Fainting, falling into a swoon, with loss of consciousness. Fainting may result from extreme hunger, fatigue, excessive excitement, fear, excessive pain, a shocking sight, or even from an offensive odor. In any case, the immediate cause is a stoppage of the flow of blood to the brain. While not necessarily dangerous, a fainting fit should be relieved immediately by loosening the clothing about the throat and having the patient lie at rest with the head somewhat lower than the rest of the body, to facilitate the flow of blood in that direction. Physicians maintain that dashing water into the face and the application of smelling salts have no bearing on the case, as the patient cannot recover until the brain has received a supply of blood. See BLOOD.