How to Faint Safely
Watch for dizziness., Watch for changes in vision and hearing., Sit or lie down immediately., Get yourself some space., Try to fall against a wall., Be very careful on stairs., Ask someone for help.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Watch for dizziness.
You might feel a slight, or severe, dizzy spell immediately before you faint.
This is a strong warning sign that your circulation system is not functioning normally.
As soon as you start to feel dizzy at all, stop what you are doing and try to get lower to the ground via sitting or lying down., Your senses will most likely be affected as well in the minutes right before you faint.
You may experience tunnel vision or feeling as if your vision is collapsing into one small tunnel to look through.
You may see spots or blurs.
Your ears might start to ring or feel as if they are giving off a slight buzz.Other major symptoms include a clammy and pale face, numbness in your face and exterior limbs, feelings of severe anxiety, or sudden onset nausea or stomach pains. , When you experience any symptoms related to fainting, the goal is to get as low as possible as quickly as you can.
Many people receive serious injuries not from the fainting, but from the fall to the ground connected with the loss of consciousness.
It is best to lie down on your back or side, but if that is not an option it is okay just to sit down.When you lie down it puts your head at roughly the same level as your heart and encourages circulation to be restored and your blood to head back to your brain easier.
If you are pregnant you should lie down (and usually sleep as well) on your left side to lessen the burden on your heart.If the area is crowded, for example, and it is only safe to sit down that can work as well.
For maximum benefit, hang your head between your legs.
This will encourage the blood to follow gravity and head back down into your brain., If you are in a crowded area it is probably best to touch a wall and slowly try to lean yourself against it.
If needed, you may slide yourself slowly down the wall.
This will prevent you from being trampled while you are on the ground.
Getting away from the crowd might also lower your temperature and make breathing easier. , If it is too late to lie down in a controlled way, then you will want to control the direction of your fall as much as you can.
As you begin to lose consciousness, do your best to angle your body towards a wall if there is one within arm’s reach.
This will allow you to slide down the wall instead of going into a free fall.
You can also make an effort to buckle your knees.
This will have the effect of lowering you to the ground and will lessen your final fall. , If you are on stairs and the symptoms start to appear, move from the inner rail to the outer one connected to a wall.
Sit down on a stair.
If you are close to a landing, try to scoot down on your behind to it where you can then lie down.
If you feel yourself going down before you can sit, try your best to maintain a firm grip on the rail.
It can help to guide you down to the floor even as you lose consciousness.
If nothing else, draping your body partially over the outer rail (against the wall) will slow the course of your fall and turn it into a slide down. , Call out for assistance using your voice.
If your voice isn’t working properly, wave your hands in the air and mouth out the word “help” repeatedly.
Be careful trying to walk towards someone to get help as you could go down mid-step.
If you see someone you might say, “Help! I’m about to pass out!” Or, “Can you help me? I think I’m going to faint.” Don’t be afraid to approach strangers who may be able to help you stay safe.
If you are lucky and someone helps you, they should start by assisting you to the floor if you are not there already.
If you do fall and injure yourself, they should apply pressure to the bleeding area and call for medical assistance.The person assisting should also remove any tight clothing that could be constricting blood flow to your head, such as tight neckties.They will need to make sure your airway is clear and stays that way.
It may be necessary to tilt you to the side if you begin vomiting.
They should check for signs that you are breathing properly, even when unconscious.
If anything looks concerning, they should dial for emergency assistance immediately and wait until help arrives. -
Step 2: Watch for changes in vision and hearing.
-
Step 3: Sit or lie down immediately.
-
Step 4: Get yourself some space.
-
Step 5: Try to fall against a wall.
-
Step 6: Be very careful on stairs.
-
Step 7: Ask someone for help.
Detailed Guide
You might feel a slight, or severe, dizzy spell immediately before you faint.
This is a strong warning sign that your circulation system is not functioning normally.
As soon as you start to feel dizzy at all, stop what you are doing and try to get lower to the ground via sitting or lying down., Your senses will most likely be affected as well in the minutes right before you faint.
You may experience tunnel vision or feeling as if your vision is collapsing into one small tunnel to look through.
You may see spots or blurs.
Your ears might start to ring or feel as if they are giving off a slight buzz.Other major symptoms include a clammy and pale face, numbness in your face and exterior limbs, feelings of severe anxiety, or sudden onset nausea or stomach pains. , When you experience any symptoms related to fainting, the goal is to get as low as possible as quickly as you can.
Many people receive serious injuries not from the fainting, but from the fall to the ground connected with the loss of consciousness.
It is best to lie down on your back or side, but if that is not an option it is okay just to sit down.When you lie down it puts your head at roughly the same level as your heart and encourages circulation to be restored and your blood to head back to your brain easier.
If you are pregnant you should lie down (and usually sleep as well) on your left side to lessen the burden on your heart.If the area is crowded, for example, and it is only safe to sit down that can work as well.
For maximum benefit, hang your head between your legs.
This will encourage the blood to follow gravity and head back down into your brain., If you are in a crowded area it is probably best to touch a wall and slowly try to lean yourself against it.
If needed, you may slide yourself slowly down the wall.
This will prevent you from being trampled while you are on the ground.
Getting away from the crowd might also lower your temperature and make breathing easier. , If it is too late to lie down in a controlled way, then you will want to control the direction of your fall as much as you can.
As you begin to lose consciousness, do your best to angle your body towards a wall if there is one within arm’s reach.
This will allow you to slide down the wall instead of going into a free fall.
You can also make an effort to buckle your knees.
This will have the effect of lowering you to the ground and will lessen your final fall. , If you are on stairs and the symptoms start to appear, move from the inner rail to the outer one connected to a wall.
Sit down on a stair.
If you are close to a landing, try to scoot down on your behind to it where you can then lie down.
If you feel yourself going down before you can sit, try your best to maintain a firm grip on the rail.
It can help to guide you down to the floor even as you lose consciousness.
If nothing else, draping your body partially over the outer rail (against the wall) will slow the course of your fall and turn it into a slide down. , Call out for assistance using your voice.
If your voice isn’t working properly, wave your hands in the air and mouth out the word “help” repeatedly.
Be careful trying to walk towards someone to get help as you could go down mid-step.
If you see someone you might say, “Help! I’m about to pass out!” Or, “Can you help me? I think I’m going to faint.” Don’t be afraid to approach strangers who may be able to help you stay safe.
If you are lucky and someone helps you, they should start by assisting you to the floor if you are not there already.
If you do fall and injure yourself, they should apply pressure to the bleeding area and call for medical assistance.The person assisting should also remove any tight clothing that could be constricting blood flow to your head, such as tight neckties.They will need to make sure your airway is clear and stays that way.
It may be necessary to tilt you to the side if you begin vomiting.
They should check for signs that you are breathing properly, even when unconscious.
If anything looks concerning, they should dial for emergency assistance immediately and wait until help arrives.
About the Author
Evelyn Hayes
Committed to making crafts accessible and understandable for everyone.
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