What Causes Lightheaded Feeling And Fainting Spells?

Posted on Thu, 25 May 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 25 May 2017 Answered on

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : Last night I fainted for the first time in my life. I was asleep and got a call from someone yelling about something that happened at work. I got off the phone jumped out of bed and then ran to see someone else at the house. I fainted. Now this morning I was on the phone with the same person and it was another stressful conversation. I became very light head, couldn't see clearly and had to brace myself against something.

I also have not been getting a lot of sleep...five hours a night on average.

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (30 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Some more details please?

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist, here to answer your query.

I would like to know some more details in order to answer this well-
1)For how much duration were you unconscious?
2)Did you have any convulsive activity-like shaking of limbs, neck turning, uprolling of eyeballs?
3)Did you have frothing from mouth or tongue bite?
4)Do you have any known disease?

I shall be glad to have you in follow-up with details so that I can answer this well further.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ajay Panwar (14 minutes later)

It only lasted 30 seconds or so...nothing else happened. I had a heart attack when I was 32 years old. Not a bad one but I had a stent put in. I have had no problems in the past 17 years and I am in excellent physical condition.

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (20 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Syncope?

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for being in follow-up and providing further details.

In view of clinical details which you have mentioned, these episodes appear to be 'Syncopal' episodes. I suggest that you should go to a physician and get routine blood work along with testing for 'postural fall of BP'.Further, Autonomic testing is also suggested to rule out the autonomic dysfunction and establish the diagnosis.If the blood investigations and autonomic testing does not reveal the cause, brain imaging may be required.

For now, you should be on a high fluid intake, and start wearing compression stockings.That may help to prevent future attacks.

Hope that helps.If you have any further questions,I shall be glad to have you in follow-up.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar