You may get a “shock” when you see your mark on a test, or you may say you are “shocked” if you see an accident. But medically speaking, this isn’t shock. The word “shock” means a condition in which the essential activities of the body are affected. Usually, they are slowed up.

A person in a state of shock may nave a sudden or gradual feeling of weakness or faintness. He may become very pale, and the skin may feel cold and clammy. Perspiration is increased, and the pupils of the eyes become enlarged.

Shock is also accompanied by changes in the mental state. It can begin with a feeling of restlessness, and it may develop to a state of unconsciousness.

All of these are symptoms of shock. They are produced because the volume of blood in effective circulation is lowered, along with the blood pressure. As in fainting, blood going to the brain may eventually lead to unconsciousness. This lack of blood in the capillaries also explains why the skin may feel cold.

Of course, if a person has been injured so that he is losing a great deal of blood, this in itself will produce a state of shock. But shock may also be caused by undergoing great stress, by strong emotion, by pain or sudden illness, or by some accident. The important thing is that for one reason or another, the blood doesn’t circulate as it should, and as a result, the essential activities of the body are affected.

The best thing to do when a person is in a state of shock is to get a doctor. Do not move the patient, have him sit up, or use a pillow under his head. Lay the person on his back if he is unconscious and keep him warm until help comes.