What Happens In Your Body When You Faint?
Learn what happens in your body when you faint, symptoms to look out for, and tips to get answers if it happens frequently.
Fainting (also called syncope) occurs when your brain isn’t getting enough oxygen or nutrients. It could be due to an overreaction of the parasympathetic nervous system. This system in the body normally calms the body down by reducing blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.
Occasional fainting is usually nothing to worry about, but you should talk to a doctor if it happens often or lasts more than a few minutes. There are some cases of more serious conditions that need to be addressed. Your doctor can run some tests and treat the underlying conditions causing you to faint.
References
American Academy of Family Physicians. (2021). Fainting.
UpToDate. (2022). Syncope in adults: Clinical manifestations and initial diagnostic evaluation.
UpToDate. (2022). Syncope in adults: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and etiologies.