Low blood sugar, intense sex, fatigue, and even anxiety may trigger fainting. People who pass out after an orgasm usually do not need to worry. Fainting has many benign causes and is not usually a major cause for concern. However, as several serious heart conditions may cause fainting episodes, it is important to see a doctor to discuss fainting. Anyone who hits their head when they faint, faints multiple times in a row, or cannot stay awake will need emergency medical care.
In this article, we discuss seven possible reasons why a person might faint after orgasm and suggest tips that may help. In some cases, a person may be able to determine the cause of fainting after an orgasm by considering what they were doing before they fainted, as well as how they felt. A person who engaged in long and exhausting sex is more likely to hyperventilate or be hungry or thirsty, while a person who feels anxious about sex may faint from breathing issues or anxiety itself.
Vasovagal syncope is the most common type of fainting. It occurs when the vagus nerve, which regulates heart rate and blood vessel constriction temporarily loses normal regulation due to overstimulation. As a result, the blood vessels widen, blood pressure drops, and the person faints. After an orgasm, a person may lie down or feel a rush of emotions that increase the risk of vagus nerve overstimulation.
If a person uses drugs during sex, these may also play a role. Although most people do not need treatment for vasovagal syncope, it is a good idea to see a doctor so that they can rule out other possible causes. Learn more about vasovagal syncope. Hyperventilation during an orgasm or intense sexual activity can reduce the amount of oxygen flowing to the brain, which may cause a person to faint.
People who feel anxious about sex may also hyperventilate during an orgasm or shortly afterward. Learn more about hyperventilation. Sometimes, sex or masturbation can temporarily distract a person from other physical needs, such as water and food. So, if a person does not drink enough water, they can become dehydrated and even pass out.
Sexual pleasure may likewise distract a person from their hunger. Too little water in the bloodstream lowers blood pressure, and stimulating the vagus nerve when the system is already low can lead to dizziness and fainting. There are many causes of dehydration—vomiting or diarrhea , heat exhaustion , burns, and more. Vomiting and diarrhea, specifically, also stimulate the vagus nerve. Not all losses of consciousness are related to the vagus nerve.
Shock is a condition characterized by low blood pressure that often leads to a loss of consciousness. As a society, we are very aware of the long-term consequences of high blood pressure , but very low blood pressure is much more immediately dangerous. Shock is a life-threatening emergency that usually comes from bleeding, but can also come from severe allergy anaphylaxis or severe infection. People with shock will most likely become confused, then lose consciousness as their condition gets worse.
It can all happen very quickly, and although it's not fainting, per se, we can't really tell unless the patient wakes up. Taking a wait-and-see attitude may be dangerous. Plenty of people lose consciousness due to alcohol use, and we don't call it fainting although passing out still seems appropriate. Besides its obvious sedation effect, alcohol makes you urinate, which will eventually lead to dehydration.
It also dilates blood vessels, which decreases blood pressure. Like shock, losing consciousness due to alcohol is not technically considered fainting, but it may or may not be cause for concern.
It is possible to die from alcohol poisoning , and passing out is a sign of serious intoxication. Other drugs—legal as well as illegal—can knock you out for a variety of reasons:.
Your heart is the pump that forces blood through your veins and arteries. It takes a certain amount of pressure in the bloodstream to keep it flowing. A correctly functioning heart is essential to maintaining adequate blood pressure. If the heart beats too fast or too slow, it can't keep the blood pressure up as high as it needs to be.
Blood drains from the brain and leads to fainting. During a heart attack , the heart muscle can become too weak to maintain blood pressure. To decide if the heart may be the culprit, take a pulse. If it's too fast more than beats per minute or too slow less than 50 beats per minute , suspect that the heart caused the fainting spell. Also, if the patient is complaining of chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack , assume the heart is too weak to keep blood in the head.
Do you pass out when you see blood? Anxiety, panic disorder, and stress can stimulate the vagus nerve in some people and lead to a loss of consciousness. The vagus nerve stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows down the pulse rate and lowers blood pressure.
Some people are hypersensitive to the vagus nerve, and stimulation can result in loss of consciousness in these people. All by itself, fainting is not life-threatening. However, sudden cardiac arrest looks a lot like fainting and requires immediate treatment. Whenever you see someone pass out, make sure the person is breathing; if not, call and begin CPR.
Once someone faints, get the patient comfortably lying flat. Fainting, known in medical terms as syncope, can be caused by many things. Sometimes syncope is related to changing position too quickly, such as lying down and then suddenly standing up. You can feel lightheaded and some times lose consciousness faint. This is called orthostatic, or postural syncope. You can also "pass out" when you exercise or work for long periods of time with the resulting feeling of being overheated.
Others may faint when they stand in one place too long without moving, become very emotional or stressed, hyperventilate breathe shallow and rapidly , cough, stretch, or even when they go to the bathroom. There are also potentially serious causes of syncope such as seizures, heart rhythm problems, low blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, and side effects from drugs and alcohol. Basically, someone "blacks out" when not enough oxygen flows through the blood to the brain.
There is a sudden drop in the blood pressure and then the heart rate falls with the blood vessels not able to react quickly enough to the body's need for oxygen.
The person then may feel weak, nauseated, pale, warm, lightheaded, have dimmed vision or even double vision, increased breathing rate, or inability to hear what people are saying around them.
The "black out" time is usually only a few seconds, but you may feel tired for minutes to hours. Don't move someone who might be injured from falling that can make things worse. Instead, loosen any tight clothing — such as belts, collars, or ties. Propping the person's feet and lower legs up on a backpack or jacket also can help blood flow to the brain. Someone who has fainted will usually recover quickly.
Because it's normal to feel a bit weak after fainting, be sure the person stays lying down for a bit. Getting up too soon may bring on another fainting spell. Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Fainting? Why Do People Faint? Here are some of the common reasons for fainting: Physical triggers.
0コメント