Hello,
Fainting or syncope occurs when there is no enough oxygen to the brain.
Although her initial investigations were negative, you may need to repeat them as well as doing other tests to exclude other causes. If all investigations are still negative, psychiatric consultation may be helpful.
Fainting in general may occur due to cardiovascular or non cardiac causes.
- Cardiac causes include
arrhythmias and patients will feel irregular heart beats.
EKG is essential and Holter monitor may be needed.
- Non cardiac causes like vasovagal syncope are common especially at young age. They may be situational on standing, defecation, with fear, and or due to psychiatric problems.
Prior to faintness, patients feel dizziness, or light-headedness (70%), diaphoresis, epigastric discomfort,
nausea, blurred vision, pallor.
The duration of symptoms may be 1-2 minutes in vasovagal syncope and about 3 seconds in cardiac (
arrhythmia) syncope.
Inadequate fluid intake would aggregate the syncope attacks.
- Other causes that may give similar picture include
seizures in which most patients do not remember the fainting event.
Investigations include
CBC,
Blood sugar,
EKG (Holter monitor), EEG, and radiologic investigations as needed.
I would advise you to follow up with your doctor and to discuss with him your concerns.
Hope you find this information useful.
Please keep us updated.
Best regards.
This answer does not substitute for direct medical consultation.
Dr. Safaa Mahmoud.
MB BCh, MSc Internal Medicine. MD Medical Oncology.
PhD Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Science.
