Auto Immune conditions

23 July is marked as World Sjogren's Day (WSD) to honour Dr. Henrik Sjogren who first identified Sjogren's syndrome as a systemic, autoimmune chronic rheumatic condition.  Sjögren’s India and PatientsEngage bring together patient experiences of living with Sjogrens and what can be done to Conquer Sjogren's syndrome in India led by Mrs Kirtida Oza, co-founder Sjogren's India With special messages from Dr. Sapan C. Pandya, Secretary Indian Rheumatology Association and Dr. Debashish Danda…

Jyoti Gada, who fought long with vitiligo, has in the last decade come to terms with her white patches. Today, she has an Instagram page where she models for her clothes and is willing to start any conversations on the challenges of Vitiligo. I have grey hair. I am fifty plus and fabulous. And, oh by the way, I have vitiligo. You can’t miss my white patches. I have them all over my face and body. Under my eyes, nose and a broad stretch running across the top of my forehead. But I am no longer…

Naveen, 27, from Noida was diagnosed with Lupus Nephritis out of the blue. It left him shocked and in immense physical pain, followed by a series of emergency visits to the hospital, each more critical than the previous one. Through all this, Naveen has emerged as a positive-minded warrior who takes each day as a gift. Please tell us a bit about the condition you were diagnosed with. What was the experience and what were the early symptoms? The diagnosis came a year after my symptoms first…

Dr Anshumala Kulkarni, Consultant Gynecological Surgeon, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital addresses questions on how thyroid hormones affect the reproductive system of women during various life stages. Thyroid hormone functions have a complex interplay with all the hormones of the reproductive system. Thyroid hormones act at the level of the pituitary gland and affect the release of stimulating hormones from the pituitary and estrogen, progesterone and testosterone hormones from…

Madhura Balasubramaniam, 27 from Chennai tried everything to manage Crohn’s disease, getting past the grossness of it. She considers the PEG tube as the best gift she has received and takes life one day at a time.   I am Madhura, a 27-year-old from India. I have a Master's degree in Development Studies and I am currently a PhD student and researcher learning more about the Tibetan exile community in India and India’s Himalayan borderlands. Please tell us a bit about your condition -…

Dermatologist Dr. Kruti Banodkar explains how hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism affects the skin, hair and nails of a person, the home remedies and self care strategies for the dermatological issues and when you should see a physician. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland that sits at the front of the neck. It releases hormones to help the body regulate and use energy. It regulates the rate at which calories are burned, affecting weight loss or weight gain. It can slow down or…

Roli Terway details a harrowing first person account of being affected with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, where doctors had to fight long and hard to keep her alive. Read her struggles with repeated lung collapse and progressive paralysis. I was a happy, hyperactive, gregarious 13-year-old school kid. I used to love climbing trees, doing cartwheels and jumping off heights. I was also a Bharatnatyam dancer and a hockey player. Who knew a common flu would snatch all the…

Rheumatic conditions like Lupus, Anklosing Spondylitis, Scleroderma and Sjogren's Syndrome affect people in a myriad ways. These often create body image issues and impact self esteem. We spoke with patient leaders Kirtida Oza, Neetu Wadhwa, Vachasamrita, Ami Shah and Mental health therapist Arouba Kabir on the common issues faced by persons with Rheumatic Conditions and how they can reclaim their self esteem. Kirtida, founder Sjogren's India Neetu Wadhwa, co-founder Scleroderma India…

Urmila Margi, diagnosed with vitiligo as a teenager, says her eye-opening moment was when she met a senior executive at a multinational firm who had vitiligo which made her realise that looks really don’t matter if you prove yourself at your work. When were you diagnosed with vitiligo? It was around 15 to 18 years of ago. How did it affect your daily life? Initially…yes it did affect my life tremendously as I was just 16 – 18 years old when my vitiligo patches first appeared. Did you face any…

A handy list of resources for living with the coronavirus and managing your chronic conditions. Just look for your condition below. If you don't find what you are looking for, please leave a comment and we will get back to you.     We must live with Covid-19 pandemic for a while. For people with chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, rheumatic conditions, pulmonary conditions, it is even more essential to manage these conditions better. For e.g. a…