What Can Cause An Elderly Person To Pass Out And Not Be Breathing?

Fainting can be caused by a variety of different circumstances. Heart disorders such as irregular heartbeats, seizures, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), anemia (a deficit in healthy oxygen-carrying cells), and problems with how the neurological system (the body’s system of nerves) regulates blood pressure are examples of what is known as the metabolic syndrome.

What causes a person to pass out and stop breathing?

The most dangerous is a cardiac rhythm disruption known as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, which are both life-threatening (VFib). When you have VFib, your heart fibrillates (races away in a disorganized way). After four to five seconds, you lose consciousness, your breathing stops, and your pulse stops beating altogether.

What to do if someone passes out and stops breathing?

If they are not breathing regularly, call for an ambulance and begin CPR immediately on them. Begin CPR by performing 30 chest compressions followed by 2 deep breaths. Continue CPR until the patient is able to breathe on his or her own or until assistance comes. Attach an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to the patient as quickly as feasible and follow the voice instructions.

Why would someone pass out and be unresponsive?

Brief unconsciousness (also known as fainting) is frequently caused by dehydration, low blood sugar, or a short decrease in blood pressure. Serious cardiac or nerve system disorders might potentially be the cause of this condition.

What causes sudden loss of consciousness in elderly?

Orthostatic hypotension, reflex syncope, and heart disease are the most prevalent causes of syncope in older persons. Orthostatic hypotension is the most common cause of syncope in older adults.

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When is fainting serious?

When it occurs in those who have had a previous heart attack, those who have had heart surgery, or those who have heart disease or an abnormal heart rhythm, fainting becomes a more significant problem for them. In some instances, fainting might be a symptom of a cardiac condition that needs medical attention.

What do you do when someone passes out?

Assume the individual is lying on his or her back.Raising the individual’s legs above the level of the heart — about 12 inches (30 cm) if feasible — if there are no injuries and the person is breathing is the best course of action.Belts, collars, and other constrictive apparel should be taken off.Don’t get the individual up too soon if you want to lessen the likelihood of him or her fainting again.

What’s the difference between fainting and collapsing?

The possibility of collapsing to the ground and experiencing momentary twitching while collapsing exists. Suddenly dropping blood pressure (hypotension) causes a decrease in blood supply to the brain, resulting in fainting and other symptoms.

How do you wake up someone who passed out?

Drinking too much and too quickly raises the level of alcohol in the blood (BAC). Alcohol poisoning is a condition caused by an excessive amount of alcohol in the system. It has the potential to induce a person to pass out. In an attempt to rouse them:

  1. Call them by their first and last names
  2. They should shake their shoulders.
  3. Pinch them firmly, but gently
  4. Rubbing their sternum with your knuckles is a good idea.
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Can a stroke cause fainting?

A stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) that affects particular blood veins near the base of the brain (posterior circulation stroke) might result in fainting, despite the fact that the majority of strokes do not produce this complication. In a similar vein, a migraine that affects these blood arteries can occasionally result in fainting.

Can passing out be a seizure?

Failing to maintain consciousness is caused by a rapid reduction in the amount of blood flowing to the brain. An incident of fainting, according to Dale Yoo, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist at Medical City McKinney, might be a symptom of a seizure disease, according to Yoo.

How long can someone be unconscious before brain damage?

When someone is unconscious and without breathing, the passage of time is critical. From only 4 minutes without oxygen, permanent brain damage begins to develop, and death can occur as quickly as 4 to 6 minutes after the onset of the damage. Defibrillators, also known as automated external defibrillators (AEDs), may be found in many public venues and can also be purchased for personal use.

Can you pass out from lack of oxygen?

Generally speaking, fainting is caused by a shortage of oxygen reaching the brain, which can be caused by difficulties with the lungs or blood flow, or by carbon monoxide poisoning. Fainting is a survival strategy that helps people stay alive.

Is it common for old people to faint?

Syncope, the medical word for fainting, happens twice as frequently in persons over the age of 70 as it does in younger ones, and it can occur up to four times more frequently in adults over the age of 80.

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What can cause someone to pass out?

  1. Fainting can be triggered by a variety of factors, including: fear or other emotional trauma
  2. severe pain
  3. a sudden drop in blood pressure
  4. low blood sugar due to diabetes
  5. hyperventilation
  6. dehydration
  7. standing in one position for an extended period of time
  8. standing up too quickly
  9. and a sudden drop in blood sugar due to diabetes.

What is the most common form of syncope in older patients?

It is the most prevalent type of reflex syncope, and it is caused by the vasovagal reflex, which is mediated by the sympathetic nervous system.When it comes to senior adults, the most typical causes are extended standing or sitting as well as the use of vasodilator medications.In senior persons, the characteristic prodromal symptoms (pallor, diaphoresis, nausea, and warmth) are less noticeable than in younger ones.

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