Fainting / Blackout

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Candover Clinic or The Hampshire Clinic, Basingstoke.



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    Cardiology Consultation

    You may have a heart condition if you pass out repeatedly without a clear reason. A faint is the most common reason someone passes out (also called vaso-vagal syncope). It is also possible for you to faint if your heart rate becomes excessively slow or excessively fast. There are a number of conditions that can lead to fainting or blackout:

    Conditions Which Can Cause Fainting

    1. Vaso-vagal syncope

    This is the most common cause of passing out and occurs when your heart rate, blood pressure, or a combination of both suddenly drops. It is usually not a problem with your heart, but it is a good idea to have a number of tests to ensure it isn’t one.

    2. Bradycardia

    You may require a pacemaker to treat blackouts caused by a persistently slow pulse. Beta blockers are one type of medication that can cause this, but other heart conditions can also cause it. These rhythms often need adjustment of medications or a pacemaker to be implanted.

    3. Arrhythmia

    People with pre-existing heart conditions are more likely to pass out if they suffer from heart rhythm problems causing a very rapid heartbeat. These rhythms are often controllable with medications but sometimes in special cases you may need a defibrillator if the type of rhythm is deemed to be dangerous.

    A Number Of Tests Can Be Undertaken To Assess Patients With Fainting.

    1. ECG

      A simple 12 lead ECG is a heart tracing that can provide an indication of an underlying heart rhythm problem. It is a simple test that can be conducted in outpatients with the results available immediately. If the ECG is normal a heart problem may still be present but it is a simple and cheap test that can provide a lot of useful information.

    2. Echocardiogram

      An echocardiogram is also called a heart ultrasound test and is used to directly visualise the heart muscle and heart valves. It involves using a probe and some gel on the chest wall to view the heart on a screen. It is completely painless and helps determine how efficiently the heart is working. It can also provide information on the heart valves. The results are available immediately and this test is very useful to provide a quick diagnosis. It can also be useful in other conditions such as high blood pressure. The test is also useful if you have a heart murmur.

    3. Ambulatory ECG monitoring

      This is a portable ECG that a patient can wear up to 7 days and allows continuous monitoring of the patient’s ECG. Patients also get a diary so they can record the times of their symptoms. The ECG monitor is small (about the size of a mobile phone) with an activator button to press if the patient has symptoms. The ECG can then be analyzed and matched to the times in the diary to see if the symptoms (such as chest pains or palpitations) match any changes in the ECG pattern.

    4. Implantable loop recorder procedure

      This is a small device that can be implanted under the skin in a minor surgical procedure. The device has the ability to monitor the heart rhythm continuously over a 3- year period. A patient with this device implanted will have a separate recording device to record their ECG when they have symptoms and download them to the hospital for their doctor to review. It offers an advantage over standard portable ECG monitoring in that it means the next time the patient has an episode of palpitations or fainting it can be monitored because the device is implanted into the patient.

    Dr Os Alsanjari Consultant Cardiologist

    with the below insurance companies: