The chronic illness community reacts to Solange Knowles revealing POTS, Sjogrens, and MCAS diagnosis

Solange Knowles reveals she was diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses in 2018.

Solange Knowles has revealed she’s a member of the “spoonies” community, those who live with chronic illnesses such as autoimmune disorders.

The musician, 38, was diagnosed with POTS, Sjogrens, and MCAS in 2018. She made the reveal in a recent comment she left under a post by model and musician Shaun Ross about his experiences with long Covid.

“Sending u so much love and strength, Shaun, and to all in the comments struggling with the debilitating, confusing, and lonely symptoms of POTS,” Knowles wrote.

In the video, Ross, 33, explains he developed POTS syndrome as a result of his long COVID. He decided to finally speak out about his health journey following comments from others about his weight and to hopefully help at least one person struggling with the aftermath of COVID.

In her response, Knowles added, “I got diagnosed with POTS, Sjogrens and MCAS in 2018 and really relate to not wanting your health to be your identity.”

She continued, “The good folks at [Dysautonomia International] were really an incredible resource for me and I feel really grateful for the spoonie community for holding me down during my times of complete uncertainty! Sending an abundance of love your way.”

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According to the Cleveland Clinic, POTS, or Postural tachycardia syndrome, is a chronic condition that can cause a series of symptoms when a person sits or stands up, including an abnormally rapid heart rate, dizziness, and fatigue.

Meanwhile, according to the Mayo Clinic, Sjogren’s syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body’s moisture-producing glands to malfunction, often resulting in dry eyes and a dry mouth. The condition can also often lead to the development of other disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. While the “Cranes in the Sky” singer developed her condition in her 30s, it typically impacts women 40 and above. 

As defined by the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology, MCAS, an acronym for mast cell activation syndrome, is a condition that causes a person to repeatedly have severe allergic reactions.

The organization Knowles shouted out, Dysautonomia International, is a charity that funds research and works to improve the lives of people with dysautonomia. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition is a nervous system disorder that disrupts autonomic body processes such as blood pressure and heart rate.

While autoimmune disorders can impact many different people from different backgrounds, they disproportionately affect women, who make up roughly four out of five of those diagnosed. Black Americans may not develop all autoimmune disorders at the same rate as other races, though severe cases and complications tend to impact Black people at disproportionate rates. When it comes to Sjogrens, for instance, the condition leading to lymphoma or cancer of the blood-linked patterns in the body is more common in Black Americans.

Since Knowles opened up about her health journey, many of her fellow “spoonies” have praised her and offered their support. Under an Instagram post by the Sjogens Foundation thanking her for speaking out, several noted how excited they get whenever another famous face speaks up about chronic illness. 

“I [love] when celebrities admit they have autoimmune disease or Sjogren’s. It does help us not feel so alone in our struggles,” a user wrote.

Venus Williams is another famous Black woman who has spoken about living with the condition. In particular, Black women with the condition appreciate the representation celebrities with the condition provide.

Another user commented, “This is great, saying this as a person [who’s] had to fight rheumatologists who told me Black women don’t get Sjogren’s, they get lupus.” 

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