Singapore stood still for a moment during the National Day Rally yesterday, which saw Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong take ill while addressing the nation on live television.
Thankfully, he returned 80 minutes later and put his condition down to a spell of dizziness. The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement shortly after revealing that Mr. Lee had felt “unsteady because of prolonged standing, heat, and dehydration”.
It sounds scary and looks dangerous, but fainting is actually a common phenomenon. Described as a momentary loss of consciousness and muscle control due to low blood flow to the brain, fainting occurs in about one-third of the general population and while it could point to a more serious medical condition, the underlying causes of someone passing out are pretty varied. Here are the 10 most common health reasons for fainting:
Dehydration causes blood pressure to drop and the longer you’re dehydrated, the harder it will be for your body to stabilise your blood pressure. As low blood pressure continues, the risk of fainting increases. Standing up quickly when dehydrated could also bring on a fainting episode.
When a diabetic stands up too quickly or doesn’t eat enough, the risk of fainting increases for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Taking too much insulin causes a severe drop in blood sugar that can cause fainting, and high blood sugar levels can do this as well.
Anaemia is a condition where your body lacks the necessary amount of healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to your tissues. This causes people with anemia to frequently feel tired and weak, and can also lead to fainting spells or bouts of dizziness.
Stomach aches and Irritable Bowel Syndrome call all lead to diarrhea, which makes your body dehydrated. To compensate, it’s necessary to drink copious amounts of water to rehydrate and prevent you from feeling other symptoms. If you don’t hydrate when you have diarrhea, you could faint.
There are several cardiovascular health conditions that can cause fainting. Many of these conditions are quite serious, especially if your family has a history of heart disease. If you experience faintness, as well as heart palpitations, erratic heartbeat, chest pains, or changes in your pulse, you should seek medication attention.
More often than not, hunger is the cause of fainting. Our hectic schedules are often over-packed and it’s easy to miss a meal, or three. When meals are skipped, your blood sugar level will drop, leading you to faint if you go too long without sustenance.
Medications almost always have potential side effects. Some of them aren’t serious and won’t cause you much trouble, but there are some medications that can cause severe dizziness and fainting and these include those that treat depression, high blood pressure, and allergies.
During a panic attack, some people begin to hyperventilate, raising the heartrate and dropping blood pressure. This causes the person experiencing the panic attack to feel faint. If they can’t get their breathing under control, they may faint.
Coughing fits cause quick changes in blood pressure, which is why it’s a common reason for fainting. A small cough shouldn’t cause any harm but if you have a persistent coughing fit that makes you feel lightheaded or dizzy, sit down so you don’t cause more injury if you pass out.
Seizures are not simple conditions that can cause fainting, and there’s likely an underlying condition that goes beyond a drop in blood pressure or sugar levels. Seek medical attention immediately.