Woman Suffers 'Beauty Parlour Stroke Syndrome': What Are the Symptoms?

If you experience symptoms of beauty parlour stroke syndrome, lie down immediately & later consult a neurologist.

If you experience beauty parlour stroke symptoms, lie down immediately. Consult a neurologist.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Can getting your hair washed at a beauty parlour lead to a stroke? It apparently could! This is a well-documented but rare condition known as the 'beauty parlour stroke syndrome'.

Hyderabad-based neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar took to Twitter to shed light on a case in which a 50-year-old woman began showing symptoms of dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, which started while she was getting her "hair washed with shampoo in a beauty parlour." His post soon went viral.

What Happened to the Woman?

The woman was first referred to a gastroenterologist, who treated her symptomatically. However, her condition worsened the next day, when she developed a "mild imbalance while walking."

She was referred to Dr Kumar, who took her case history and diagnosed her with beauty parlour stroke syndrome involving the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA).

Once diagnosed, it took her two-three weeks to recover.

The Reason Behind This

"When your hair is washed in a salon, the neck is hyper-extended and is often kept tilted for 20 minutes or even longer duration, resulting in the twisting of the vertebral artery. This is located at the back of the neck and supplies blood to the brain. If that gets kinked for a longer duration, the blood to the cerebellum and back of the brain gets reduced," Dr Kumar told FIT.

Patients will have symptoms like:

• Dizziness

• Nausea

• Vomiting

Why You Should Consult a Neurologist?

If you experience these symptoms, lie down immediately after a parlour visit. Consult a neurologist, and don't resort to treating only the symptoms.

"The common mistake that people do in this case is to avail treatment for the symptoms alone. With the help of an MRI, early diagnosis can be done. Once the patient starts taking blood thinners, they can recover fast."

Dr Sudhir Kumar to FIT

While it differed on a case-to-case basis, some patients may have to take blood thinners for the rest of their lives.

Should You Worry?

You don't really have to reduce the number of your parlour visits, the expert says, adding that it is a rare condition.

"There's no need to panic. It is not a common condition," he says, adding:

• Just ensure that the neck is not extended too much during hair wash at the salon.

• If it is tilted, don't move it over 20 degrees.

• Take the support of a towel.