Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to Get MRI Scan; Why Do Fainting Episodes Happen?

For vice president Jagdeep Dhankar has been admitted to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi after he fell unconscious twice over the weekend, his office informed. Dhankhar had "two

bouts of unconsciousness" in the washroom late night on January 10, and is expected to undergo an MRI scan to find out what has caused it. According to news reports, Dhankhar had blacked out on multiple occasions in the past, which included an incident of extreme chest pain, which led to his admission in AIIMS’ critical care unit.

What is fainting?

Also known as syncope, or passing out, the condition happens when you have a sudden, temporary drop in the amount of blood that flows to your brain. There are lots of reasons why you may faint, and doctors say most of the time, a harmless, short-term cause makes you unresponsive. However, syncope can happen if you have:

• A sudden drop in blood pressure
• A drop in heart rate
• Changes in the amount of blood reaching a few areas of your body

If you faint, you will become conscious after a few seconds or minutes but may feel confused or tired for a bit. You can recover fully in minutes or hours. What happens in your body during syncope is typically less serious than other types of loss of consciousness.

What causes fainting?

Passing out happens when you don’t have enough blood flowing to your brain. There are many causes for this, depending on the type of syncope. It includes a medical condition that affects your nervous system or heart, a condition that affects blood flow through your body and makes your blood pressure drop when you stand up after lying down. A few triggers of fainting include:

• Standing for a long time
• Taking decongestants or certain medicines for blood pressure
• Being in a hot environment
• Consuming too much food or caffeine, or too many beverages that contain alcohol
• Having too little salt and fluids in your body
• Changing position, especially standing up quickly
• Having a heart-related issue that affects blood flow
• Having an issue with your brain, nerves or spinal cord

Signs and symptoms of fainting

The most common syncope symptoms include:

• Blacking out
• Falling for no reason
• Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
• Feeling drowsy or groggy
• Feeling unsteady or weak when standing
• Seeing spots or having tunnel vision
• Having headaches
• Feeling sweaty or nauseous

What can you do if someone faints?

If someone around you faints, you can follow these steps:

• Check to make sure they are breathing
• Make sure they lie down or sit with their head between their knees for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
• Offer them cold water to drink once they become conscious.

According to doctors, the treatment for syncope depends on what makes you faint and the results of your evaluation and testing. The goal of treatment is to keep you from having another syncopal episode. Treatment options for syncope include:

• Taking medications like beta blockers
• Wearing support garments or compression stockings for proper blood circulation
• Making changes in your diet, like eating small and frequent meals
• Elevating the head of your bed while lying down
• Avoiding or changing the triggers