• Question: Why do people faint?

    Asked by followtheyellowbrickroad to Meeks, Pete, Stephen, Steve, Tom on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Tom Hartley

      Tom Hartley answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      I had to look this up to check, but I was right. People faint when there is a lack of oxygen getting to the brain. This generally happens because of low blood pressure. Repeated fainting should be investigated by your GP, just in case it is a sign of a serious underlying problem (often it isn’t). Urgent medical attention is needed if anyone doesn’t recover consciousness within a minute or two, or if they still have symptoms after coming to there senses.

      I am not a medical doctor, and you should probably talk to one if you have any questions about fainting.

      Read more here:

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/fainting1.shtml

    • Photo: Steve Roser

      Steve Roser answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      lack of oxygen to the brain. This can come from all sorts of reasons, like lack of nutrients (food) or standing up quickly or from being in stressful situations. Some people (it seems to be more likely to be blokes) faint at needles, or the sight of blood

    • Photo: Stephen Curry

      Stephen Curry answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      I’m not really sure on this one but it is very topical! Yesterday, in front of a US Congressional committee (and the world’s press), a top US General fainted! Imagine the stick he’s going to get for that back at barracks…

      I suspect it happens when there is a temporary reduction in the blood supply to the brain. The one time in my life that I fainted I had been on my back for a few weeks because of a broken leg and the first time I went to stand up, I fell over because of a fainting fit. I think my body had become so unused to pumping blood *up* to the head that it couldn’t manage at first and so I fainted.

      In the general’s case they blamed dehydration and jet-lag which might have had a similar effect on blood supply.

    • Photo: Marieke Navin

      Marieke Navin answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      I fainted the first time I gave blood I think because I didn’t have enough blood and therefore oxygen to my brain. Had to eat loads of chocolate after.

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