Eli5: Why do our faces pale when we faint?
In: Biology
Answer: it has to do with a (more or less) sudden drop in blood pressure and the decrease in blood flow to the brain.
There are three broad types of syncopes (that’s the fancy medical name for fainting), but they all have to do with blood pressure one way or another.
There’s one where a person with already low blood pressure stands up very fast, and the blood pressure further decreases, and the fainting happens.
Another type (probably the most well known) is the one that happens after seeing a trigger like blood, vomiting, something shocking etc. What happens here is that the heart rate decreases suddenly, leading to decreased blood flow to the brain.
Third type is related to heart issues, whether that’s an irregular heart beat, valve problems or blood vessels being blocked.
Point is, less blood getting to the brain (and generally the head) will mean less “color” gets to the surface of our skin, thus the pale look.
edit: forgot a word lol
Latest Answers