Endo Pain

Halsey Shares Sjögren’s, Ehlers-Danlos Diagnosis

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Halsey has shared that she’s been diagnosed with several chronic health conditions. (Photo by Nina Prommer, courtesy of Rolling Stone Magazine)

Halsey recently took to social media to share that she’s been diagnosed with several chronic health conditions.

The Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, who was recently hospitalized for anaphylaxis — a severe allergic reaction — said that her hospitalization and subsequent doctor’s appointments led to her being diagnosed with several chronic health conditions, including Sjögren’s Syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, mast cell activation syndrome, and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

“My health has changed a lot since I got pregnant and gave birth,” the 27-year-old mom-of-one explained. “I started getting really, really, really sick — I’ve been kind of sick most of my adult life, but it started getting really bad [after pregnancy],” she said.

Sjögren’s Syndrome is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s own exocrine (or moisture-producing) glands. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of connective tissue disorders that impact the skin, bones, blood vessels, organs, and other tissues. Mast cell activation syndrome occurs when the body releases too much of certain types of chemicals, such as histamines, in the body, resulting in repeated allergic or anaphylaxis episodes. POTS is a blood circulation disorder of the autonomic nervous system.

Halsey has previously shared details about her health struggles, including her battle with endometriosis. Back in 2017, she underwent multiple surgeries to help her with the condition.

She commented, “For those of you who have followed this battle of mine or who may suffer with it yourself, you know the extremes to which it can be mentally exhausting and physically painful.”

Halsey says she won’t let her health conditions stop her from living a full life or having a successful career, however. “If you suffer from chronic pain or a debilitating disease, please know that I have found time to live a crazy, wild, rewarding life AND balance my treatment and I hope so much in my heart that you can too,” she said.

Endometriosis linked to common autoimmune diseases

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Endometriosis image courtesy of: The Endometriosis Foundation of America

A group of Italian researchers based out of Sapienza University in Rome have discovered a link between endometriosis and several common autoimmune diseases.

According to the Endometriosis Foundation of America, endometriosis is a menstruation-related disease that primarily affects women in their reproductive years. The disease occurs when tissue similar to the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) migrates outside of the womb, where it shouldn’t be. This results in a variety of symptoms, including inflammation, severe cramping and pain, long, heavy periods, and infertility. It can also cause other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, bowel and urinary disorders, chronic fatigue and pain during sexual activity.

The exact cause of endometriosis is poorly understood. While many theories have been suggested, this study investigated the prevalence of common autoimmune diseases among Italian women with endometriosis. The study compared 148 women with endometriosis (the case group) to 150 who did not have the condition (the control group). The women in the study ranged from 18-45 years of age, and those who had endometriosis suffered from varying degrees of the disease.

The study found that in the case group, there was a ‘significantly higher’ prevalence of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), celiac disease, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, as compared to the control group not affected by endometriosis. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), however, was not found to be linked with endometriosis.

The main limitation of this study is the small sample size. Further studies must be done with a larger group in order to prove that autoimmune activity is responsible for the development of endometriosis. However, this study is helpful for physicians to consider the possibility of autoimmune conditions that may be co-occurring in patients with endometriosis.

To learn more about endometriosis, visit the Endometriosis Foundation of America website.

This blog post is dedicated to Jenni Rempel, a classmate of mine who passed away from endometriosis four years ago. Before she passed away, Jenni produced this video to educate others about this painful disease: Help Me Get My Life Back from Endometriosis.