I was lounging on the couch watching TV when I felt an all to familiar sensation...I was about to have a major coughing attack. So feeling this coming on, I decided I should probably sit up. Unfortunately, the attack hit while I was sitting up. At this same time, my wife was getting up to walk downstairs to do something or other. Then the attack really hit...and it was a bad one...one of those deep down in your chest, can't catch your breath, think you're dieing type of coughing attacks.
Then it happened.....
The next thing I know, I'm slouched over on the couch with my wife standing in front of me accusing me of faking something. I had no idea what she was talking and proceeded to tell her such. She just kept accusing me of faking something and touching my chest...and the tears started. Well, at this point, I started to put two and two together and figured that apparently I had passed out. After about 10 minutes of convincing her, I finally got my wife to stop crying.
That was the first time anything that had happened to me...I've been close to passing out in the past, but never actually passed out.
So, enter Google...apparently this is fairly common. The short version is...when you cough you raise the pressure in your chest, sometimes quite significantly. When this happens, it makes it harder for your heart to pump the blood out to your brain with the power it needs, and voila, you pass out.
Needless to say, it was a pretty freaky experience, and one that I don't really to experience again.
On 2 occasions, I was walking and became very dizzy...saw lots of stars then blackness...same thing, I'm woken up by someone with me asking if I was ok because my face is green. Some googling revealed it was some sort of light seizure or stroke. Docs had no idea either.
ReplyDeleteCheers to really strange physical ailments that only last a few seconds but take you to the brink of death.