You’ve probably experienced the scene we’re about to describe. You’re in a public place. The entrance to a movie theater. A restaurant. Or an airport. Suddenly, you hear a loud thud. You turn around. You, and a few other people. Someone has just fainted. You don’t know how to react, but you remain calm. You cross your fingers, hoping that someone else is better prepared than you. But that’s when chaos breaks out.
Some people rush over to help the victim. People start shouting. And panic sets in. One person asks for water. Another asks for candy. And a third starts slapping the person on the floor in the face.
Health professionals warn that this phenomenon we have just described is becoming increasingly common. And not only that. Chaos, which is contagious, not only causes us to lose our cool in traumatic situations. It also does a disservice to the victim, whose situation may be worsened by the “generosity” of people in a panic.
Our primitive instincts betray us when faced with someone who has fainted
It is completely natural to want to help someone who has just fainted or had an accident. It is a characteristic shared by the entire human race. However, we are not mentally prepared for stressful situations of this kind.
Our instincts react badly when we see someone lying on the ground. Why? Because subconsciously, it reminds us of death. It doesn’t matter if the person lying there is a family member or a complete stranger. The typical reaction is to want to stand them up or sit them down to make them look okay. However, this is the worst thing we can do if we really want to help someone who is in danger.
The problem is that a person does not recover from fainting simply by lifting them off the ground. To understand why, we must understand that syncope occurs because there is a situation in which not enough blood (or nutrients) reaches the brain. Our body, which is a very intelligent machine, reacts in an incredible way: it fails so that we fall to the ground, forcing the body into a horizontal position. Gravity then does what your body could not: it brings blood back to your head.
That is why you should never quickly lift a person who has lost consciousness off the ground. It is counterproductive. When lifting them, we are fighting against gravity. And that can cause irreversible damage to the patient, according to experts.
Experts call for less action and more calm
As Mies van der Rohe said, “less is more.” Remember this basic principle of minimalism the next time you go to help someone who has just fainted. Acting incorrectly is worse than doing nothing. That’s why experts and paramedics recommend proceeding as follows:
- Leave the person lying down. The only thing you can do to help is to raise their legs a few inches, placing them on a jacket or backpack. This will facilitate blood flow.
- Ask other people to respect a safe perimeter. Put yourself in the shoes of the person on the ground. Would you like to have 20 strangers around you shouting or recording you live on Instagram? No, right? That’s why it’s best to keep people away. This will reduce collective anxiety and noise.
- Speak softly. This is very much in line with the previous point. When a person is regaining consciousness, any noise sounds deafening. That’s why we should speak calmly and slowly.
Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, experts strongly advise against giving water to the victim. Splashing cold water on their face is counterproductive. And giving an unconscious person something to drink can lead to suffocation.
We hope that this information will be useful to you and to the next person you have to help when they faint. Remember: you don’t have to be the hero of the story. Nor do you have to broadcast the event. Simply move people out of the way, position the fainted person’s legs comfortably, and speak in a low voice. If necessary, call an ambulance. But make sure you follow the three points recommended by health professionals.