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Asked by hannahratcliffe to Chris, Eva, Michael, Paddy, Philip on 21 Jun 2011.
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Paddy Brock answered on 21 Jun 2011:
You faint when there isn’t enough oxygen being delivered to your brain. In order to stay conscious your brain needs to be constantly supplied with oxygen so the neurones can continue their biochemical activity. It used to happen a lot to women and girls in the 19th century if they were forced to wear corsets, because these restrict the movement of the torso and reduce the absorption of oxygen in the lungs.
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Chris Jordan answered on 21 Jun 2011:
From my first-aid training (It’s all science after all!)
If you stand up suddenly you can feel faint, your blood pressure can dip so the blood doesn’t get to your brain. If someone is feeling faint, you should sit them down and get then to put their head between their knees. You need to have the head down at heart level (that’s the pump) or lower. It’s best to sit on the floor -because it’s less painful to faint if you’re already there. -
Eva Bachmair answered on 21 Jun 2011:
I can add some other causes for fainting; you may faint more likely when you don’t drink enough water (dehydration) or have massive blood loss after an injury or have a low blood pressure. Or if you hyperventilate (breathing of more CO2 than you have to), think about all the screaming girls at a concert. Another medical cause to faint is when you are diabetic and the blood glucose level are uncontrolled high and you have to go to the loo all the time leading to a low blood volume.
But the key to that is always the lack of blood carrying oxygen to the brain.Personally, I feel also faint when I don’t eat enough and my blood glucose level falls. In diabetics this is called diabetic coma and can be dangerous.
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Philip Denniff answered on 21 Jun 2011:
I dont hink I can add anything else to these exelent answers
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