While new words can make us swoon, they are unlikely to cause us to faint or lose consciousness. But as word lovers we can examine the word faint itself. What exactly is fainting, and what is the more formal medical term for it?
What is the medical term for fainting?
In medicine, the term syncope is used to refer to fainting. Generally, this term is used to specifically refer to the act of spontaneously losing consciousness for a brief time and then quickly recovering. Longer, more serious periods of unconsciousness are usually described using other terms, such as coma.
According to medical practitioners, syncope is not always a cause for concern, and many people will go their entire lives without experiencing it. However, unexplained syncope may be caused by a more serious illness, such as a heart condition.
Healthcare professionals use medical terms—such as syncope—to provide universal medical care and standardize communication within the medical field.
Ready to learn the medical term for itching? Time to scratch this one off the list.
Examples of medical terms that include syncope
Syncope is often organized in different categories. These categories are mostly defined by the psychological or medical cause that resulted in the temporary loss of consciousness. Many types of syncope are related to abnormal heart conditions or abnormal blood pressure. Some examples of these terms related to syncope include:
- cardiac or cardiovascular syncope (fainting caused by heart issues or abnormal blood pressure)
- reflex syncope or vasovagal syncope (fainting caused by a neurological reaction to something)
- neurocardiogenic syncope (fainting caused by being overwhelmed in reaction to a stimulus)
- orthostatic syncope (fainting caused by a sudden decrease in blood pressure)
- cerebrovascular syncope (fainting caused by an issue with the blood vessels in the brain)
Examples of non-medical synonyms for fainting
Outside of the realm of medicine, we do have some words to describe what occurs when someone faints. These words might include:
