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From: Smiddy
I was told that I'd had a vaso-vagal episode on holiday last year. I had been swimming for a while and felt quite cold. I came back to the shore and dried off before dragging the kids pushchair across the beach to the walkway before going to lunch. I'd done this every day of the holiday but on this occasion when I got to the walkway I started to feel dizzy. This happens sometimes and it normally goes after about 5 seconds. This time it carried on and got worse. My vision started creeping in and I had to sit on the floor to avoid passing out. My vision and hearing went completely for about 90 seconds before gradually coming back. I was fully conscious throughout. My wife and friends said I went white and my lips went blue. The beach lifeguards took me to the 1st aid hut and checked my blood pressure which was 104/80. I felt ok after about an hour but felt quite dizzy for the rest of the holiday and this continued for a couple of weeks after. I went to the doctor who told me what it was and that I shouldn't worry about it. He said it can happen when you overheat and dehydrate. I had no tests and he didn't explain what caused it and what the prognosis was. I still get the odd sensation where it feels like I'm going to pass out but they are quite rare. Is there anything I could/should be aware of that might help to prevent it happening again?