Medicines for Vasovagal syncope

What it is

Vasovagal syncope is the medical term for the common, ordinary faint. It happens when a trigger causes a sudden, brief drop in heart rate and blood pressure, reducing blood flow to the brain, so the person loses consciousness for a short time and then recovers quickly. Common triggers include standing for a long time (especially in heat), the sight of blood, pain, fear or emotional distress, dehydration, and sometimes straining (such as coughing or on the toilet). There are often warning signs beforehand — feeling hot, sweaty, light-headed, nauseous, with blurring or "greying" of vision — and lying down at this point can prevent the faint. It is very common and usually harmless. However, because fainting can occasionally have a more serious cardiac cause, certain features prompt further assessment.

How it is treated

For typical vasovagal fainting, management focuses on recognising and avoiding triggers, spotting the warning signs, and acting on them — lying down or sitting with the head lowered, and doing physical counter-manoeuvres such as tensing the muscles, crossing the legs or clenching the fists, which can abort a faint. Staying well hydrated, not standing still for too long, and avoiding known triggers help. Reassurance is a key part of care, as simple faints are harmless. However, fainting that occurs during exercise, while lying down, without warning, or with palpitations or a family history of sudden cardiac death, is assessed more carefully (for example with an ECG) to exclude a heart cause. Most people with vasovagal syncope, once reassured and taught these techniques, manage well.