Teacher warns of rare condition after sister suffered a seizure when she brushed her HAIR
A TEACHER is warning of a rare condition that can trigger seizures in children - simply by brushing their hair.
Alicia Renee Phillips says she was helping her 10-year-old sister Gracie get ready last Sunday when she suddenly collapsed.
The 32-year-old rushed the youngster to hospital where doctors diagnosed her with an unusual condition known as hair-grooming syncope.
It only affects kids and is thought to happen when the vasovagal nerve in the head is stimulated by pulling on the hair.
This can cause blood pressure to drop and the heart rate to slow down, leading to a loss of consciousness.
Fortunately for Gracie, all her tests came back clear and she didn't require treatment following her collapse on July 7.
'Scariest moment'
Alicia, of Clinton, Tennessee, decided to share her experience to warn others of "one of the scariest moments of her life".
Writing on Facebook, she said: "This morning I was curling my little sister Gracie’s hair for church.
"I was maybe about five minutes in and she starts to gag a little and looks kind of pale. I asked her if she was going to get sick and she shook her head yes.
"I get my little daughters out of the bathroom and start to hold her hair up for her as she leans over the toilet.
"30 seconds later… she looks at me. She is extremely pale with blue lips and starts to pass out. Her pupils got really big and I caught her."
Gracie has a blank stare and look on her face and is completely unresponsive and limp for about a minute
Alicia Phillips
Alicia said she began screaming for her husband Dale, 36, as her little sister lay unconscious.
"Gracie has a blank stare and look on her face and is completely unresponsive and limp for about a minute," she continued.
"Her hands were also shaking. Very seizure like. She then comes back to and says she feels much better.
"She says she remembers hearing us talk but couldn’t see us. I was crying. She was very confused."
Alicia, a maths teacher, went on to explain that the family rushed Gracie to the nearest hospital where medics performed a number of tests - which all came back clear.
But a specialist told them Gracie had hair-grooming syncope, which doctors said they see up to five cases of the condition a year - mostly girls.
She continued: "Turns out there is something called hair-grooming syncope affects kids from ages 5-13.
"They said they see about 1-5 cases a year.
"Turns out brushing, curling, braiding, or drying can cause nerve stimulation on the scalp and cause some children to have seizure like symptoms."
What is rare condition hair-grooming syncope?
Hair-grooming syncope is a rare condition that mainly affects children, and girls in particular.
It's thought to be triggered by brushing, curling or braiding hair which can stimulate the body's vasovagal nerve.
This causes a person's blood pressure to drop and their heart rate to slow and can lead to a loss of consciousness.
Symptoms can include:
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Sweating
- Loss of vision
- Fainting
Most sufferers grow out of the disorder by their mid teens.
Treatment is not usually required, however, patients should go to hospital for a check-up if they faint or have a seizure.
If someone feels dizzy while having their hair styled, they should lie down and elevate their legs.
Speaking about the bizarre diagnosis, Alicia said: "I must have looked at him like he had four heads.
"I’d never heard of anything like it before - but he assured us it was real."
Medics advised Gracie to "sit down and take a break" if she feels nauseous or light headed whilst having her hair done.
Alicia added: "We've just got to be extra careful whenever she's doing her hair. But she still needs to brush it. She can't walk around with a birds nest on her head!"
Warning her Facebook friends, Alicia advised: "If a kid ever complains of their belly hurting or feeling light headed while they are getting their hair done, make sure they take a seat and keep a close eye on them!"
MORE ON CHILDHOOD CONDITIONS
Alicia, who has three children of her own - Harper, four, Henley, three and Anthony, one - said that although the incident gave her a scare, her sister is doing well.
"I don't feel so silly now, knowing that this has happened to other people," she added.
"But she's fine and now I know that there are no underlying issues that caused this problem."
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