Award-winning singer Solange wrote a note to her fans explaining why she is canceling her highly anticipated performance at Afropunk Johannesburg. The singer revealed that she has been battling an autonomic disorder and that her doctors are advising against the long flight to South Africa.
The "A Seat at the Table" artist wrote on Instagram that she loves her fans in South Africa even though she won't be able to make it and is still unclear about every aspect of her condition.
"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.
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Solange continued, "The past five months I have been quietly treating, and working through an Autonomic Disorder. It been a journey that hasn't been easy on me... Sometimes I feel cool, and other times not so cool at all."
This isn't the first health scare that nearly sidelined Solange. On her wedding day, Solange suffered from severe hives that revealed themselves as red bumps all over her face. She was able to quickly deal with that and be fine within a couple of days.
With this new autonomic disorder, Solange said it's a complicated diagnosis and that "right now, my doctors are not clearing me for such an extended lengthy flight, and doing a rigorous show right after."
She is looking forward to better self-care in 2018 and added, "This past year has been one of the most fulfilling of my life," as she thanked her fans.
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Solange did not share what type of autonomic disorder she was diagnosed with, but people with autonomic disorders have trouble regulating heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and body temperature as the disorder is a dysfunction in the nervous system.
Autonomic nerve disorders (dysautonomia) refer to disorders of autonomic nervous system (ANS) function.
Dysautonomia is a general term used to describe a breakdown or abnormal function of the ANS. The autonomic nervous system controls much of your involuntary functions. Symptoms are wide-ranging and can include problems with:
- the regulation of heart rate
- blood pressure
- body temperature
- perspiration
- bowel and bladder functions.
Other symptoms include fatigue, lightheadedness, feeling faint or passing out (syncope), weakness, and cognitive impairment. Autonomic dysfunction can occur as a secondary condition of another disease process, like diabetes, or as a primary disorder where the autonomic nervous system is the only system impacted. These conditions are often misdiagnosed.
Over one million Americans are impacted by a primary autonomic system disorder. The more common forms of these conditions include:
- Orthostatic hypotension (OH)
- Orthostatic intolerance (OI)
- Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, also known as postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
- Syncope
- Neurogenic bowel (gastroparesis, intestinal dysmotility, constipation)
- Erectile dysfunction and neurogenic bladder
Solange made no mention of any type of treatment plan, but doctors typically prescribe medicine to regulate blood pressure, or something to help increase the body's water and salt retention.
The 31-year-old younger sister of Beyoncé has backed out of at least two shows in the past year, including one in November at Florida State University's homecoming show in which she cited a medical condition.
