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Smoker. Feeling Sweaty And Shortness Of Breath In The Morning. Should I Be Worried?
Posted on
Sat, 13 Oct 2012
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Sat, 13 Oct 2012
Answered on
Sat, 3 Nov 2012
Last reviewed on
Question : I woke up sweaty and short in breath, walked to the window to open it, felt dizzy, next I know I am getting up from the floor with a scratched elbow. Today I am a bit shaken but overal ok. I am a smoker and was drinking before I went to bed. Just a couple of beers. What could it be ? And should I worry ?
Hi,
Thank you for contacting Healthcare magic.
First of all, let me reassure you that there is no need to worry regarding what happened to you.
The most likely explanation for your symptoms is syncope, also referred to a fainting spell.
When you woke up with those symptoms, blood supply to brain decreased for a while. This resulted in fainting and falling down. When the blood supply got restored, you regained the senses and got up. This is similar to fainting that would happen during school assemblies in summer or after blood donation or after witnessing an accident.
Alcohol intake and tiredness could have precipitated this situation in you.
The only other condition to exclude in your case is a seizure. Since, there is no eye witness, it is difficult to ascertain. However, if you felt confused after getting back to senses or if you bit your tongue on the side or if you had incontinence of urine, it could be a seizure.
In summary, there is no need to worry. However, you should show to your GP sometime.
I hope it helps. Please get back if you have any more queries.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD (Medicine) DM (Neurology)
Thank you for contacting Healthcare magic.
First of all, let me reassure you that there is no need to worry regarding what happened to you.
The most likely explanation for your symptoms is syncope, also referred to a fainting spell.
When you woke up with those symptoms, blood supply to brain decreased for a while. This resulted in fainting and falling down. When the blood supply got restored, you regained the senses and got up. This is similar to fainting that would happen during school assemblies in summer or after blood donation or after witnessing an accident.
Alcohol intake and tiredness could have precipitated this situation in you.
The only other condition to exclude in your case is a seizure. Since, there is no eye witness, it is difficult to ascertain. However, if you felt confused after getting back to senses or if you bit your tongue on the side or if you had incontinence of urine, it could be a seizure.
In summary, there is no need to worry. However, you should show to your GP sometime.
I hope it helps. Please get back if you have any more queries.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD (Medicine) DM (Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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