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.