By: Kathy Hubbard
Christine was a former employee of mine who had type 1 diabetes. Back then, the only way she could check her blood sugar level was to draw a drop of blood. Her co-worker, Marc, if he saw her do it would pass out. He’d go pale and go down. He had vasovagal syncope.
Cleveland Clinic’s website explains that “vasovagal syncope happens when your nervous system overacts, and you pass out from things like feeling anxiety or exhaustion or seeing needles. Vasovagal syncope is the most common type of reflex syncope, which happens automatically for reasons you can’t control.
“Vasovagal syncope happens when your nervous system overreacts and your blood pressure and heart rate drop suddenly, causing you to faint or pass out. You’re usually unconscious for less than one minute. It may seem scary, but this type of fainting is usually harmless.”
Harmless, until the person hits his head when falling, or has something worse happen in a work environment. Fortunately, that never happened. Unfortunately, Christine never felt the need to go to the restroom to poke her pinky.
Cleveland says that vasovagal syncope is sometimes called neurocardiogenic syncope because factors involving your heart, brain or both cause it. And what I really was surprised at is that they figure one out of three people will experience it at least once in their life.
“It can happen to people of all age groups. In people under 40 most cases of fainting are vasovagal syncope. In older adults, it makes up about half of the cases of fainting. Most of the time episodes happen when you’re standing or sitting. It’s rare for it to occur if you’re lying down.”
Roughly thirty to sixty minutes before a vasovagal syncopal episode you may experience a sudden feeling of tiredness, feel suddenly warm, lightheaded or dizzy, go pale, feel nauseous, start to sweat profusely, have a slow pulse, start yawning or have tunnel vision.
This is all going on in your autonomic nervous system, which is the system that works without you having to think about it. Although fainting at the sight of blood is common, more common is seeing needles or medical instruments. I have a friend who says he passes out when he sees the blood pressure cuff.
Other triggers can be stress, anxiety or emotional upset and fatigue or exhaustion. “Over exertion, even just from standing too long, can be enough to cause you to pass out,” Cleveland says.
They also say, “During a vasovagal syncope episode you may experience brief disorientation or confusion; eyes staying open but rolling up and back into your head; falling when you lose consciousness; loss of bladder control; twitching movements, which people may mistake for a seizure.
“Once you come to, you’ll usually recover in about 20 to 30 seconds. Then, you may experience anxiety or nervousness; dizziness; fatigue; headache; nausea; pale skin; sweating, and an urge to poop.”
If you faint, you should seek emergency medical treatment right away. Cleveland tells us that serious or life-threatening conditions can cause vasovagal syncope. A healthcare provider should examine you to make sure a more serious underlying condition didn’t cause you to pass out.
Most people will recover on their own, but for others there are treatments available including IV fluids, trigger education and avoidance, and medications. Your provider may recommend counter-pressure maneuvers. “These include crossing your legs and squeezing your leg muscles tightly for several seconds, as well as interlocking your fists and pulling your arms apart. These maneuvers can help increase your blood pressure and prevent you from fainting,” Cleveland said.
Cleveland says that “many people who have vasovagal syncope can limit its impact on their lives. They can learn to recognize the symptoms and avoid known triggers. Knowing what it feels like before you have an episode can allow you to lie on your back or sit so you don’t get hurt if you fall.”
Apparently, Marc was able to do all the things he needed to do for his vasovagal syncope, the last I heard he’d left the newspaper to go into the medical field, but I am going to assume, not as a phlebotomist!
Kathy Hubbard was a charter member of Bonner General Health Foundation. She can be reached at [email protected]. This article was written for publication in the Bonner County Daily Bee on August 19, 2026.