My father is 60 and today he fell unconscious for a couple of seconds
on the bathroom floor after he was nauseated. Hi's eyes stayed wide
open and when my mother panicked and screamed...he came back to
consciousness. This event lasted only a couple of seconds.
This is the first time this has happened to him. It happened around 11
this morning. My father was well rested since he didn't work the night
before.

Additional information about my father. He sometimes sweats around the
chin and face area and he looks like he is not all there. His eye look
blurry and he looks very unhappy (almost depressed).
There are not known medical conditions except for frequent urination
at night. He believes it could be prostate problems....possibly even
prostate cancer.
He's work is stressing him out. He is afraid of making a mistake at
work for the fear of being fired. He also worries a lot because he is
not guaranteed 40 hrs of work/week by the company for which he works.
That is the way it is in his field of copy operator.
He has been exceptionally physically strong all this life and until
recently he tried jogging on the street almost daily.
He had a drinking problem 15 years ago but he has not had any alcohol
since then. He doesn't smoke or do drugs. Like most men his age....he
has a little bit of a belly brought on by his aging.
He is very stubborn and he refuses to go to the doctor at all costs
for fear that his company will lay him off if they find out that he is
seeing a doctor. He is a very stubborn immigrant man with fixed
beliefs that nobody is able to change.
Considering the loss of consciousness event of today and the other
symptoms that I have described to you, please explain what could have
caused this event (possible symptoms) and what are we to expect in the
near future?

---

Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 20 Nov 2006 21:10 PST

decent_man29...

I would be concerned about this having been a Transient Ischemic
Attack (TIA), or a mini-stroke, which is nothing to ignore, per
this page on the American Heart Association website:

"A TIA is a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke" that produces
 stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. Recognizing and
 treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke.

 Most strokes aren't preceded by TIAs. However, of the people
 who've had one or more TIAs, more than a third will later have
 a stroke. In fact, a person who's had one or more TIAs is more
 likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex
 who hasn't.

 TIAs are important in predicting if a stroke will occur rather
 than when one will happen. They can occur days, weeks or even
 months before a major stroke. In about half the cases, the
 stroke occurs within one year of the TIA."
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4781

sublime1-ga

Please try to convince your dad to see a physician. I cannot imagine
that any company would fire someone for seeking medical attention.
Perfectly healthy people have check-ups. Some employers require it.

If your father feels that going to a doctor is somehow a sign of
weakness or that it displays a lack of masculinity, you might compare
a visit to the doctor to having a mechanic tune up your car. Failure
to do it might result in the car malfunctioning, or breaking down.

As you know, he really needs to see a doctor but, in his situation,
his reluctance so to do is understandable.

Failing this, you could ask him to have some simple checks done. For
example, he may have high blood pressure. There's now a lot of kit on
the market for this purpose. Do that NOW!

If his BP is high then you should encourage him to pursue a more
healthy lifestyle ... there have been other questions on this topic
which you will help you here.

But you've got to start somewhere and quickly!

Good luck!

Bryan

He really should see a doctor, tell him that it is scaring your mother.

Probo's point about getting a blood pressure tester is very sound,
having ones blood pressure taken at the doctor's is a waste of time
for some people, as being at the doctor's can send ones BP through the
roof.

Volunteer to take him to an urgent care clinic two towns over if need
be, but he needs to see a doctor and have at least some basic tests
done.

Passing out is not something to be messed with and there are numerous
things it could be.  One possibility that jumped to my mind was
diabetes.  Frequent urination, blurred vision, and fatigue are all
symptoms listed on the American Diabetes Assoc website.  Excessive
sweating may also be seen in some cases as well.

I suggest that you advise your father that, by not seeking urgent
medical advice, he is running the very grave risk of losing his job
anyway due to the possibility of a debilitating illness or worse.

Next time - if there is a next time - the consequences could be much more serious. 

For example, if he were to black out again, then he might easily
fracture his skull when he falls.