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  • Situational syncope

    Loss of consciousness that occurs only in certain distinct clinical circumstances (e.g., after urinating, coughing, or having a bowel movement). It is sometimes associated with inadequate return of blood to the right side of the heart, Valsalva maneuver, or increased parasympathetic tone.  

  • Shallow water syncope

    Loss of consciousness during diving that occurs when a diver hyperventilates and then holds his breath while swimming underwater for an extended period before resurfacing. The loss of consciousness may result in drowning or near-drowning.  

  • Local syncope

    Numbness of a part with sudden blanching, as of the fingers; a symptom of Raynaud’s disease or of local asphyxia. Abrupt whitening and numbness in a specific area.  

  • Laryngeal syncope

    Brief unconsciousness following coughing and tickling in the throat. A larynx contraction accompanied by dizziness and a brief loss of awareness.  

  • Hysterical syncope

    Syncope resulting from a conversion reaction.  

  • Deglutition syncope

    Fainting triggered by swallowing, an abnormal reflex in which stimulation of the esophagus elicits vagal motor impulses that cause bradycardia, peripheral vasodilation, and hypotension.  

  • Defecation syncope

    Loss of consciousness during or immediately after a bowel movement.  

  • Convulsive syncope

    Loss of consciousness followed by a seizure. It may be caused by any condition (e.g., cardiac arrhythmia) that results in inadequate blood flow to the brain.  

  • Carotid sinus syncope

    Syncope resulting from pressure on, or hypersensitivity of, the carotid sinus. It may result from turning the head to one side or from wearing too tight a collar. Abrupt episodes of unconsciousness and seizures resulting from excessive activity in the carotid sinus nerves.  

  • Synclonus

    The simultaneous clonic contraction of several muscles. A shaking or rhythmic muscle contraction involving multiple muscles at the same time. A condition marked by shaking or spasms, akin to St. Vitus’s dance.  

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