What should you do if your child passes out while exercising? While most of the time it is nothing serious, there are some pretty dangerous conditions which might be present.

Many things can cause kids to pass out. For example, not drinking enough and exercising too hard, having a low blood sugaror being too hot. Some kids do use recreational drugs and these can at times make a person weak enough to pass out.

Today we’re going to talk about some of the dangerous heart problems associated with passing out. Many of these are inheirited so ask yourself were there any members of your family who passed out or died suddenly? If so they may have had something wrong with their heart, which diagnosed or not might have been the source of passing out or their death.

One condition, called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy basically causes the muscles in the left ventricle to become larger than normal. With exercise the heart overworks amd can stop. Other diseases affect not the muscle but rather the electrical system. If there are no, weak or too many impulses, the heart will beat too fast, slow or just stop beating. Prolonged QT syndrome can make the heart suspectible to rapid beats. Wolf Parkinson White causes delay which paradoxically can lead to rapid rates as well. Bragada syndrome can alter the electrical chemistry as well.

What all these syndromes share is the ability to wreak havoc. Most of these conditions are easily diagnosed by a simple EKG. Of course, further studies including echocardiogram and electrical analysis of the heart (EPS) are usually necessary as well.

My advice is not take a chance. If your child passes out, almost passes out or just feels rapid or slow heart rate, he or she shoud be seen right away-either by your doctor or in the emergency room. Absolutely no exercise until it is determined safe to do so.