In a play or movie, a hero or heroine sometimes faints upon hearing bad news or when suddenly frightened. We usually associate fainting with an event of this kind. But the fact is that fainting can be the result of many situations.

People may faint because of confinement in a close and poorly ventilated room, or because of hunger, fatigue, severe pain, emotional shock, or for many other reasons. The immediate cause of fainting is an insufficient supply of blood to the brain.

Because fainting happens so often, it is important to know what to do to help in such cases. A person who feels he is about to faint should be made to lie down immediately. If this is not possible, have him bend forward at the waist with his head between his knees. The idea is to try to get more blood to the brain.

When a person has fainted, keep him lying down and loosen any tight clothing. Lower the head or elevate the legs. Again, the object is to increase the supply of blood to the brain. When a person has regained consciousness, he may be given a stimulant such as coffee to drink, or spirits of ammonia to sniff.

Sometimes a person has become unconscious for reasons other than fainting. For example, he may have suffered a blow on the head, shock, sunstroke, heat exhaustion, or even poisoning.

There are two types of unconsciousness and they should be treated differently. One is called red unconsciousness. The face is flushed and the pulse is strong. The patient should be made to lie down with the head and shoulders slightly elevated. Cold applications should be placed on the head. In “white” unconsciousness, the face is pale, the skin is clammy, and the pulse is weak. The patient should be kept lying down with the head lowered and should be covered to insure warmth.