Don’t Say Ain’t or Your Mother Will Faint

And your Father will fall in a bucket of paint! There is a nature vs. nurture thing going on over the issue of fainting. But even if you are a fainter or just faint of heart fear not because this blog post is, along with pretty tame, probably for many of us just stating the obvious.

First the not so obvious, researchers have located a region on chromosome 15 that is thought to be the prime suspect for vasovagal syncope, a drop in blood pressure followed by a loss of consciousness or for the less scientific type (me included) fainting. This and a study of 44 families with a history of fainting, has led some to conclude that fainting could be genetic. Then there is an evolutionary benefit that has researchers wondering if the origin of the fainting response might include falling over and lying still to increase survival when there is a drop in blood pressure or blood loss. Sort of the third option for flight or fight responses to fear or threat, if you can’t flee or fight go with a faint. At my age this is an option that might actually work for me.

Next the nurture side of the discussion, which sees fainting as a learned behavior. Watching mom or dad pass out at the sight of blood or a needle might be enough to teach the brain of a child observer to fear those same sorts of things and have the same response, fainting. That probably would be one way to keep the same response to specific fears all in the family.

So as to the nature or nurture of fainting, especially if you happen to be a fainter, this is one time when whichever side of the argument (genetic or learned) you’re on, you can probably get away with blaming your parents.