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'No one knew why I kept fainting'By JoAnn Mason for CNN  JoAnn Mason, pictured with husband William. QUICKVOTELIFE-CHANGING TECH
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YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- JoAnn Mason, 71, from Hemet, California experienced episodes of syncope (unexplained fainting) before having an electronic implant surgically inserted under the skin near her collarbone that helped doctors solve the problem. The buzzing in my head began three years ago. At first, the hum was more of an annoyance than a disability, causing some disorientation and nausea. But eventually it got worse and I began to suffer from frequent, unexplained fainting spells. I first fainted in a neighbor's driveway, breaking my left wrist in two spots. Following that incident, I learned to lie down as soon as I felt dizzy and nauseated. Sometimes I would awake from a deep sleep only to "pass out." Other times, I would lose consciousness while out in public. For more than two years, I desperately tried to find out why I was so prone to fainting. However, every test I took was inconclusive, and my doctors -- including cardiologists and neurologists -- were stumped. My quality of life deteriorated. My fainting spells took a toll on my family and friendships. Unable to predict when I might faint, I stopped driving. I avoided making plans with friends. I often missed family gatherings such as birthdays and holidays. I became pretty much housebound. As my family worried about my health, I became increasingly confused and anxious. Finally, in May 2005, following a fainting episode that required a trip to the emergency room, a doctor recommended I receive a Medtronic Reveal Plus Insertable Loop Recorder (ILR) -- an implantable device that continuously monitors the rate and rhythm of the heart to determine if fainting episodes might be caused by an abnormal heart rhythm. The next time I fainted, the device showed that, just before the fainting spell, my heart had slowed significantly and stopped pumping for nine seconds. The cause of my fainting had finally been identified -- I had a slow heart rhythm. Two days later I received a pacemaker, which restores my heart to a normal rhythm when it starts to slow down. I have not fainted since. Today, I feel at ease and have returned to an active lifestyle. My fainting spells are a thing of the past thanks to a device that I consider to be a miracle of modern medicine. 
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