Fainting fears
Question
For the past few months I've been passing out quite a lot and in the last two weeks it's been nearly every day. I'm not underweight and I eat sensibly but I only feel better once I've had something sugary. I've also been feeling really tired and thirsty a lot of the time.
The thing is, my boyfriend's mum is diabetic and both of them feel that I should be tested for diabetes. I'm really scared about having to undergo lots of tests and what they might tell me. What should I do? What's wrong with me?
Answer
Fainting can be caused by all sorts of different things but you can only get a diagnosis by seeing a professional, like your local doctor (GP). It's important you do go to see your GP, especially as you have been fainting every day.
You might not have a serious long-term condition - it might be a virus that could easily be cleared up with a course of antibiotics. It's also possible that you are anaemic, which can usually be treated by a course of iron tablets and sometimes a small change in your diet. Some other causes of fainting can include hyperventilation, dehydration or pregnancy.
There are lots of possibilities, but the other symptoms you describe are often linked to diabetes so you cannot rule this out as a cause. It's understandable that you are scared of finding out that you have diabetes, as it's often portrayed as a very serious condition. But for most people it can be managed quite easily by making subtle changes to their lifestyle. As long as it's managed correctly it doesn't necessarily cause any serious health problems.
If not diagnosed and treated properly, however, it can lead to more serious health problems such as high blood pressure and blindness, or in severe cases heart disease and strokes. That's why it's vital that you see a GP as soon as possible. The usual test for diabetes is a urine sample, which will be tested by the doctor for glucose, so you don't need to worry too much about what the tests will involve.
If you have any concerns about this or any other health condition you can talk in confidence to a trained nurse via the NHS Direct Helpline on 0845 46 47, which is open 24 hours a day.
Updated: 06/06/2011
Question answered by bss
