Vasovagal Syncope Essay -- Fainting Medical Health Essays

Vasovagal Syncope My best friend "Dirk" can easily be picked out of a crowd. His 6'7 stature, impressive muscle mass, very blond hair, big blue eyes, and booming voice cause many people to stare at him-once, in Europe, a Japanese couple asked if they could take a picture of him. Addicted to weight lifting and athletics, my friend does not always enjoy admitting that he is a computer engineer-yes, my 22-year-old buddy is still afraid of the geek label. There is something else to which Dirk will not readily admit-he faints at the sight of blood. In fact, many things can trigger his fainting spells: blood, vomit, overheating, etc. Dirk lives next door to my parents; we grew up together. Recently, he and my sister ran over from his house to ours, which is a distance of about 50 feet. My sister had not worn shoes; when they got to our house, they walked through two rooms before Dirk got dizzy. My sister had cut her foot, and the blood that had spread over the tile floor made Dirk turn his head away, and sit down. My mother ran to the rescue-Dirk's, not my sister's. She helped him breath deeply, and luckily he avoided fainting. A few Christmases ago, Dirk caught a stomach virus. He made it to the bathroom just in time, but seconds after vomiting, he fell to the floor, and blocked the door. His parents frantically tried to open the door, they tried to revive him by screaming for probably five minutes, which seemed like an eternity to them at the time. Eventually they revived him. The summer before that Christmas, Dirk was golfing with his high school's golf team on a hot July afternoon. At the end of the course, he and his coach walked to the parking lot. All of a sudden, Dirk toppled like a tree onto th... ...ncope. Perhaps more research will lead to more conclusive knowledge about the condition. Works Cited: 1)Med Help International, This website offers a forum for those with medical questions, allowing them to ask the advice of a physician. http://www.medhelp.org/forums/cardio/archive/5482.html 2)London Cardiac Institute, This organization provides information to patients on several conditions. The patients are referred to the pages by their physicians. http://www.londoncardiac.ca/pages/vvs.htm 3)Karen Yontz Women's Cardiac Awareness Center, Health Wise Physician's Corner provides information about several medical conditions. http://www.karenyontzcenter.org/healthwise/phys_corner/phys_cor_Berger.htm 4)Tilt Table Test http://pwp.netcabo.pt/0413553701/tilt_eng.htm 5)Health and Age http://www.healthandage.com/html/res/com/ConsHerbs/Licoricech.html