with fainting turn out to have a
serious problem, but warning signs that should prompt immediate
evaluation by a physician include fainting associated with:
-
Exercise
(fainting with exercise should prompt evaluation by a
cardiologist)
-
No
clear trigger or warning
-
Triggered
by a surprise (such as a loud or sudden noise)
-
Congenital
deafness (deafness since birth)
-
Difficulty
breathing
-
Fever
-
Palpitations
(the sensation of a fast or irregular heart beat)
-
Chest
pain
-
Known
heart problems or a history of heart surgery
-
A
family history of heart disease or sudden death
-
A
history of drug abuse
-
The
use of certain medications, including tricyclic
antidepressants and some others.
The
most effective treatment of the "common faint" involves
two components: 1) recognize the symptoms that come before a
faint (dizziness, seeing spots, sweatiness) and sit down, or lay
down, right away to prevent a faint; and 2) increase the amount of
fluid intake to 6-8 glasses per day, especially during hot weather
or in the setting of vigorous exercise. These two measures
should, in most cases, prevent a faint from occurring. If
fainting continues, or if any of the factors in the second list
above hold true, it is important to see evaluation from a
pediatric cardiologist.
Web
Links: Here are some Internet links that might be helpful.
They look pretty good, but I cannot vouch for their
accuracy or quality. As
always with the Internet, browser beware!
Fainting
Cincinnati
Children's Hospital
Pennsylvania Children's Hospital:
Fainting
Connecticut
Children's Medical Center
American
Heart Association
Breath-holding
Spells:
Dr.
Koop
MedLine
Pediatric
On Call
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