Managing Your Syncope
Counter Manoeuvres
- As soon as you experience 'pre-syncope' symptoms (hot, clammy, sweaty, nauseous), learn to immediately squat or lie down which could help avoid a complete blackout.
- Do not try to fight your symptoms by standing up. You are not stronger than your blood pressure and it will win!
- If you are not able to lie down, cross your ankles and tense your calf-muscles as this will help to get the blood pumping around your body and increase your blood pressure, combine this movement with buttock clenching to make effects more pronounced which will alleviate the symptoms. This is a really useful exercise if you are caught at the supermarket checkout!!
- If you are able, sit down immediately or, if possible lie down flat and put your legs in the air - for example against a wall or propped up on pillows, if you can it is preferable to do a cycling movement with your legs.
Professor Wouter Wieling, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam and member of STARS Medical Advisory Committee highlights the importance of Counter Manoeuvres for patients with syncope.
View Counter manoeuvres in video
Daily Routine
- When getting up in the morning, sit on the side of the bed for a few minutes before attempting to stand up. If you feel dizzy, sit down for a few more minutes then start again. If you are able, ask someone to bring you a cup of tea and a biscuit before rising.
- Eat regular meals, particularly breakfast. Low blood sugar is no friend of people who faint!
- As a rule blood pressure is higher during the afternoon so try to schedule your activities for that part of the day.
- Try to avoid tasks that include prolonged periods of standing, especially if having to stand still – not a good idea!
- Sleep with the top end of your bed raised a few inches. This will help prevent fluid loss during the night and so help keep your blood pressure up.
Salt and Water
Despite medical advice to avoid salt, if you are a syncope sufferer then there is different advice for you – as long as you do not have a medical condition that contradicts this - and that is to increase your intake of salt and water !
It is recommended that you drink around 2 litres of fluids a day and increase the amount of salt in your diet. For best results, try to drink about 1.5 litres of fluid when you get up and then sufficient fluid to keep your urine clear for the rest of the day. These measures will help increase the volume of your blood, raise your blood pressure and prevent a blackout.
Summer Days
As soon as the weather becomes warmer, you may find you need to increase your fluid intake and take a drink more often. It is very easy to become dehydrated in the hot weather and this is one of the most common triggers. A little extra salt may also be necessary. Avoid getting overheated – ensure you have your fans for those lovely balmy days that everyone seems to enjoy, except you! Wear loose clothing.
Tried and Tested Tips
- Support tights worn during the day can help prevent blood from pooling in your legs, but remove them before going to bed.
- Regular exercise can improve the muscle tone in your legs which will help return blood to your heart, good for the legs also!
- Avoid activities that cause you to strain, such as lifting heavy objects as this can cause the heart rate to slow down and so lower the blood pressure. Men may benefit from sitting whilst they urinate.
- Small frequent meals are preferable to large meals which can cause the blood vessels to enlarge and reduce blood pressure. For the same reason it is advisable for some sufferers to avoid alcohol, or at least an excess of it.
- If working in a hot atmosphere, open plan offices or a small area, it is advisable to have a fan on hand for those days when you are not one hundred percent.
Alert Cards
STARS offers Alert Cards which are the size of a credit card. They provide key information on what to do in the event of an RAS or Syncope attack.