Understanding Fainting -- Prevention
How Can I Prevent Myself From Fainting?
If you have a tendency to faint and you are able to identify any situations that provoke fainting, work to avoid them. For example, you may need to be sure that you eat regularly to avoid hunger. Other interventions that may help are to avoid excess fatigue, warm environments, and alcohol -- all of which can cause fainting. You may need to learn to control your breathing so that you don't breathe too quickly and hyperventilate when feeling anxious. You may need to get up very gradually from a lying position. Many episodes of fainting occur when getting out of bed, so it is wise to carpet the area around the bed and keep it free of objects that could be hit during a fall.
To help prevent fainting, people who have documented heart-related attacks should be on a high-salt diet and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and maintain blood volume. They should watch for the warning signs of fainting -- dizziness, nausea, and sweaty palms -- and sit or lie down if they feel the warning signs.
Surgery: Can this be a cure for Epilepsy?
In the previous two articles, we have discussed patients with intractable epilepsy who have benefited from epilepsy surgery to remove or disconnect the area of the brain that propagates their seizures. Another group of people who may benefit from epilepsy surgery is those who have generalized seizures - seizures where there is no clear onset in the brain. These children may also have severe developmental delays, worsened by years of seizures. These children are the ones who can benefit from corpus...
Read the Surgery: Can this be a cure for Epilepsy? article > >
Elderly people with fainting need to have their medications reviewed by their doctor. They should also exercise caution when changing positions from lying to standing. Slowly elevating the body allows it to adjust to the new position, minimizing the chances of fainting. Dehydration must also be avoided in older patients.
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