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Phillips publicly detailed the event on Facebook writing, \"I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE! We were told if she ever starts to feel nauseous or light headed while getting her hair brushed to sit down and take a break.\"

She went on, \"I am putting this out there for others to see. 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!\"

Phillips' post garnered 206,000 shares and 42,000 comments. Many commenters claimed they either never heard of hair-grooming syncope or that the condition affected them or a loved one at some point.

Hair-grooming syncope is identified in the Journal of Epilepsy as a \"paroxysmal non epileptic event\" -- meaning a person could have a sudden spell that mimics an epileptic seizure, which are unrelated to rhythmic discharges of neurons in the brain that are typical of seizures. These paroxysmal (sudden) spells can be caused be syncope, or \"passing out.\"

\"PHOTO:
Alicia Renee Phillips
PHOTO: Gracie Brown, 10, is seen on July 7 at Children's Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she was diagnosed with hair-grooming syncope.
>

In simpler terms, hair-grooming syncope is a form of fainting triggered by hair grooming, according to Santa Monica-based dermatologist Sonia Batra.

\"It is thought to be due to a sudden drop in blood pressure, which temporarily decreases blood supply to the brain,\" Batra, MD, told \"GMA,\" adding that some people are more sensitive than others when it comes to uncomfortable sensations like hair grooming.

\"Hair-grooming syncope is a similar response to people who faint from having their blood drawn or at the sight of blood,\" Batra said. \"We think it is the same vagus nerve response that causes the drop in blood pressure, and hence the blackouts, in all of these situations.\"

A 2009 study from the University of Nevada looked at 1,525 cases of syncope. Of the 1,525 patients, 111 had hair-grooming as a trigger and 78% of the patients were girls. Girls were more likely to faint during hair combing or brushing, and boys were more likely to faint from hair cutting.

Michael W. Riker, a pediatric emergency room physician at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, where Gracie was treated, told “GMA” he sees less than five cases of hair-grooming syncope annually.

\"However, it may happen more commonly than it is diagnosed, as one retrospective study noted, the parents did not report hair grooming preceding the event unless specifically asked,\" Riker wrote to \"GMA\" via email.

The most common symptoms, Riker noted, are nausea, light-headedness, diaphoresis (sweating), vision changes and loss of consciousness (syncope).

Riker went on, adding that events of hair-grooming syncope are benign and children will typically outgrow them.

\"As with almost all forms of syncope,” he wrote, “the recommendations are to avoid dehydration [by] increasing water and salt intake, as well as avoiding prolonged periods of standing and irregular meal times. \"

\"PHOTO:
Alicia Renee Phillips
PHOTO: Gracie Brown, 10, is seen in an undated photo with her mom, Lisa Brown, of Clinton, Tennessee.
>

For people who experience hair-grooming syncope, Batra's advice is to stay well-hydrated and make sure you eat prior to hair grooming. It's also important to remain seated in case the person starts feeling sick.

\"If you start to feel dizzy, lightheaded or clammy while hair grooming, stop and take a break,\" Batra said. \"If you can, lie down and elevate your legs with pillows or prop them up until the sensation passes.\"

Brown said although the incident gave her a scare, her daughter is doing well.

\"I don't feel so silly now, knowing that this has happened [to other people],\" Brown added. \"But she's fine and now I know that there are no underlying issues that caused this problem.\"

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