Syncope is the medical name for fainting.. It is a temporary, unexpected loss of consciousness that is often caused by a blood pressure drop and a fall in heart rate. Nearly half of all people in the US – from young children to elderly individuals – experience at least one fainting spell in their lives. Here are the six main causes of fainting VASOVAGAL or common syncope results from an abnormal circulatory reflex. It strikes when the blood pressure or sugar levels in blood suddenly drop of increase. SITUATIONAL SYNCOPE occurs only in particular situations, for example, while coughing in people with lung diseases. P0STURAL SYNCOPE hits when a person [...]