Fainting in children

The medical term for fainting issyncope. This condition is among the most common conditions that affect humanbeings. In the majority of cases, it just represents a warning sign of someother health condition. Depending on the cause of fainting,it can be a harmless condition and not serious, but it can also be asymptom of some serious illness. Therefore, it is recommended to visit a doctorwhen it occurs. Fainting in children is a commoncondition. Almost half of the children population experiences it during their childhood.

Causes of fainting in children

Syncope in children may appear dueto various reasons. In the majority of cases, faintingin children occurs because of a temporary condition when the brain does notreceive enough amounts of oxygen. Vasovagal syncope is the medicalterm for the fainting in children caused by stress, fear or pain. Another cause of fainting inchildren is a condition called orthostatic hypotension. This cardiovascular disorderis marked by the sudden drop in the child’s blood pressure. Orthostatic hypotensionoccurs when the child sits or stands for a long period of time. Thus, the childcauses the pulling of blood in the legs and lack of blood supply to the heartand the brain.

Several heart disorders and diseasesmay lead to the occurrence of fainting in children. For example, Kawasakidisease and ischemic heart disease, as well as Eisenmenger's syndrome, primarypulmonary hypertension and aortic valvar stenosis, are some of thecardiovascular diseases that may cause syncope in children. Furthermore, this condition inchildren may be induced by an injury or trauma to the head; for example, in anaccident or when the child falls on the head.

There are several more health conditionsthat may be responsible for the incidence of fainting in children. These conditionsare hysteria, epilepsy, rapid breathing and stroke, as well as inner earproblems. When there is a sudden drop in theblood sugar, the child may faint. Furthermore, the lack of water or dehydrationmay also lead to the occurrence of syncope in children.

Symptoms of fainting in children

Fainting inchildren is a condition that may manifests through several symptoms. However, thesesymptoms may not be the same in every child. While some children simply faintwithout any warning sign, there are the children who usually feel that they aregoing to faint and they inform the others about that. They may feel dizzinessbefore fainting.