Fainting

[Littlegraybook]

Hi,

I had my first try at a local recruiting command outdoor PT and I almost fainted half way. It was really cold out and I had a long sleeve and that's it. We did star jumps (which made me so dizzy and lost my sense of hearing and was seeing stars I had to go take a breather), and then that push up position feet shuffle thing.... then by the time we were doing squats I almost fainted :(

I strength train quite a lot but my cardio is absolutely crap. Will I survive bootcamp? My will is there and my muscles aren't tired but I really can't help it if I can't see or hear (and fainting!!). I can definitely do the basic physical requirements. Were any of you guys as bad as me? It would encourage me tremendously if I know people like me survived bootcamp. I am trying really hard right now to get better!

Thank you all for reading.

[caat31]

If you know your cardio is that bad you really need to get on it and hit it hard. The only way your gonna get better is if you take it upon yourself to work on it. If a little PT session is making you feel like that than boot camp is gonna be tough.

[Littlegraybook]

Yes sir, I am doing everything I can to improve. I wonder if it's an isolated case because of the cold weather, but I am trying very hard to improve.

[Old Marine]

What happened to you is not normal. Suggest you get checked by a real doctor.

[doc h fmf]

I WOULD RECOMEND SEEING A CARDIOLOGIST TO CHECK YOU OUT. not to scare you but people who ignored dizzness like that wind uip having a heart attack or OTHER HEART RELATED ILLNESS

GOODLUCK

stephen doc hansen hm3 FMF

[Littlegraybook]

Yes sir, I am planning on doing a heart check up as part of my medical before enlistment. Do you all happen to know if that's covered by the government? Or if MEPS will do a sufficient heart examination?

Thanks once again. I really do hope this won't stop me from enlisting!

[Lisa 23]

Understanding Fainting -- the Basics

What Is Fainting?

Fainting, also called syncope (pronounced SIN-ko-pe), is a sudden, brief loss of consciousness and posture caused by decreased blood flow to the brain. Many different conditions can cause fainting. These include heart problems such as irregular heart beat, seizures, panic or anxiety attacks, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), anemia (a deficiency in healthy oxygen carrying cells), and problems with how the nervous system (the body's system of nerves) regulates blood pressure. Some types of fainting seem to run in families. While fainting may indicate a particular medical condition, sometimes it may occur in an otherwise healthy individual. Fainting is a particular problem for the elderly, who may suffer serious injuries from falls when they faint. Most episodes are very brief. In most cases, the individual who has fainted regains complete consciousness within just a few minutes.

Fainting is a common problem, accounting for 3% of emergency room visits and 6% of hospital admissions. It can happen in otherwise healthy people. A person may feel faint and lightheaded (presyncope) or lose consciousness (syncope).


What Causes Fainting?

Fainting may have a variety of causes. A simple faint, also called a vasovagal attack or neurally-mediated syncope, is the most common type of fainting. It is most common in children and young adults. A vasovagal attack happens because blood pressure drops, reducing circulation to the brain and causing loss of consciousness. Typically an attack occurs while standing and is frequently preceded by a sensation of warmth, nausea, lightheadedness and visual "grayout." If the syncope is prolonged, it can trigger a seizure.

You may suffer from a simple faint due to anxiety, fear, pain, intense emotional stress, hunger or use of alcohol or drugs. Most people who suffer from simple fainting have no underlying heart or neurological (nerve or brain) problem.

Some people have a problem with the way their body regulates their blood pressure, particularly when they move too quickly from a lying or sitting position to a standing position. This condition is called postural hypotension and may be severe enough to cause fainting. This type of fainting is more common in the elderly, people who recently had a lengthy illness that kept them in bed and people who have poor muscle tone.

The following can cause fainting, too:

Diseases of the autonomic nervous system. Your autonomic nervous system is the part of your nervous system that controls involuntary vital functions, such as the beating of your heart, the degree to which your blood vessels are constricted, and breathing. Autonomic nervous system problems include acute or subacute dysautonomia, chronic post-ganglionic autonomic insufficiency, and chronic pre-ganglionic autonomic insufficiency. If you have one of these disorders, you are likely to have other serious symptoms, such as erectile dysfunction (inability to have or maintain an erection), loss of bladder and bowel control, loss of the normal reflexes of your pupils, or decreased sweating, tearing, and salivation.
Conditions that interfere with the parts of the nervous system that regulate blood pressure and heart rate. These conditions include diabetes, alcoholism, malnutrition, and amyloidosis (in which waxy protein builds up in the tissues and organs). If you take certain high blood pressure medications, which act on your blood vessels, you may be more likely to suffer from fainting. If you are dehydrated, which may affect the amount of blood in your body and, thus, your blood pressure, you may be more likely to faint.
Heart or blood vessel problems that interfere with blood flow to the brain. These may include heart block (a problem with the electrical impulses that control your heart muscle), problems with the sinus node (a specialized area of your heart that helps it beat), heart arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm), a blood clot in your lungs, an abnormally narrowed aortic heart valve, or certain other problems with the structure of your heart.
Conditions that may cause unusual patterns of stimulation to particular nerves. These include micturition syncope (fainting during or after urination), glossopharyngeal neuralgia (fainting due to inflammation and pain in a particular nerve to the mouth); cough syncope (fainting after intense coughing) and stretch syncope (fainting that occurs when stretching the neck and arms).
Hyperventilation. If you become intensely anxious or panicked and breathe too quickly, you may faint from hyperventilation (taking in too much oxygen and getting rid of too much carbon dioxide too quickly).
http://www.webmd.com/brain/understanding-fainting-basics

[Littlegraybook]

Thank you ma'am for researching! I've been frantically researching this myself but according to my med school friends, it might not be a heart condition because I did not have chest pain. I will try to get an appointment with a cardiologist for a thorough examination.

Please let me know if anyone knows if heart check ups are covered by the government and/or if MEPS will perform them.

Thank you all once again!

[Lisa 23]

Teyu...you don't have to experience chest pain to have a heart condition.
If I remember correctly, the young basketball player, who died right after hitting the winning shot for his high school basketball team, died because he had an enlarged heart, and I don't think he, or even his parents, knew that he had an enlarged heart.
I'm not saying that you do, but it's better to get checked out on why you are fainting. It could be happening for a number of reasons. As the saying goes..."it's better to be safe than sorry."

Good luck to you!:thumbup:

[Littlegraybook]

You are absolutely right Ma'am. I will certainly get it checked out. Thank you so much for researching for me!

[Lisa 23]

You're Welcome...and do keep us posted on how you make out.

[Lisa 23]

Also...be sure to keep yourself hydrated, that's very important. That could be another possibility for you fainting. And when PTing outdoors, dress warm and wear a stocking cap. Gotta cover up that brain housing group...lol!

[Amtracker1833]

Also...be sure to keep yourself hydrated, that's very important. That could be another possibility for you fainting. And when PTing outdoors, dress warm and wear a stocking cap. Gotta cover up that brain housing group...lol!

The beanie is a life saver until, you start running then it's bad for you, i hate running in the cold, doesn't everybody?

[Littlegraybook]

UPDATE:

I ran outside today (~36 degrees) and with proper breathing I felt fine after. I had a beanie and dressed warmly and it made a world of difference! I must have been poorly dressed and was breathing out of rhythm at PT. Endurance is definitely both head and physical knowledge! Obviously it wasn't long distance and I had intervals of walking, but at least I wasn't fainting haha.

Thank you all very much for tips and encouragement. It means a lot to me.

[rktect3j]

I think we are all hoping that you take the advice given to see the doctor.

[Littlegraybook]

Oh yes I'm definitely going to.

[Littlegraybook]

UPDATE:

Ran 30min no sign of dizziness.

Physical this coming Tuesday confirmed. Will keep you Marines updated. Thanks once again!

[MarinesFTW]

Just a quick input to a question you hand. The government will not pay for you to go because technically you are not part of the government yet. I don't know about MEPs but I highly doubt it because they have no reason for it.

[Marine1011]

Here's what is amazing to me. Dizziness being a symptom of something potentially serious, and it occurs doing regular exercises, and the doctor isn't the very first person sought, it is a forum.
That amazes me.
If you had to call 911, would you come to a Marine site first and see if there would be anything they could do?
It's just amazing that we are so helpless these days.

[Zulu 36]

A little tip from an ex-paramedic. Cold weather, plus poor cardio-fitness (and/or other cardio problems) can lead to shortness of breath, possible chest pains, and if an underlying heart condition is present, either a heart attack or an arrhythmia problem can occur.

Shortness of breath and/or a sudden vasodilation of blood vessels as a result of your brain trying to maintain your body temperature, can cause the fainting. Not enough oxygen to the old brain.

Dressing for the weather and improving your cardio-fitness can help a lot. However, the advice from other Marines to see a doctor is right on.

When I was working ambulances (in Michigan) we knew that after a snow fall, we were going out on cardiac runs sooner or later that day. Always.

[Zulu 36]

But wouldn't someone just see a doctor asap? Just to be sure?


He said he has an appointment on Tuesday.

[Littlegraybook]

Hi all,

Sorry for the late reply.

I had my appointment and had EKG, blood test and all of that. Everything turned out to be normal. Thank you guys for your concern!

I have also gone to MEPS and taken my oath. I am now a Poolee! Shipdate June 13th 2011! So very excited!

[Littlegraybook]

Thank you sir! I will do my absolute best!

[Zulu 36]

Excellent news, Teyu. Make sure you're dressed for the weather AND had something to eat before you go out for PT.

Good luck with everything.

[Littlegraybook]

Thank you sir for your comments! I will be shipping out to San Diego so weather shouldn't be a problem :)

[Lisa 23]

Glad to hear everything turned out to be OK for you.
And as Zulu already mentioned to you, make sure you're dressed for the weather AND had something to eat before you go out for PT.

Best of luck to you!

[Littlegraybook]

Thank you Ma'am!

[Lisa 23]

You're welcome! :thumbup: