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Causes, symptoms, and treatment of Unconsciousness

 What are the causes of Unconsciousness

Unconsciousness

People often mean temporary loss of consciousness when they talk about loss of consciousness, and that temporary loss of consciousness is also known as syncope or fainting, and its occurrence is due to poor blood flow to the brain, and in fact fainting occurs as a natural response of the body to stay alive, when a major drop occurs With the amount of blood and oxygen reaching the brain, the brain responds by stopping the work of all non-vital organs until the blood flow to the vital organs is concentrated. Loss of consciousness is not considered a serious health problem most of the time, but it may be evidence of a serious health problem in some cases, Therefore, all cases of coma must be dealt with as a health emergency until the cause that led to the coma is determined and the symptoms associated with it disappear.




Causes of loss of consciousness There are many causes and factors that lead to loss of consciousness, including the following:

 Sudden drop in blood pressure.

arrhythmia.

Standing for long periods of time.

Exposure to severe pain.

Extreme fear.

 Pregnancy.

 Dehydration.

Fatigue and exhaustion

Seeing blood.

Exposure to psychological or emotional trauma.

 Low blood sugar.

 Severe coughing

Exposure to seizures.

 Taking illegal drugs and medicines.

 Drinking alcohol.

Factors that increase the risk of fainting The risk of losing consciousness increases for people with the following health conditions:

 Diabetes.

Heart disease.

Arteriosclerosis.

Arrhythmia.

 Anxiety disorder and panic attacks.

 Chronic lung diseases such as emphysema


Symptoms and signs of loss of consciousness

A number of symptoms and signs may precede the occurrence of coma, including the following:

Feeling sick.

Blurred speech.

A sudden change in body temperature.

Sudden sweating.

Paleness of the skin.

 Vision disturbance.

Feeling lightheaded and dizzy.

Feeling numb.

Accelerated heart rate.


Types of loss of consciousness There are many different types of fainting, and the following three types are the most common, and the following are:

 Vagal vasovagal syncope: This type of syncope depends on stimulation of the vagus nerve through exposure to emotional shock, or because of seeing blood, or as a result of standing for long periods.

Carotid sinus syncope: This type of fainting occurs when the carotid artery in the neck is subjected to pressure, due to a change in the position of the head, or due to wearing a narrow collar on the neck.

Situational fainting: This type of fainting occurs due to pressure during urination, passage, or coughing, or because of health problems related to the digestive system.


How to deal with cases of loss of consciousness:

 There are some measures that must be taken if a person feels the possibility of fainting, including:

Find a suitable place to sit or lie down.

Place the head between the knees after sitting.

 Getting up slowly after feeling better.

 There are also some procedures that can be followed to deal with unconscious people, including the following:

Extend the patient on his back.

 Raise the patient's feet about 30 cm from the level of the heart to increase the amount of blood flowing towards the brain. Try to relieve stress by removing necklaces, belts, ties, and tight clothing.

Preventing the person from getting up immediately after regaining consciousness.

 Call 911 and seek medical help if the person does not regain consciousness after one minute.

Ensure that there is nothing obstructing the respiratory tract in the event that the person's breathing stops, and in the event that the person does not regain his ability to breathe normally, then cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) must be performed until the person regains his ability to breathe or until medical help arrives


Diagnosis of loss of consciousness

The cause of unconsciousness is diagnosed through a number of different tests, including the following:

Clinical examination, by asking the patient about the circumstances during which the coma occurred, and the person’s medical history, including the medications he is taking, whether prescribed or over-the-counter medicines.

 An electrocardiogram. An ECG using a Holter monitor, which is a portable device that is worn for at least a full day, during which the electrical activity of the heart is recorded. Echocardiography, where the heart is visualized using sound waves. EEG, to detect the electrical activity of the brain.


Treatment of loss of consciousness

If the occurrence of fainting is linked to the presence of another health condition, this condition must be treated to avoid a recurrence of the coma in the future, and if the coma occurs without a health problem, then the affected person does not often need to undergo any kind of treatment, and to avoid the occurrence of fainting again it is worth the person Avoid exposure to some factors that increase the chance of fainting, such as standing for long periods, being dehydrated, and so on, as mentioned above, and in the event that a person knows that he may faint when seeing blood, he must inform the doctor before performing a surgical procedure to take appropriate measures, and receptor beta blockers can also be used In some cases where the cause of fainting is related to the cardiovascular system, to avoid the occurrence of coma in the future.


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