A sniffing and gasping technique can help prevent fainting episodes, a major European heart conference has heard.
Doctors in the Slovak Republic say the technique has successfully interrupted the drop in blood pressure and heart rate that causes vasovagal syncope <!- fainting>.
They tested the procedure on two women, aged 56 and 62.
The women lay on a table which was tilted rapidly to mimic the process of standing up.
As blood pressure began to drop, the patients had to gasp or sniff twice with their mouths closed – and then breathe out. This seemed to stop the fall in blood pressure and heart rate.
Reporting to the Acute Cardiovascular care 2015 conference in Vienna, Austria, Dr Marta Bavolarova, a cardiologist at Louis Pasteur University Hospital, Kosice, Slovak Republic, said: "This was a small preliminary study and we will confirm our findings in a larger number of patients.
“Our test, which is like standing up quickly, previously led to falls in blood pressure and heart rate and subsequent syncope in these patients. But strong and forced inhalation by sniffing or gasping seemed to prevent these drops and they did not faint.
“We believe that sniffing and gasping have a strong sympathetic effect that inhibits the abnormal parasympathetic activity in these patients. This stops fainting at the highest level.”
She added: “Patients with recurrent fainting are advised to avoid standing up quickly and standing for long periods of time. Those who have prodromal symptoms like weakness, sweating or visual disturbances are advised to do counterpressure manoeuvres like leg crossing and hand grips to increase their heart rate and blood pressure.
"We now also tell patients that they can sniff or gasp to prevent themselves from fainting."
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