is fainting serious
Fainting Fainting Overview. Patient Comments Read 28 Comments Share Your Story. Fainting, which medical professionals call syncope (pronounced SIN-ko-pea), is a temporary loss of consciousness. Fainting is caused by a temporary loss of the brain's blood supply and can be a sign of a more serious condition. People of any age can faint, but elderly persons may have a serious underlying cause. 1  Fainting accounts for a small portion of emergency department visits and 6% of hospital admissions.