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Solange Knowles has revealed she was diagnosed with three chronic illnesses in 2018.
The singer-songwriter, who is the sister of Beyoncé, broke through with her 2016 album A Seat at the Table.
On Instagram, Knowles responded to a post by model and musician Shaun Ross detailing his experiences with long Covid.
In reply, she wrote: “Sending u so much love and strength Shaun and to all in the comments struggling with the debilitating, confusing, and lonely symptoms of POTS!”
She continued: “I got diagnosed with POTS, Sjogrens and Mcas in 2018 and really relate to not wanting your health to be your identity.
“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 !”
POTS is an abbreviation of Postural tachycardia syndrome, a chronic condition that causes an abnormally rapid heart rate when standing up or sitting up.
Sjogren’s Syndrom is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body's moisture-producing glands to malfunction, often resulting in dry eyes and a dry mouth.
Mcas is an abbreviation for Mast cell activation syndrome, which causes a person to repeatedly have severe allergic reactions. The symptoms can affecting several body systems including the skin, gastrointestinal tract, heart, respiratory, and neurologic systems.
Dysautonomia International is a charity which funds research and works to improve the lives of those living with autonomic nervous system disorders, while the “spoonie” community is a support group and online community made up of people living with chronic illnesses.
She had been set to play at Afropunk in South Africa, but announced she had to cancel the show in a lengthy Instagram post explaining the situation.
“Wrote, deleted and re-wrote this like five times... Still not sure what exactly or how much I want to share... However it’s so important to me for the people in South Africa, a place that has tremendous meaning to me and that has given me SO SO MUCH, to know why I won’t be performing at Afro Punk this NYE,” she wrote. “The past five months I have been quietly treating, and working through an Autonomic Disorder.”
At the time she didn’t reveal too much about the state of her condition, but she did say her diagnosis was “complicated” and that doctors didn’t think playing the concert was in her best interest.
“It been a journey that hasn’t been easy on me,” she continued. “Sometimes I feel cool, and other times not so cool at all. It’s a complicated diagnoses, and I’m still learning so much myself, but right now, my doctors are not clearing me for such an extended lengthy flight, and doing a rigorous show right after.”
