History: Why some people go all funny at the sight of blood
This reflex might actually have given us an evolutionary edge
3rd October 2018
If the sight of blood makes your patient drop faster than a Southern Belle with a case of the vapours, be kind; they may not be a complete wuss after all.
It turns out we actually have our ancient ancestors to thank for this one.
While seemingly irrational and ever so slightly embarrassing in a modern-day setting, vasovagal syncope at the sight of blood may have given us an evolutionary edge.
How you ask? Well, there are a few theories. One is the adaptationist hypothesis: it posits that the rapid decrease in heart rate and blood pressure helped to