Sometimes you cough really hard after inhaling. Approximately a year or so ago I started occasionally “greying out” during these coughing fits. My vision fades to grey then black and I can’t see anything at all for approximately 5-10 seconds although I can still move and talk. Then it returns to normal, although I am sometimes a little dizzy for a while. It’s always during really hard coughing but not every time. It happens approximately once every 3 or 4 weeks (I haven’t kept track). It seems to be occurring more frequently now than it did when it first started.
I have the flu right now and a cough to go with it. Was driving home from work a couple days ago, not smoking at the time, and it happened. Started coughing and couldn’t see for a few seconds. Someone else was with me and I could hear them asking if I was all right. I said “no” and pulled over and let them drive. This really worries me, enough that I’m afraid to drive now.
Coughing can cause short term elevations in blood pressure. Blood pressure then typically returns to normal (whatever it was before the cough).
Some people have a faulty vasovagal response resulting in difficulty with the fine tune regulation of blood pressure. In such people the blood pressure and/or heart rate can get a bit out of synch and result in many symptoms including visual disturbances and fainting. Coughing is one of the many possible triggers to set off this process. It sounds to me like **Apocalypso ** may be experiencing this phenomena.
I have called my doctor to try to get an appointment mostly for my other symptoms (I have an ear infection and flu symptoms) but intend to fully discuss this with him. I am waiting for him to call me back. I posted this because this scares me and was wondering if anyone else has had this same experience and knows or has any idea what it is.
The link Iggy posted does sound very similar to what I am experiencing.
Just got back from the doctors. The diagnosis was Vasovagal response, what Iggy said. Doc said it’s a fairly common issue that a lot of people experience. She said if I “feel it coming on” while driving I should pull over immediately until it passes. Other than the risk of injuring yourself if you lose consciousness it is not a major problem and there isn’t really much I can do about it.
There are a variety of conditions related to a faulty vasovagal response, depending upon the trigger, the severity, and whether it is primary the heart rate or the blood pressure (or both) that gets out of whack. If a profoundly slow heart rate is the cause then a pacemaker may be warranted, depending upon severity and frequency of episodes. If it is primarily a blood pressure issue then staying well hydrated may help reduce incidents and some medications might help.
The Dysautonomia Information Network is a good resource for further information on these conditions.
The severity is not necessarily linked with one particular trigger. Imagine fainting every time you stand up as you get out of bed. Makes those nighttime trips to the bathroom a real adventure!