Should I be concerned about these fainting episodes or am I worrying over nothing?

Ok so Im in my twenties and do very intense physical activity most days of the week either in the form of sprinting or running. Im wondering if I should be worried though about sudden heart death as I have fainted 5 times in the past. I dont know whether theres a good explanation for each though or if theres something wrong robably. Once when I was 11 in the school playground Id just finshed playing or whatever and was lining up for lunch. I felt really weird, got anxious, saw like white specs then woke up on the floor minutes later.

The second time was when I was 14, I had flu and woke up then fainted in the bathroom everything faded black.

The third time was when I was 17 I started a new job in a frozen factory and after 15 minutes started to feel really anxious and weird I think it was psychological cause i didnt like being there on a conveyor belt with loads of people around. I felt sick, saw white specs then woke up on the floo. For about 5 minutes after i woke up it felt like nothing was real.

The fourth time was at college I had period pains and didnt want to go in but my friend said that id get in trouble and would get kicked out so I told myself to stop being a coward and went in. I ended up fainting and was unconcious for like 5 minutes.

The fift time I was 19, had period cramps again at a bus stop, got anxious and fainted. Ive not fainted for about 6 years but still over the years have felt really anxious, the thought of fainting has made me even more anxious ive got like a phobia of it now. They say that yo cant faint when you are anxious but all the times i fainted i was anxious.

Anyway yea Ive had 2 ecg's where they fit those electrode things to you for 2 minutes both were normal apparantly. Im very active and have felt ok when running and pushing myself to exhaustion but in the back of my mind I always feel theres something wrong. When i tell people ive fainted 5 times they say its not normal for someone whos healthy and fit.

What do you think?

Reply 1

livefires

I agree with Billton, if you're worried then speak to your doctor about it.

I'm 25 and have fainted 4 times that I know of - once when I was young and hurt myself (I was about 3 so don't remember the exact details), once when I was 12 I hadn't eaten properly the night before and got up quickly to see my Mum before she went to bed (she'd been on night shift) but I think that was low blood sugar, once at 14 after an injection at school (had to lie down for half an hour after every injection after that :colondollar:

) and the most recent when I was 16 and got my tattoo (I know, but given that my Mum paid for it I don't feel too bad about it!) the tattoo artist said you couldn't faint while lying down. I'm still not sure if that one was because of the needle or to prove a point. Anyway, my point is that I'm confident of the cause of most of those episodes and so I'm not worried about it even though I'm otherwise healthy, yours seem to be associated with pain, anxiety or illness but if you're at all worried then that is what your doctor is there for.

Reply 2

KCosmo

Please don't chance it, see a doctor. It could well be nothing, but it's worth a small appointment to make sure. It's also good for simply letting your doctor know, so that for future ailments in later life etc. they have a clearer picture :smile:

Reply 3

nextplanet

Original post by KCosmo

I saw a doctor after most of the faints and they listened to the heart and said it was a 'simple' faint. I went about 2 years ago cause i was worried and he said 'why are you asking about something that happened 4 years ago'. Ive not fainted for about 6 years but im wondering if im at higher risk of sudden heart death.

Reply 4

livefires

Original post by nextplanet

That's what you need to tell your doctor when he asks why you're worried about something that happened 6 years ago. I can tell you as a biologist that I can't think that it would make you more at risk of sudden heart death but I don't know your family history or any other factors in your medical history that, combined with the fainting, might increase your risk. Your doctor has access to this information and it is his job to keep you informed, to the best of his ability based on the symptoms and histories you provide, as to what concerns there are to your future health.

Reply 5

KCosmo

Original post by nextplanet

Hmm, in that case I'm unsure. If the doctor said it was a "simple" faint then it's probably nothing to worry about. It depends how concerned you are about it, being anxious about your health is a health risk in itself, but it seems like there isn't much more they could tell you. Personally, I wouldn't make an appointment just for that, but would ask for more information the next time you happen to have an appointment for something else. If you're losing sleep over this, see them, but I wouldn't worry about it if you already have the all clear :smile:

Should I be concerned about these fainting episodes or am I worrying over nothing?

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