Hungry fainting: causes, symptoms, how long it takes to occur

Some people are familiar with the feeling of fainting, which is characterized by loss of consciousness. The types of fainting depend on the causes of its occurrence. The symptoms are similar in many cases. It should be noted that syncope is common during pregnancy, in children, during illness, and especially at times of hunger (hunger fainting). Treatment takes into account the characteristics and causes of the condition. Next, we will consider the causes, symptoms and how long it takes for this condition to occur after fasting.

What is a hungry faint?

Hunger faint is a loss of consciousness for a short period of time, occurring due to lack of blood circulation in the brain. Simply put, due to a deficiency of nutrients supplied from outside and oxygen starvation (so-called hypoxia).

The causes and symptoms of this condition may vary. And the problem of hungry fainting usually affects women who are chasing an ideal figure and are on a diet.

Development mechanism

Slightly different in each case. For example:

in case of fainting caused by heart rhythm disturbances (certain types of arrhythmias), there is less blood in the cerebral vessels, since “incorrect” heart contractions pump a smaller volume;
with orthostatic fainting, which develops when a person stands up abruptly, the smaller volume of blood is due to a change in body position to which the vessels have not yet had time to adapt;
with fear or anxiety, a person begins to breathe more often, which causes a decrease in carbon dioxide pressure in his blood; because of this, the brain vessels dilate;
Abdominal pain is also a cause of loss of consciousness. In this case, the brain vessels are less filled with blood due to excessive stimulation of the vagus nerve.

Fainting

Faint... It sounds refined and noble.

But only if the fainting did not occur in you or in people close to you.
Fainting is widely represented in fiction. The imagination immediately conjures up an overly refined nature, wrapped in a tight corset and overwhelmed by strong emotions. What is fainting? Along with the 19th century, the period of romanticism, crinolines and corsets became a thing of the past, but people continue to faint with fair frequency. About 3% of the population experience fainting. Also, when analyzing cases of contacting the emergency medical service, 3% of all cases were patients with fainting. While fainting was once thought to be the preserve of adults or the elderly, it is now known that it is quite common in children and adolescents.

How dangerous is fainting?

To answer this question, it is advisable to understand the main reasons for its occurrence, which can be quite diverse.

A disruption of the autonomic nervous system, leading to improper regulation of vascular contractility.
heart pathology
Heart rhythm disturbance
vascular disorders (significant atherosclerotic deposits in the vessels of the head and neck, transient ischemic attacks, etc.)
sudden increase in intracranial pressure (swelling, hydrocephalus, hemorrhage)
decrease in oxygen, sugar, blood electrolytes (hypoxia, anemia, hypoglycemia, renal and liver failure)
decrease in circulating blood volume (bleeding, excessive urination, diarrhea)
poisoning (carbon monoxide, alcohol, etc.)
Mental and emotional disorders (hyperventilation syndrome, hysterical neurosis)

Fainting, or, as neurologists call it, syncope, is an attack of short-term loss of consciousness with a violation of pastoral tone (fall) based on disorders of cardiovascular and respiratory activity.

The main picture of syncope is a sudden decrease in metabolism in the brain.

Most often this occurs due to a lack of oxygen and glucose due to a temporary deterioration in its blood supply. Fainting is usually preceded by a presyncope. Its duration can be from several seconds to 1-2 minutes. It manifests itself as a feeling of discomfort, dizziness, ringing in the ears, nausea, darkness or fog.

What are the symptoms of fainting? Most often - darkening of the eyes, blurred vision, cold sweat. Pallor and coldness of the hands and feet are typical. Some may develop anxiety, fear, palpitations, and rapid breathing. It happens that after such phenomena the loss of consciousness itself ultimately does not develop. Fainting is limited to a presyncope state. In such cases, in

modern medicine speaks of “lipotymia.” Most often, after a presyncope, a syncope or fainting state develops directly, which is characterized by a loss of consciousness and a fall. The actual period of fainting is usually short-lived, lasting from several seconds to several minutes. The person is immobilized, pale, sweat appears on the face, breathing is calm, eyes are closed, dilation of the pupils is often observed, the pulse is irregular, blood pressure is usually reduced. With deep syncope, muscle twitching can be observed in varying degrees of severity. In rare cases, twitching reaches the level of convulsions and even tonic-clonic seizures, and urinary loss occurs.

Convulsive phenomena during fainting are more often observed if the patient is raised during fainting, or if he sits and does not fall. In this case, blood flows away from the brain under the influence of gravity, its suffering as a result of lack of oxygen intensifies and the syncope becomes deeper. The state of recovery of a person who has fainted, or the post-syncope period, usually does not last long, only a few seconds. The victim quickly comes to his senses, is well-oriented in what is happening, there is no amnesia, and is often anxious.

Sometimes people may report a feeling of calm, enlightenment. In some cases, patients complain of feeling weak, tired, and nauseated.

Reasons that may result in loss of consciousness

Types of fainting

Let's look at the most common types of fainting:

Simple fainting

The most common fainting events include vasovagal syncope (synonyms: simple, neurogenic, vasodepressor, vasomotor). Such fainting is usually not dangerous to human health, unless associated with injury from a fall. Most often, they are clearly associated with various stress factors, which include fear (the sight of blood, for example), severe pain, and anxiety. Sometimes syncope develops for no apparent reason. Stuffiness, prolonged standing, drinking alcohol, menstruation, and overwork also contribute to the development of fainting. Loss of consciousness is caused by a sharp drop in blood pressure due to

expansion of peripheral vessels, mainly leg muscles, redistribution of blood from the brain to peripheral organs and subsequent suffering of the brain from lack of blood and oxygen. Such an “incorrect” vascular reaction in response to stress factors is usually associated with an inadequate response of the autonomic nervous system. The horizontal position of the patient's body leads to rapid stabilization of blood pressure and the resumption of normal metabolism in the brain. If fainting lasts more than a few minutes, then convulsions may develop due to a severe malnutrition of the brain, and then examinations need to be carried out to exclude the diagnosis of an epileptic attack.

Postural syncope

Postural or orthostatic syncope is a short-term loss of consciousness when moving from a horizontal to a vertical state or during prolonged standing. A sharp drop in blood pressure also develops. In this case, compensatory gravitational mechanisms are not activated due to the pathology of the autonomic nervous system and a violation of the tonic reaction of blood vessels. Characterized by instant loss of consciousness, association with standing, and an almost complete absence of lipothymia. Often occur at night. In this case, a mandatory examination of the patient is required to exclude concomitant diseases that could cause pathology of the peripheral or central autonomic nervous system (diabetes, amyloidosis, etc.). Sometimes inadequate intake of pharmacological medications can also cause these fainting conditions (drugs that lower blood pressure, some types of antidepressants, levodopa).

Hyperventilation syncope

Often occur in patients with emotional disorders, panic attacks, and pain syndromes. Hyperventilation is abnormally rapid, deep breathing at rest for several minutes or more. With this type of breathing, a person exhales significantly more carbon dioxide than under normal conditions. The amount of it in the blood is greatly reduced, which also causes a reflex spasm of the vessels that supply the brain and, accordingly, leads to brain suffering due to a lack of oxygen and glucose supplied by the blood. This type of fainting is characterized by a long prefainting period (lipothymia) and delayed loss of consciousness. Often there is a feeling of unreality, a narrowing of consciousness, a preserved ability to understand spoken speech when it is impossible to speak oneself. In this case, the patient sometimes experiences a sensation of “pins and needles” crawling along the tips of his fingers. Hyperventilation may also cause muscle cramps in the hands and feet. A certain position of the hands is characteristic - they are bent, and the tips of all five fingers are pressed against each other. All these symptoms appear very quickly within a few seconds. They are not dangerous and disappear as quickly as they appear. However, prolonged impairment of consciousness before fainting requires mandatory examination of the patient to exclude the epileptic nature of the attack. Emotional disorders may require medication or psychotherapeutic treatment.

Sinocarotid syncope

They develop due to irritation of the carotid sinus. The carotid sinus is an important reflexogenic zone located in a person’s neck, at the site of the expansion of the common carotid artery and is involved in the regulation of constant blood pressure and cardiac activity. Pressure on the sinus area causes a decrease in blood pressure, a slowdown in heart rate, dilation of peripheral blood vessels, and changes in the chemical composition of the blood. In pathology, these reflexes are so sharply increased that even with mild irritation of the carotid sinus, cardiac arrest can occur within a few seconds, a pronounced drop in blood pressure, followed by fainting. The pathological increase in reflex excitability of the carotid sinus is almost always based on atherosclerotic changes. Such syncopations most often occur with sharp and prolonged turns of the head, prolonged flexion and hyperextension of the neck (for example, when watching TV in an uncomfortable position), and wearing too tight collars and ties. Lipotymia is practically absent, the loss of consciousness is sudden, and in the post-syncope period, asthenia, depression, and a feeling of unhappiness often occur. However, loss of consciousness for more than 30-60 seconds may be accompanied by convulsions, so differential diagnostically such fainting should be distinguished not only from cardiovascular forms, but also from epilepsy. Due to the severe metabolic disorder in the brain during such fainting spells, they are quite dangerous for the patient and require further examination.

Clinical case

Elena, 23 years old secretary assistant. In recent months I have had a very busy schedule. She tried to “relax” by spending a lot of time with friends in nightclubs, often did not get enough sleep. Lately she has been trying various numbers of strict diets, because she wants to lose what she thinks is excess weight very quickly, by the beginning of the next vacation. In the morning I was traveling on public transport and stood for a long time in front of a large crowd of people in a stuffy environment. Yesterday I met with friends until late, got up early, and didn’t have time to have breakfast before leaving. I received an extremely unpleasant message from work on my mobile phone. She felt faint, fog appeared before her eyes, slowly sat down on the floor, and lost consciousness. I came to my senses within a minute and was immediately oriented to the situation, although the feeling of fatigue and weakness intensified sharply. After 3 weeks, I was sitting with friends in a restaurant, smoking a hookah for 10-15 minutes. Again there was a sleepless night the night before, overwork, stuffiness. I felt nauseated and weak, stood up abruptly, walked a few steps towards the exit, after which I lost consciousness, slowly sank to the floor. E1 was immediately lifted up, placed unconscious on a chair, and they began to splash cold water in his face. After 1-2 minutes, the victim began to experience pronounced twitching in her arms and legs, which caused great fear among those around her. I came to my senses after 1-2 minutes, I was clearly exhausted, but I immediately oriented myself in space and time.

An EEG was done, and after concluding that there were “moderate changes,” the doctor diagnosed an epileptic recurrent attack and prescribed an antiepileptic drug. I took it for a week, with significant side effects such as drowsiness and nausea. I contacted our clinic for selection of antiepileptic therapy.

During the examination, no clinical deviations from the norm were found, with the exception of severe fatigue and increased emotionality, and the patient’s anxiety in connection with the “terrible diagnosis”. On the EEG, epileptiform activity 9 did not reveal a phenomenon confirming the diagnosis of epilepsy. All tests, including ECG, general and biochemical blood tests were normal. The diagnosis of epilepsy and antiepileptic medication were removed. A diagnosis of recurrent fainting was made. A conversation was held about the need for regular nutrition, adherence to a sleep-wake schedule and moderate physical activity. No loss of consciousness was observed over the next 3 years.

Cough fainting

Occur more often in people with pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases, but also

are also observed in the absence of such symptoms, developing with prolonged coughing. They are based on an increase in intrathoracic and intra-abdominal pressure, a mechanical obstruction of venous outflow, a decrease in blood flow to the heart, a decrease in cardiac output and the development of a lack of blood supply to the brain. In addition, additional stimulation of the vagus nerve and sinocarotid sinus is possible, which leads to a slower heartbeat and lower blood pressure. Often such fainting occurs in heavy smokers. Previously, coughing attacks followed by loss of consciousness were called “betalepsy.” Now this term is not used, and these fainting spells have nothing to do with epilepsy. Fainting can also occur with other types of sudden physical effort, severe straining, during which intrathoracic and intra-abdominal pressure rises. These are syncope when sneezing, vomiting, defecation, laughing, urinating, etc.

Nocturic (urinary) syncope

Nocturic syncope is a loss of consciousness after or during, often at the end of, urination, which is usually performed by the patient at night, after getting out of bed from sleep. There are several reasons behind the appearance of such fainting. These include holding your breath and extending your posture during urination, changes in abdominal pressure due to bladder emptying, and increased sensitivity of the carotid sinus at night from sleep. Most often, such fainting occurs in men after 40 years of age or in women during the premenstrual period.

Fainting when swallowing and facial pain

They belong to reflex syncope and are associated with increased activity of the parasympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system, which causes a decrease in blood pressure, a slowdown in heart rate and impaired blood supply and metabolism in the brain. Often in such patients one can find diseases of the esophagus and larynx. In pain syndrome, one of the provoking factors is the pain reaction. According to the clinical picture, these fainting spells are similar to simple syncope and have a clear connection with provoking factors.

Cardiogenic syncope

These are syncopes associated either with a decrease in cardiac output (stenosis of large vessels, damage to the heart muscle) or with heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias). They are one of the most dangerous types of fainting and require immediate examination and treatment of the victim, as in some cases they can lead to death. The cardiogenic nature of fainting can often be thought of in people who have had heart and vascular diseases in the past; with a late onset of syncope at the age of 40-50 years or more; with a sudden loss of consciousness without the presence of a pre-fainting state (especially when there was no factor of prolonged standing or a sharp transition to a vertical position); with cyanosis of the skin and prolonged episodes of loss of consciousness. You should also be alert to the feeling of interruptions in the heart in the presyncope period, which may indicate arrhythmias. At the slightest suspicion of cardiogenic syncope, long-term ECG monitoring is necessary.

First aid for fainting

This usually includes:

Neurologist consultation
EEG
Ultrasound Dopplerography of the main arteries of the head and neck
Transcranial Dopplerography of intracranial vessels
ECG - daily monitoring
General blood analysis
Glycemic profile (blood glucose level)

Examination for fainting

Thus, in order to make an accurate diagnosis and begin treatment, you must first establish that fainting is not a sign of any other dangerous disease. A comprehensive examination is necessary to determine the condition of the heart, blood vessels, endocrine system, as well as the functional activity of the brain.

Survey

If you feel like you are about to faint, or if the person next to you has lost consciousness due to syncope:

If you feel fainting coming on, it is advisable to lie down. If it is not possible to take a horizontal position, sit with your head tilted as low as possible so that your shoulders touch your knees.
Provide access to fresh air (open a window if the victim is indoors)
Lay the victim on a flat surface so that the head is lower than the body and the legs are higher. This will ensure blood flow to the brain.
If loss of consciousness lasts more than 4-5 minutes, a pulse cannot be felt, or severe muscle cramps occur, call emergency medical services immediately.
Unfasten tight clothing (tie, collar, belt).

Author

Causes

Doctors identify several causes of hungry fainting. Here are the most typical of them:

Improper and unbalanced diet are the main causes of hungry fainting. For example, it occurs when eating one product (most often fruits or fruit juices). If the correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is not maintained, the body will not be able to store energy. Insufficient supply of energy and nutrients to the brain are the main causes of hungry fainting. In addition, this type of nutrition depletes nerve cells.
Decreased cardiac output (angina attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, aortic stenosis).
Defects in the nervous regulation of capillaries (rapid changes in body position).
Hypoxia.
Decreased blood pressure when the body does not adapt to the rapid change in blood flow through the capillaries.
Diseases leading to heart rhythm disturbances. The human body feels oxygen deficiency, which provokes fainting.
Dilatation of muscle blood vessels as a result of physical activity.
A decrease in the amount of circulating blood, which is possible with blood loss or dehydration (diarrhea, excessive urination, sweating).
When swallowing food, coughing or urinating, which indicates a dysfunction of organs in these systems.
Hyperventilation of the lungs with anemia, low blood sugar or carbon dioxide.
Micro-strokes in elderly people due to decreased blood supply to certain segments of the brain.
Dehydration.
Diabetes.
Parkinson's disease.
Vascular disorders in the extremities.
Medicines that affect blood pressure.
Brain hemorrhages.
Migraine-like conditions.
Pre-stroke conditions.
Heart rhythm abnormality: either fast or slow.
Aortic stenosis (dysfunction of the heart valves).
High pressure in the arteries or capillaries.
Cardiomyopathy.
Aortic dissection.
Epileptic seizures, which are associated with the functioning of the brain.

Causes of pathology

One of the most common causes of sudden loss of consciousness is an unbalanced diet - the root cause of loss of consciousness. This occurs when, for example, the diet is enriched with one type of product (fruits or vegetables).

In the absence of the proper ratio of nutrients, the body does not have the ability to accumulate energy reserves. Accordingly, the brain is deprived of the energy and useful elements it needs, which leads to hungry fainting. In addition, this type of diet negatively affects the functioning of the entire nervous system.

Physical fatigue also leads to weakening of the body. In this situation, brain cells, not fully provided with energy and valuable nutrition, begin to suffer greatly. The combination of excessive exercise and an unbalanced diet further aggravates the situation.

Anorexic condition is a mental pathology characterized by a complete lack of appetite.

A sudden change in the position of the body with a previous strict diet can also lead to loss of consciousness. This is explained by the fact that when a person rises sharply, the blood quickly moves away from the head. In this case, a lack of useful elements can result from dizziness and fainting.
The cause of a sudden fall may be diseases of the gastrointestinal tract , for example, ulcers or dyspepsia. This happens due to a lack of important nutrients both in the entire body and in the brain. This also applies to diarrhea with vomiting.

Dehydration is another factor that leads to depletion of the brain, the cells of which have the largest specific volume of fluid. Even an insignificant loss of water in the body leads to hungry fainting.
Carrying a child . At the time of pregnancy, the female body needs an increasing supply of healthy products, so the expectant mother is often capable of losing consciousness.

Diabetes . With this disease, there is a sharp decrease in glucose levels, and the first blow falls on the brain cells. A person may faint completely unexpectedly.
Addiction to soda provokes the leaching of calcium, the lack of which leads to a lack of proper oxygen supply to cells.

Stages

Based on the severity of fainting conditions, it is customary to distinguish three main conditions:

Weak degree, which is characterized by the manifestation of primary signs of fainting, such as pale skin, dizziness, blue tint to the lips, weakness, lack of coherent speech and coordination of actions.
The stage of fainting or severe degree is accompanied by a decrease in heartbeat and breathing, in addition, the person feels everything around, but cannot react to it. Fainting lasts several seconds.
The final degree is super-strong, in which there is no breathing or pulse, the skin becomes an unnatural blue color, the person is completely separated from the outside world and is deprived of memories of things that happened. This condition is called imaginary death.

The final stage of all stages is the post-fainting stage, which is characterized by the rehabilitation of brain function and the activation of the sympathetic system, which increases heart rate and breathing.

Symptoms of hungry fainting

Refusal to eat or chronic malnutrition can cause hungry fainting over time. Symptoms of the phenomenon rarely occur immediately. They appear and gradually increase in the following sequence:

general weakness throughout the body;
dizziness;
blurred vision;
slight nausea is possible;
noise in ears;
strength is suddenly lost;
wobbly legs, it becomes difficult to walk;
severe drowsiness and yawning;
sometimes sweating increases and the skin turns blue.

After loss of consciousness, the pupils slowly dilate and do not respond to light. Symptoms may last for several seconds. If after fainting a person does not regain consciousness for five minutes or more, this may indicate serious complications. In such situations, you should call an ambulance.

What to do if symptoms appear?

When the first signs of hungry fainting appear in an adult or child, you need to sit down or take a horizontal position. The occurrence of dizziness or weakness is a signal of insufficient oxygen supply to the brain. It is necessary to stop all physical and mental activity.
A sudden movement can cause a fall, so you should move (if, say, you need to reach a chair) very carefully and slowly. If it is not possible to sit down or lie down (for example, on the street), you need to squat down and lean on some object (a tree, the wall of a house).
During darkening of the eyes, the blood vessels in the brain sharply narrow, and blood supply is almost absent. In this case, you need to make sure that the head is at a lower level than the body. You can lean forward, get on all fours and lower your head to the floor. Another option: lying on your back, raise your legs higher, using a pillow, cushion or clothing.

Symptoms before and during fainting

Symptoms of hungry fainting can be noticed even before it occurs. Before loss of consciousness, dizziness of varying intensity, weakness and/or numbness in the legs and arms occurs. Symptoms such as:

noise or buzzing in the head;
pulse in the temples;
darkening or “stars” before the eyes;
sudden appearance of sweat on the face, palms, back;
disturbance of consciousness;
nausea.

If you do not take action (sit down or lie down), then after a few seconds the blood pressure drops and the person loses consciousness. During fainting, the following signs are observed: blue lips, the face has a white-gray tint, the pupils are dilated, there is no reaction to light, the pulse is weakly palpable in the area of the carotid artery, the blood pressure is low, the muscles are completely relaxed. Sometimes involuntary urination or bowel movements may occur.

A person who has fainted should have their pulse and breathing checked.

The duration of a fainting state can reach 0.3-2 minutes, and a full return to consciousness occurs within 5 minutes. In this case, pain and/or noise, heaviness in the head, weakness, and dizziness are felt. If a person faints for a longer period of time, a team of doctors should be called.

How many days does it take to faint from hunger?

Patients practicing therapeutic fasting are interested in how quickly fainting occurs when they completely refuse food. It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously, since the capabilities of the human body are individual. Some people can go several days without eating without experiencing syncope. Others lose consciousness even with a slight disruption of their usual diet.

Here a lot depends on the person’s physique. Thin people have low fat reserves. They experience hungry fainting after 1 day of complete refusal to eat. Dense and overweight people may lose consciousness on the third or fourth day of fasting, since at first the body will draw nutrients from its own reserves.

Comment from user Evgeniy:

Who is how prepared? If you are prepared for fasting, then not soon. I haven't been dumped for 40 days. Drank water. There is dry fasting, it lasts up to 11 days, but there any contact with water is prohibited. In the first days (up to about a week), fat reserves are consumed quickly, and then the feeling of hunger disappears and the body switches to endogenous nutrition, using fat reserves very sparingly and producing from resources everything necessary for life.