In the last 5 months my niece has passed out (fainted), the last episode being 2 nights ago when she was brought the ER. Tests done confirmed she was very fine physically and a consultation with a psychologist/psychiatrist was suggested by the ER doctors. The ER doctors said she was hyperventilating and suggested some preventive measures including the "brown bag" thing. I am just curious if the diagnosis was right because in all 5 episodes she fainted. I did some quick research and I found that people experiencing hyperventilation do not necessarily faint. Are there any medical doctors/experts in Yahoo! Answers who can clarify this.
Also, the suggestion that she consults a psychologist or psychiatrist would indicate that her symptoms are psychosomatic, which then is the better professional to consult, a psychiatrist or a psychologist?
In celebration of everything that is gloriously New in Yahoo! Anwers, I would appreciate it, if only serious answerers and experts would reply.
2006-06-06 21:47:32 · 3 answers · asked by Querilous 4 in Health ➔ Mental Health
hyperventilation is breathing way too fast. Is she having this kind of symptom before she faints? What kind of symptoms is she having? (besides fainting) Fainting can be a symptom of so many things... low blood sugar, circulatory problems, blood pressure, pregnancy, and so on. I bet if you googled "fainting" or looked for a medical site that has a rundown of symptoms, you could better decide what is going on. Seeing a regular doctor for a physical might help also, ER docs aren't the best resource for diagnosing complicated issues.
2006-06-06 21:59:17 · answer #1 · answered by hippychickz38 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The symptoms might be the result of some rare syndromes, or the result of stress, or even a very mild form of epilepsy.
I would suggest a real Psychiatrist evaluate your niece, since that is a MED doctor who can look at physical, medical, emotional, and psychological possibilities. The psychiatrist might then suggest a psychologist or some other form of therapy.
2006-06-07 04:54:46 · answer #2 · answered by nickipettis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would seek the advice of atleast one other medical expert.
I don't see why a doctor would jump to that conclusion if she was only fainting. I would recommend having her see a neurologist to help rule out more severe issues.
2006-06-07 04:55:17 · answer #3 · answered by demonicdisciple 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋