What are the causes of unconsciousness and ow to deal with Loss of consciousness?

The Loss of consciousness 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 fainting. These are;

• Low blood pressure.
• Low blood sugar.
• Dehydration.
• Syncope.
• Heart condition.
• Hyperventilation.

Treatment through first aid.

The following are the necessary steps to take to help one who has fainted.

• 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 treat the 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.

The post Dealing with Loss of consciousness appeared first on Lifeguard First Aid.

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.

The post How to deal with Loss of consciousness. appeared first on Lifeguard First Aid.

A person experiencing faintness may have symptoms depending on the underlying cause. Faintness or dizziness gives a person a spinning sensation named vertigo.

Disclaimer: the information posted here on fainting and the feeling of about to faint is for learning purposes only. To learn to recognize, prevent and manage fainting enrol in St Mark James first aid and CPR programs.

Causes

There are many conditions that may cause faintness. The common causes of faintness include:

• Anemia
• Acute hyperventilation
• Alcohol consumption
• Anxiety
• Dehydration
• Drug side effect
• Emphysema
• Emotional stress
• Food allergy
• Hypoglycemia
• High blood pressure
• Influenza
• Low blood pressure
• Labyrinthitis
• Motion sickness
• Otitis media
• Postural hypotension
• Sinusitis
• Vertigo
• Upper respiratory infection
• Vasovagal syncope
• Vestibular neuronitis

Less common causes of faintness include:

• Acromegaly
• Acoustic neuroma
• Addison’s disease
• Cerebellar hemorrhage
• Cerebral hemorrhage
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Congestive heart failure
• Concussion
• Cervical spondylosis
• Cyanide poisoning
• Decompression illness
• Dilantin toxicity
• Digoxin toxicity
• Heart attack
• Head injury
• Herpes zoster
• High altitude pulmonary edema
• High altitude cerebral edema
• Lithium toxicity
• Meniere’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Migraine headache
• Otosclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Post concussion syndrome
• Polycythemia Vera
• Preeclampsia
• Shy-Drager syndrome
• Seizure
• Stroke
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Temporal lobe seizure
• Theophylline toxicity
• TIA
• Thiamine deficiency

Treatment

Treatment for faintness depends on the underlying cause.

General treatment options may include:

• Rest – plenty of bed rest and using a walker or cane to promote proper walking
• Avoiding yourself frommaking drastic changes in posture or body positions
• Medications to reduce faintness and vertigo
• Avoid making sudden or jerky movements of the head
• Take medication for other symptoms that occur with faintness such as nausea and vomiting

Home care

Follow these home care steps to reduce faintness:

• Quit smoking and avoid passive smoking
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine
• Avoid rapid and jerky movements of the head
• Elderly people may require additional support while walking. A fall due to faintness or dizziness may result in broken bones and fractures
• Avoid rising rapidly from sitting positions

If you feel faint, follow these steps:

• Lie down on your back
• Elevate your feet above heart level for 10-20 minutes to encourage circulation
• Avoid climbing stairs to prevent falls and injuries
• Avoid walking to prevent falls and injuries

Warning signs

See your doctor immediately if you experience the following problems along with faintness:

• Abdominal pain
• Back pain
• Black stool
• Chest pain
• Difficulty walking
• Difficulty speaking
• Difficulty swallowing
• Heart palpitations
• Rectal bleeding
• Recurrent or persistent vomiting
• Severe vaginal bleeding
• Unconsciousness
• Vomiting blood
• Vomiting blood clots or dark clots that may looks like coffee grounds
• Weakness on one side of the body – arm weakness, leg weakness, arm and leg weakness
• Worsening headache

Learn More

To learn more about the signs and symptoms and how to help people that have fainted sign up for first aid and CPR classes with credible St Mark James providers.

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