Auto Immune conditions

Neetu, 42 was a software consultant before the onset of Scleroderma transformed her life and identity. She describes her lived experience with Scleroderma, her challenges and the lifestyle changes that work for her. She is now co-founder Scleroderma India.  Please tell us a bit about your condition, when were you diagnosed, the early symptoms? In Jan 2006, I saw my fingers turning blue in extreme cold, but I ignored them. And during the same year, I started having breathing issues,…

In 2015, Ketaki Jani, was absolutely shattered when she developed alopecia and lost her hair. Being ill at ease with wigs and caps, she decided to get her bald scalp fully tattooed. Read her bold, unconventional battle. *Trigger warning Could you tell us a little about your condition? Well, I am survivor of an autoimmune disorder called Alopecia. Here the person loses hair as per different degree and types. What were the early symptoms? What made you see a doctor? One day, while moving my hand…

At 20, Ishita Biswas, a Lupus patient, has been through a lot of pain and medication. She has also had to battle the ignorance of people around her. But she has learnt to come to terms with her condition and even wants to reach out to others in similar situations. I am a 20 year old woman suffering from a condition called Lupus or SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) which is a systemic autoimmune disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. Since there…

Pallavi is a Bangalore-based ecommerce professional who was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis 4 years ago. She shares how she made diet and lifestyle changes to manage the condition. Last month, I went to my friend's son's birthday party; he was turning 8. After the cake was cut, when we all sat down to eat, all the kids were served pizza and garlic bread with cheese dip. I sat among the kids and took out my tiffin from my bag and started eating my millets upma. All the kids stared at me as…

Akash Tiwari, 23, who has Vitiligo, had to fight severe depression and discrimination, to embrace his white patches. Today, through his Foundation, Aarus, he empowers people with Vitiligo accept themselves and come to terms with their body image. Trigger Warning My story is like many other success stories of vitiligo. I am no longer afraid to tell the world about my white skin patches. I have accepted them as part of my life and they no longer hold sway over my choices and my decisions. But…

Can Yoga help people manage their chronc conditions? We picked out a wide range of conditions where patients have benefitted from practice of yoga.  It is fairly well known that people with certain conditions like Diabetes, Hypertension and Arthritis benefit from regular practice of yoga. You can also download our ebooks on the same from our E-Books Resources Page.  But the benefit of yoga goes beyond that to neurological conditions like Parkinson's and  Epilepsy, auto-immune…

Sanjeev Agrawal, 60, a Professor of Mathematics has been battling invisible illnesses all his life.  He reflects on how his responses to his daughter's challenges due to her invisible illnesses have been shaped by his experiences. #FathersDay series. Asked to write something for Father’s day for PatientsEngage, I go to the site and start wondering – do I write as a caregiver or as a patient? Rather than work out a theme, I decide to write about whatever comes, at this time, to my mind.…

Is going gluten-free just a fad or is there a valid reason to consider this lifestyle change? Dr. Shital Raval explains what is gluten and the difference between wheat allergy, gluten intolerance and celiac disease. Remember to bookmark this. Along with the growing trend of multigrain goods in the food market and nutritional world, there has also been a proliferating market for gluten-free food products. This has been hand-in-hand with emergent reports of gluten sensitivities and intolerance…

Neetu,43 has struggled with various symptoms of Hypothyroidism, be it weight gain, fatigue, lethargy over the years. She has tried to manage it with a combination of medications and lifestyle changes. But its not been easy. She candidly shares her challenges here. #YouAreNotAlone There was a steady pattern of unwanted weight loss and instead of feeling energetic; I was becoming more lethargic and listless. Thinking it was a hormonal issue because of heavy period flow that month, I went to see…

Dr. Chethana Dharmapalaiah, Rheumatologist at Aster CMI, Bengaluru shares her experiences on sharing a Lupus diagnosis with her patients, the stories of hope amidst all the despair.  I have been practising as a rheumatologist since more than a decade. I was barely exposed to a handful of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and an even lesser number of patients with lupus during my undergraduate training. No doubt the awareness has increased now amongst doctors across specialties and the…