Unconsciousness can be defined as an interruption to the brain’s normal activity. Sleep can be classified as a level of unconsciousness; however, when we sleep, our body’s natural reflexes, such as coughing, work normally. In unconsciousness, our natural reflexes are impaired, which may cause the tongue to fall to the back of the throat, or we may start to vomit, causing a person to drown.
In these events, immediate action should be taken to clear and maintain the casualty’s airways. Simply tilting the casualty’s head to the side will tilt the tongue forward or keep fluids from flowing into the lungs.
Understand Level of Response
On the next page, we will look at the main cause of unconsciousness.