Two hours of the 17-Year-old sat, as he gets up to go to the bathroom, it happened: After a few quick steps, he is dizzy. He leans against a wall. His view is distorted, he hears a deep humming sound.
The mother of the young man is in the vicinity and experienced what happens next. The body of the 17-SAG-Year-old. He falls to the ground, where he twitches for about 20 seconds all over your body. You noticed that his arms and legs remain limp and the contractions are not rhythmic. Also, your son is very pale.
About a Minute later, he comes back to consciousness, shortly thereafter, he is completely oriented and clear. He feels neither exhausted nor blame him, he can stand and walk normally.
Immediately after fainting the Patient in an emergency room in the US is examined the state of Wisconsin. The Doctors to measure the heart activity by ECG. The heart rhythm is normal. However, his heart is beating much faster and his blood pressure drops when he stands up. The physicians send the patient to whom it goes well in the meantime, again, with the note home, that he should make an appointment with his family doctor.
This event will take place a month later, as Alexa Bevers village of the University of Wisconsin in the “Journal of Pediatric Health Care” reports. Although he is already 17, the case is still in the children – and youth medicine.
No diseases, no drugs
The Patient told that he had become prior to the event, yet never passed out. He got injured on the head and so far, never a seizure suffered. The young man plays Basketball. He had no health problems, never had surgery, has no allergies, takes no medications, and is immunized according to the vaccination schedule. He does not smoke, does not drink, does not do drugs.
His mother and grandmother suffer from heart rhythm disorders that must be treated, the mother also has an increased cholesterol value. For more specific diagnoses in the family.
At the doctor appointment, the 17-Year-old is healthy and relaxed. Again, an ECG will be in the and then in Are made. The values are in the normal range. A blood test confirmed that the Patient takes no drugs.
What could then have his fainting triggered? Cardiac arrhythmia or other heart disorders could be a possible reason. However, the unobtrusive ECG excludes this cause.
He had an epileptic seizure? As the mother of the event describes, this may not be the case. Because such seizures typically lasting longer than a Minute. Also, it was the patients after fainting fast good again – after an epileptic seizure Sufferers often have a longer Phase in which you are disoriented, confused and exhausted.
The diagnosis is
After the exclusion of other causes, only one diagnosis out of the question for the Doctors: The 17-Year-old has suffered a so-called neuro-cardiogenic fainting. This is especially in children and adolescents is not rare. It occurs more often in girls than in boys. The cause is not fully understood. The symptoms fit but.
Before the Boy lost consciousness, he was dizzy, he could not see properly and hear a deep humming sound. Also, the ECG from the emergency Department helps in the diagnosis, for it is there that the heart rate increased and blood pressure decreased when the Patient should get up.
Probably will not get the vessels at the fainting due to a wrong the nervous regulation of the blood is greatly dilated, and the brain is sufficiently supplied with blood, so too little oxygen. This then leads to loss of consciousness.
Treatment with drugs is not the 17-Year-old needed. He is sent with some advice for everyday life back home. If he feels the powerlessness of the preceding symptoms, he should stand or sit or lay. In addition, he should eat more salty meals and two to three liters of water per day to drink.
It is important for those Affected, not abruptly stand up, but rather slowly, explains the Klinikum Augsburg patient information. You should also avoid Standing for long periods. This is necessary to help to make certain motions, to cross around the legs and presses them together, to the claws of the toes in the shoes, and the abdominal and buttocks muscles and to hook.