Community Chat

[NicksmomESQ]

 @Mindy D   2 ER doctors & a pediatrician, with many years of experience referred to it as a reaction.Probably because it’s easier to explain to non medical people.I have no issue with their explanation.

[shoptilyadropagain]

I had never heard of this until a week ago or so.  One of my good friends posted an article on FB about it and tagged her daughter as apparently my friend's granddaughter has had this happen to her when her mom is styling her hair.  

[chrystaltree]

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@NicksmomESQ wrote:

Wow!!

  When my son was a teenager he had what the ER doctors described as a “vegel reaction” twice.The first time he was in school eating lunch.He popped a very hot chicken nugget in his mouth & started hyperventilating & passed out.The second time about a year later we were out to dinner & he ate a very hot French fry.He said he couldn’t breathe  ran to the bathroom & passed out.

  His pediatrician assured us that he would be okay each time.After the second incident he started waiting for his food to cool.He hasn’t had the problem since.I was told that the hot food on the palate got him nervous which triggered the reaction.

That was a vasovagal episode triggered by the body's response to the hot food.  It was a protection mechanism.  It wasn't so much that he got nervous as that his autonomic nervous system kicked in to protect him from what was perceived to be a threat from food that was too hot.  The human body is an amazing thing.

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[NicksmomESQ]

@chrystaltree  Thank you but I will defer to the doctors explanation.

[Mindy D]

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@GusMo wrote:

It is actually a fairly common cause of “fainting” in children.

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Hi, Azsubshine. Hair grooming as a cause of vasovagal vagal syncope is uncommon. There are other much more common triggers. Heat and dehydration to name just two of the more common triggers.

[Mindy D]

In doing some research on hair-grooming syncope, I found a study. In 2009, in the US, there were 111 cases. The most common trigger activity for girls was brushing, for boys, it was hair cutting.

[chrystaltree]

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@NicksmomESQ wrote:

@chrystaltree  Thank you but I will defer to the doctors explanation.

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         Definitely.  Because, it's exactly the same explanation...LOL

[Mindy D]

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@NicksmomESQ wrote:

 @Mindy D   2 ER doctors & a pediatrician, with many years of experience referred to it as a reaction.Probably because it’s easier to explain to non medical people.I have no issue with their explanation.

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I agree with your reasoning about why the drs called it a reaction. It is a reaction. It wasn’t necessary for drs to use the word syncope. It’s really pretty much  the same thing.