Are You Experiencing Sporadic Fainting or Lightheadedness? Go To A Cardiac Care Center

Posted on: 17 September 2021

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If you have been experiencing sporadic fainting or you've been feeling like you're going to faint on a regular basis and have yet to pinpoint the cause, you should have your heart monitored by a cardiac care center. Here's what you need to know and how a cardiac care center can help. 

Syncope and Presyncope

The medical terminology for fainting is syncope. Presyncope is the sensation of feeling as if you are going to faint. Sometimes, people can pinpoint the cause of their fainting, such as a drop in their blood pressure that is triggered when they stand up. This may be orthostatic hypotension or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, either of which warrants a referral to a cardiac care center. 

Causes Involving the Heart 

Sometimes, the cause of the syncope or presyncope is not easily pinpointed as having a trigger because it's due to something wrong with the heart, such as heart valve disease, pericarditis, cardiac arrhythmia, and cardiomyopathy. Because of the possibility of something being wrong with your heart, it's crucial to be evaluated by a cardiologist at a cardiac care center. 

Tests to Expect

When you visit the cardiac care center the first time, be sure you tell them that your syncope and/or presyncope is sporadic. They will likely still conduct tests in the care center, such as an electrocardiogram, but to truly see the sporadic nature of your syncope and/or presyncope, you will likely be given a Holter monitor to wear for a period of at least several days to two weeks. The Holter monitor is a device that is worn on your body and has leads that you will be shown how to tape to your chest. The device can be attached to the waist of your pants or placed into a pocket on your shirt.

For long-term testing, your monitor will be monitored in real time. The monitor has the capability of connecting to the monitoring service at the cardiac care center where someone will be monitoring the device around the clock if your cardiologist deems this action necessary. While you're wearing the Holter monitor, you will be instructed to push a button on the device any time you feel presyncope. This will alert the cardiac care center's monitoring staff to look at your Holter monitor's results. If they see anything concerning involving your heart, they can call 911 for you or call you immediately to make an appointment for prompt care in the cardiac center.