WHAT IS SYNCOPE

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Syncope is a sudden,

complete loss of

consciousness

commonly described as

fainting or passing out.

In a typical syncope

episode, a person will be

standing and simply

pass out with little to

no warning.

And when they wake up,

they will be unconscious

for just a few minutes

and may appear flushed

or feel warm.

There are some situations where syncope

requires immediate medical attention,

including:

* Syncope during exercising or while laying

down

* Palpitations or racing heart beat just

before or during syncope

* Syncope combined with family history of

sudden cardiac death or a prior diagnosis of

abnormal heart rhythm or EKG

* Syncope combined with resting heart rate

below 50

Questions that could help the physician

diagnose if a person has experienced

syncope or another health concern:

* Did they completely pass out?

* Was the episode fast and short?

* Have they lost postural tone (collapsed)?

* How many times it has happened?

* Was there any other symptoms occur

along with passing out?

Tests may include:

* EKG to check the heart rhythm

* Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart)

to rule out any structural issues with the

heart

There are four primary categories of

syncope:

* Reflex mediated syncope, which accounts

for about 58% of cases.

* Syncope from underlying cardiac disease

(23%).

* Neurologic or psychiatric syncope (1%).

* Unexplained syncope (18%).

Treatment options

(may vary on each patient's situation):

* Simply increasing water and sodium

intake will reduce the frequency of syncope.

* Daily aerobic exercise may help lessen the

frequency of syncope.

* Other patients may require medication or

even an implantable cardiac device, such as

a pacemaker, for cardiac-related syncope.

To learn more about proceduresto syncopal episodes,

contact theOklahoma Heart Hospital today.

O K L A H O M AH E A R T H O S P I T A L