Title: Blackout (loss of consciousness) | definition of Blackout (loss of consciousness) by Medical dictionary
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fainting
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Content: When an older person feels faint upon turning the head or looking upward suddenly, the cause could be osteoarthritis of the neck bones. Osteoarthritis damages the cartilage between the neck bones and causes pressure on blood vessels leading to the brain. Fainting can be a symptom of a disease such as Stokes-Adams syndrome, a condition in which blood flow to the brain is temporarily reduced because of an irregular heartbeat. Some people may experience fainting associated with weakness in the limbs or a temporary problem in speaking caused by obstructed blood flow in vessels passing through the neck to the brain. Pregnant women frequently feel faint. Fainting may also occur as a result of low blood sugar. Low blood sugar can occur if a person skips a meal or has diabetes. Fainting can also be caused by: prolonged coughing
straining to defecate or urinate
blowing a wind instrument too hard
remaining in a stuffy environment with too little oxygen
Sometimes fainting may be caused by a temporary drop in the blood supply to the brain caused by a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA, sometimes called a mini-stroke, is a disruption in the blood supply to the brain caused by a blocked or burst blood vessel.