Today I learned about vasovagal syncope. On last week's Scrubs, we find out that JD has this disorder, which results in him fainting whenever he poos. Hee! I myself am a fainter but have not had the misfortune of fainting on the can. My fainting spells have occured during a worm dissection, after getting an ear infection poked at by my doctor, after getting my pre-college shots, at the eye doctor, while cleaning the bathroom, and, most recently, while shoveling snow. WTF.
Vasovagal syncope occurs when your blood pressure drops as the result of stress (physical or mental/emotional). Most people don't have this reaction and therefore do not pass out. Lucky bastards. Pooing, peeing, and sometimes even repeated swallowing can stimulate the vagus nerve, which causes this reaction, as seen in our poor Dr. Dorian. I didn't see anywhere if this is hereditary, but I bet it is because my dad does the same as me but even worse.
Fainting is kind of a bitch, for anyone who hasn't experienced it. It's embarrassing, you feel crappy afterward, you can really get hurt if you're standing up when it happens (ie cracking your head on a desk on the way down), and I personally have a tendency to twitch and flail while I'm out...this past time I bit my lip pretty damn hard. On the upside, I have rad dreams while unconscious and also you can get out of school early if you conk out in front of your whole science class. Score!
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