Fainting Should Be Evaluated by Doctors Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

Fainting Should Be Evaluated by Doctors

The AHA says it could be due to an underlying heart disease

Occasional fainting is not necessarily cause for concern, but if it’s repetitive, it needs to be addressed. Kay Blaschke/Getty Images or taking a higher dose of blood pressure-lowering medication. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. When people faint, they lose consciousness because of a drop in blood pressure. That results in a lack of oxygen to the brain. Occasional fainting is not necessarily cause for concern, but if it’s repetitive, it needs to be addressed. About 14 percent of people have recurrent fainting. The guidelines say people who faint for any reason should get a and provide their doctor with a detailed medical history. The office visit may include an electrocardiogram — a simple, inexpensive test of the heart’s electrical activity that can help spot heart-related causes of fainting. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS