Syncope is a brief loss of consciousness from a temporary dip in brain perfusion, followed by rapid full recovery. The common type is the innocent "vasovagal" faint — but your job after every faint is one question: did the circumstances match the innocent story or not?

In short — what to do

  1. Catch them if you can and lay them on their back — most fainting harm comes from the fall itself.
  2. Raise their legs on a cushion or chair — returns blood to the brain faster.
  3. Don't sit or stand them up quickly, and no water until fully awake.
  4. Not awake within a minute? Recovery position and call 998 — and if not breathing: CPR immediately.
  5. After waking: minutes of rest lying, then sitting, then standing — in stages.

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Lay them down and raise the legs — not awake in a minute? Recovery position and 998
Lay them down and raise the legs — not awake in a minute? Recovery position and 998
The full details

Usually innocent fainting

  • Has warning: dizziness, nausea, sweating, dimming vision before the fall.
  • Has a clear cause: long standing, heat, hunger, pain, sight of blood, or straining/coughing.
  • Rapid waking (under a minute) with full awareness.

What to do with someone who fainted

  1. Catch them if you can and lay them on their back — most fainting harm comes from the fall itself.
  2. Raise their legs on a cushion or chair — returns blood to the brain faster.
  3. Don't sit or stand them up quickly, and no water until fully awake.
  4. Not awake within a minute? Recovery position and call 998 — and if not breathing: CPR immediately.
  5. After waking: minutes of rest lying, then sitting, then standing — in stages.

Fainting that needs the ER — the "non-innocent story"

  • During exertion or sport, or while sitting/lying with no warning.
  • With palpitations before it, chest pain, or breathlessness.
  • Injury from the fall, or more than one faint in a short period.
  • Family history of early sudden death, or a known heart patient — cardiac evaluation is mandatory.

One moment

Fainting after long standing in the heat is a reassuring story — fainting while running or with zero warning is a recorded message from the heart: don't postpone reading it.

This content is for general health education only and is not medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. In an emergency, call 998.

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