A few questions about fainting/syncope

Factual Questions
1

I’ve fainted, as best I can recall, five times in my life. I googled the cause for this and found some satisfying answers as far as physical cause goes, but I hoped to find some information on prevention and also an answer as to whether what happens to me is hereditary.

To give some background, in all the cases but one, I’ve had some type of wound that I found distressing. I can feel myself begin to go cold and become dizzy, and it usually helps to just put my head between my knees. The times I’ve actually passed out, I wasn’t able to do this quickly enough, since the symptoms progressed so quickly I didn’t realize what was happening.

Here’s what I don’t understand. Why can I stand just about any type of gore, but shut down if I have what I consider a non-life threatening cut, etc.? My father died when I was young, but I have been informed that he did the same thing as well. Does this have any bearing on me? And lastly, is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening all together?

I have a routine check-up scheduled for next Tuesday, but I wondered if I could get a few answers sooner. I work split today, so my gratitude might be a bit delayed to any responses.

2

WAG: Desensitize yourself by looking at as many similar items as possible.

Alt: Sensitize yourself so you rapidly notice the symptoms, so as to get your head down in time.

Alt2: When you get a cut or wound, immediately refocus your mind from studying the thing and its implications, to something practical you can do.

I fainted one very hot day once. Then I very nearly did it when a friend came over with a bad scrape. You’re right, if you recognize the symptoms in time, you can manage better.

My symptoms, for those interested, are queasy stomach, “funny” mind, and just before the flop vision tunnels in, ie from normal, blackness comes in from the outside of the field of vision.