Treatment Options for Unexplained Fainting

Medication, or even simple lifestyle changes such as drinking more fluids, can often prevent fainting. If your doctor suspects a more serious, heart-related cause, heart monitoring may help your doctor determine the right treatment for you.

Lifestyle Changes

Simple lifestyle changes such as the following can sometimes help prevent fainting:

• Avoiding potential triggers like hot environments, prolonged standing, dehydration, certain medications
• Consuming adequate fluid and salt
• Wearing support stockings
• Standing up slowly

Treatment if Fainting Is Heart-Related

If your doctor suspects that your fainting is from a heart-related cause such as an abnormal heart rhythm, he or she may prescribe additional testing or heart monitoring to help determine the cause. An insertable cardiac monitor (ICM) may help your doctor to rule in or rule out an abnormal heart rhythm as the cause of your fainting. Treatment options may include a lifestyle change, medication, an implantable pacemaker or implantable defibrillator, or an ablation procedure. Your doctor will decide on the treatment based on your condition.

Treatment With Medication

If you continue to have fainting spells after making some simple lifestyle changes, your doctor may prescribe a medication. It is helpful to determine the cause of the fainting in order to recommend the most appropriate medicine for your condition.

Next: About Insertable Cardiac Monitors