He fainted again and again – doctors discovered the cause was hidden in his hair color

A 61-year-old man in India was rushed to intensive care after fainting twice, his blood pressure dropped, and his face swelled. Brain and heart tests ruled out a stroke or heart attack. A renewed investigation revealed he had used artificial hair dye two days before the fainting, which caused a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. He was treated with adrenaline for 16 consecutive hours and recovered after three days.

A 61-year-old man in India, with a history of heart disease, was rushed to the emergency room after losing consciousness twice within a short period. His blood pressure dropped to life-threatening levels and his face began to swell without explanation. The medical team initially suspected a stroke or cardiac event, but a series of comprehensive tests, including MRI and EEG, ruled this out. The diagnostic turning point occurred when doctors thoroughly investigated his habits in the days before hospitalization. It turned out that two days before fainting, he used artificial hair dye and developed a bothersome itch on his scalp, neck, and face. He took cetirizine tablets and spent hours in the sun. The combination led to a diagnosis: a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction caused by the hair dye. He was treated with epinephrine, steroids, and antihistamines, and required a continuous adrenaline infusion for 16 hours. After three days of intensive treatment, his blood pressure returned to normal and the swelling in his face subsided.