Do you know how to deal with loss of consciousness? One is considered to be unconscious when he or she is not able to respond to stimuli. This is normally sudden and the person gets into a sleep like state. This can be for a short time or for longer periods. In this state, the individual cannot respond to sound or touch. In some cases their breathing may stop or pulse become very faint. When this happens to anyone, there is need to treat it as an emergency and seek medical help as soon as possible to save his life or any other complication that may develop as a result of the unconscious status. This should however not be confused with sleep as when one is asleep, he can respond to stimuli.
What are the causes of unconsciousness?
The condition of unconsciousness is one which can be caused by a number of factors. These include illnesses, injuries and complications that are brought about by drug and alcohol abuse. Other common causes of unconsciousness or fainting are;
- Severe blood loss.
- Car accidents.
- Alcohol poisoning.
- Trauma to the head.
- Drug overdose.
Other sudden changes in the body also in many cases have contributed to the loss of consciousness. These are;
- Low blood pressure.
- Low blood sugar.
- Dehydration.
- Syncope.
- Heart condition.
- Hyperventilation.
Treatment of loss of consciousness through first aid.
The following are the necessary steps to take to help one suffering from loss of consciousness.
- Check the breathing pattern of the person. If he is still breathing, make him lie on his back on a flat surface.
- Raise the victim’s legs to a position of twelve inches above the surface.
- Loosen any restricting jewelry, belts or clothing then call emergency medical services especially if the individual stays unconscious for more than one minute.
- Make sure the person’s airways are obstruction free.
- Check for the signs of circulation. These are coughing, breathing or movement. If these signs are not visible, start CPR immediately as you wait for help to arrive.
How to deal with loss of consciousness.
If the cause of the person’s unconsciousness is due to low blood pressure, the doctor will normally administer a medication that will help the blood pressure rise. If the cause was a low sugar level in the blood, a glucose injection may be used to increase the sugar level. The victim may also be given something sweet to eat.
Unconsciousness caused by injuries especially to the head may see the victim undergo a surgery so as to correct the situation.
Complications from loss of consciousness.
Fainting or unconsciousness has the ability of causing a number of complications to the victim. Some of these complications are permanent while others may not be. These complications arise mostly when the condition of unconsciousness is not addressed soon enough hence causing the complications to the individual. These include
- Coma
- Brain damage.
The CPR that is done when one is unconscious has the chances of getting one a fracture to the ribs. To be sure that that never happened, it is vital that one is undertaken through an ex-ray once they regain consciousness.