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My niece is 12. On about three or four occasions over the last year or two, she has passed out or fainted. Once was on the softball field; once was at school; once or twice was at home. In each time she was later found to
be either dehydrated or very fatigued; the most recent time she was also suffering from strep throat.
My sister, of course, is horribly concerned, and has taken her to a couple of doctors who have checked her daughter out. However, the consensus seems to be that "some kids do this" -- basically, that some children's bodies have this reaction to getting sick, overly fatigued or dehydrated.
Has anyone heard of this or had this experience? Will a child grow out of it? Is there a specialist we should be taking her to? What is actually going on in her body when she loses consciousness this way?
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Can you tell us more about what you've read regarding the "tilt test", and why you are looking for a specific diagnosis? Does this test diagnose or screen for other conditions as well?
I hope your daughter is doing well, and we will all be interested to hear back from you!
October 6, 2009 - 2:52pmThis Comment
My daughter who is 9 does this. She passed out in the morning during a shower. She passed out at a store--followed by a seizure. She has also passed out at school. I had an EEG done--it was fine. Now I am going to have an EKG done just to be on the safe side. The doctor does think she was deydrated at school and in the shower and she was not feeling well at the store. It is was very scarey. They said she is just one of those kids that has vasovagal syncope (passes out). I wish all of you suffering from this the best. P.S. I too was a childhood fainter.
September 21, 2009 - 6:38pmThis Comment
Have the doctor's been able to diagnose why your daughter is having seizures? This is a different condition than the fainting episodes that are being discussed on this thread, so I wanted to make sure that you are receiving the appropriate information.
March 16, 2010 - 12:44pmThis Comment
It would be good to rule out a cardiology issue. My daughter has Mitral Valve Prolapse and this is a side effect. We didn't know she had it until she was 8 years old. She is healthy and followed by a cardiologist. She does a lot of sports too. It would be best to speak with your pediatrician and write as much data down as you can to figure out the best treatment.
May 29, 2009 - 9:59pmThis Comment
My 12 year old son passed out at the grocery store today. I turned around and he was on the ground. I went over to him and checked for a pulse. He had one. His eyes were open, but he was unresponsive. It was several seconds before he snapped out of it. (He has been suffering from allergies for a couple of weeks and then today he was complaining of a headache and sore leg muscles.) When I took him to the dr. I was told that he probably has strep throat or mono. (said his glands were really swollen and he had a fever.) He was given an antibiotic. Does this sound right? I've had strep throat many times and never passed out.
May 29, 2009 - 7:18pmThis Comment
Hi, Anon:
I'm sorry to hear this happened to your son. I hope he's alright, now.
Even though you might not have experienced this, your son is not you. You've stated that he was already dealing with issues; so, chances are, he was already feeling weakened. It's not a good sign that he was complaining of headache and sore muscles.
My oldest son went through about 3 years of mysterious fevers and muscle aches that would cause him to go days on end without being able to get out of bed. We never did get a definite diagnosis, and I don't know if the age is at all significant; but it sure was unsettling. He was around 12 when it started.
I would encourage you to have your doctor look further into your son's complaints and lingering issues, jut to make sure there isn't something more serious than strep or allergies going on.
May 29, 2009 - 8:04pmThis Comment
Interesting- my 11 year old fainted twice in school this year. He had never fainted previously. The Cardiologist is calling it vasovagal syncope and told me that many pre-teens get this. He said the only help is for him to constantly drink water.
April 29, 2009 - 3:52pmThis Comment
my friend fainted the last three times he stepped outside today, what can that be?
April 28, 2009 - 10:51amThis Comment
Without knowing your friend's health condition, it's impossible to say what can cause his fainting. My recommendation is that he contact his physician immediately and get checked.
I hope he didn't hurt himself in a fall when he fainted!
April 29, 2009 - 5:06pmThis Comment
Fatigue and dehydration can often be contributing factors, especially dehydration. As an adult, I also have these issues.
I hope your daughter is only dealing with those types of issues and not something more serious, like a heart or respiratory issue. Please let us know what you find out.
April 14, 2009 - 4:38pmThis Comment