About Unexplained Fainting

Some causes of unexplained fainting are harmless, or can be addressed with simple lifestyle changes. But others can be more serious. A monitoring device from Medtronic may help your doctor rule in or out if an abnormal heart rhythm is causing you to faint. 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. If you experience infrequent, unexplained fainting, your doctor may prescribe an insertable cardiac monitor. The monitor records your heart's activity over long periods of time. So the next time you faint, your doctor can download information from the monitor, which may help your doctor determine whether the fainting is caused by an irregular heartbeat.