Behind the beauty of those in the public eye lies a unique regimen. [Their Health Aesthetics] looks at the diets, exercise routines, treatments, and beauty and fashion choices of newsmakers as everyday lifestyle information.

[Seo Jung-hee's SNS]
[Seo Jung-hee's SNS]

Broadcaster Seo Jung-hee said she has experienced repeated fainting spells for about 50 years without knowing the cause. She began suddenly losing consciousness and collapsing as a middle school student, and once fainted while taking a half-body bath, cracking a tooth in the fall. She said she now believes her symptoms are linked to "vagus nerve dysfunction" and copes by lying down immediately whenever she senses warning signs.

Seo recently wrote on her SNS, "It took 50 years to learn the name. For 50 years, my body had no name."

She said that as a middle schooler she often collapsed on her way to school due to anemia, but even after the anemia resolved, unexplained fainting continued once or twice a year. She said she would lose a minute or two of memory each time she fainted, and would come to find herself lying on the floor.

She once fainted while taking a half-body bath and cracked a tooth in the incident. After looking into the circumstances and warning signs surrounding her fainting episodes with her daughter Seo Dong-joo, she came across the term "vagus nerve dysfunction" while researching the condition.

Singer and guitarist Lee Sang-soon also recently paused his radio hosting duties after doctors advised he needed rest for "vagus nerve dysfunction."

Hot places, long standing, dehydration: Sudden blood pressure drops can trigger fainting

One common cause of recurring fainting is "vasovagal syncope," often also called "vagal syncope." It occurs when the autonomic nervous system overreacts to a specific trigger, causing blood pressure to drop or the heart rate to slow, which momentarily reduces blood flow to the brain and leads to a loss of consciousness.

Common triggers include standing for long periods, intense heat, dehydration, fatigue, pain, fear and tension. Some people faint at the moment of a blood draw or injection, or after standing for a long time in a crowded place.

The "fainting during a half-body bath" that Seo described is worth noting as well. Staying in hot water for a long time can dilate blood vessels in the skin and lower blood pressure. If this is compounded by dehydration from heavy sweating, or if a person stands up suddenly from the tub, blood flow to the brain can briefly drop. This raises the likelihood of dizziness or fainting.

For this reason, those who have fainted before should be cautious about long baths in very hot water or sauna use. When getting out of the tub, moving slowly rather than standing up abruptly, and drinking enough water to avoid dehydration, can help.

When determining the cause of fainting, the circumstances under which a person collapsed are crucial. Medical institutions may check the situation right before the episode, any warning signs, how long it lasted and the recovery process. They may also conduct blood pressure and pulse measurements along with an electrocardiogram. If needed, a tilt-table test may also be used. It monitors changes in heart rate and blood pressure as a patient is moved from lying down to an upright position.

Cold sweat, nausea, blurred vision: Lie down at the first warning sign, do not push through

While vasovagal syncope can strike without warning, in many cases the body signals trouble before a person actually collapses.

Common warning signs include nausea, cold sweats, and the body feeling hot or turning pale. Vision may blur or narrow, the ears may feel muffled, and the whole body can feel drained of strength.

Seo described her own coping method: "If my vision blurs, I stop walking. If I break into a sweat, I stop what I'm doing. If I feel nauseated and my strength drains away, I lie down no matter what."

In practice, once warning signs appear, trying to "just hold on a little longer" while remaining standing can be the most dangerous choice. If a person loses consciousness while still on their feet, they can fall and hit their head or face on the floor or furniture. This can result in secondary injuries such as fractures or lacerations.

The first step is to lie down in a safe spot and, if possible, raise the legs above the level of the heart, which can help increase blood flow back to the brain. If lying down is not immediately possible, sitting and lowering the head is another option.

If there is enough time before losing consciousness and the person can still move, physical counterpressure maneuvers can help. These include crossing the legs and tensing the thigh and buttock muscles, clasping the hands together and pulling against each other, or clenching the fists tightly. Contracting large muscle groups can temporarily raise blood pressure, helping to avoid fainting or at least buying time to lie down safely.

It is also important to identify the circumstances under which symptoms typically occur. If episodes repeat in hot environments or after prolonged standing, avoiding those situations and drinking enough fluids can help. However, sharply increasing salt intake on one's own can be problematic for people with high blood pressure or heart or kidney disease, so this should be discussed with a doctor first.

Collapsed suddenly during exercise or while lying down? Rule out cardiac syncope

However, it is important not to simply assume, after a single collapse, that it must be vasovagal syncope.

Fainting can stem from many causes besides vasovagal syncope, including orthostatic hypotension, dehydration, medication side effects, arrhythmias and structural heart disease. Cardiac syncope in particular, though rare, can signal an underlying condition tied to a risk of sudden death, so it must be distinguished from other causes.

A key warning situation is suddenly collapsing during exercise. Simple vasovagal syncope may appear right after stopping exercise. But if a person actually loses consciousness while still exercising, cardiac causes such as arrhythmia or a structural heart abnormality need to be checked first.

The same applies to collapsing suddenly with no warning signs such as cold sweat or dizziness, or experiencing severe palpitations or chest pain right before fainting. A medical evaluation is also needed for fainting while lying down, having an existing heart condition, or having a family history of unexplained sudden death at a young age.

Even for those who have fainted before, if the frequency has suddenly increased or the pattern has changed, the cause should be reassessed. Immediate medical attention is also needed if consciousness does not return quickly after fainting, or if neurological symptoms appear, such as slurred speech or weakness in one arm or leg.

If someone nearby suddenly collapses, the first step is to check for responsiveness and normal breathing. If the person does not quickly regain consciousness or is breathing abnormally, call 119. If there is no breathing, perform CPR immediately and use an automated external defibrillator, if one is available nearby, following its instructions.


rainbow@heraldcorp.com