What Is A Blackout

Most people use the word ‘blackout’ to describe an episode of brief loss of awareness. Doctors call this transient loss of consciousness.

Blackouts are usually but not always associated with collapse to the ground or slumping in a chair.

• There may be seizure movements.
• For some there will be loss of vision and collapse without complete loss of consciousness – they will still know what is going on around them but may not be able to respond normally.
• If a blackout occurs whilst lying down there may be a colour change and the eyes may stare blankly or ‘roll’ in the head.

Blackouts impact significantly on the quality of life of the affected individual.

• They should not be trivialized because they may be a sign of a serious and potentially life threatening cardiac condition.
• Fortunately most blackouts are not due to life threatening disease, but can still be a cause of significant physical injury and can also affect social and psychological well-being and quality of life in general.
• It is therefore important that the underlying cause is identified as quickly as possible and appropriate management instituted.

The cause of a blackout can be hard to determine because the underlying cause may be intermittent or the result of multiple factors occurring together which individually would not have resulted in a blackout.

• Determining the cause of a blackout can be a lengthy process if episodes occur infrequently and investigations between episodes are unremarkable.

Blackouts can be effectively treated in most cases. The key is an accurate diagnosis, appropriate investigation and treatment.

Blackouts can occur for many reasons. Seizure, and low blood glucose can cause blackouts but the most common cause of a blackout is ‘syncope’.

Syncope is the medical word for a blackout due to a brief reduction in the blood supply to the brain – this is almost always the result of a fall in blood pressure.