How Can I Prevent Myself From Fainting?
THOMAS CHACKO: The number one
thing that you need to know
if you're having
a life-threatening
anaphylactic-like reaction
is to make sure you have
epinephrine at hand.
That is the one life-saving
emergency treatment.
So that you should make sure you
have available
and be
aware and available and able
to use.
Speed of which you get
the medicine in is probably
priority number one.
The reason why is because you
could have a food
allergic reaction
and the fatalities
occur within minutes.
So you really need to get
the medicine in you
within minutes if it's going
to be a bad one.
So that's why speed is quick.
These anaphylatic reactions,
the bad ones,
happen within minutes,
especially insect stings.
Minutes, not 30 minutes, not
hours, it can occur within five,
10 minutes, or shorter.
Epinephrine works very quickly.
It works within minutes.
You could see the reaction work
within less than five minutes,
maybe even earlier than that.
So that's why epinephrine is
the drug of choice
because it reverses things very
quickly.
Let's say you have been
an anaphylactic reaction
and you don't have treatment,
it can be just hives.
It could be swelling
or angiodema, swelling
of your lips or your tongue.
But it could be as bad as I'm
passing out hypotension, not
enough blood or oxygen
to the brain.
And then, it could be
the fatality or death.
And that's what we're-- those
are the ones that we're really
scared about.
If you have a tendency to faint and you are able to identify any situations that provoke fainting, try to avoid them. For example, you may need to be sure that you eat regularly to avoid hunger. Other interventions that may help are to avoid excess fatigue, warm environments, and alcohol -- all of which can cause fainting. You may need to learn to control your breathing so you don't breathe too quickly and hyperventilate when feeling anxious. You may need to get up very gradually from a lying position. Many episodes of fainting occur when getting out of bed, so it is wise to carpet the area around the bed and keep it free of objects that could be hit during a fall.
Elderly people with fainting need to have their medications reviewed by their doctor and be evaluated for any serious cardiac or neurological issues. They should also exercise caution when changing positions from lying to standing. Slowly rising or standing up helps to reduce the chance of fainting. Dehydration must also be avoided in older patients.
