The talented singer Solange Knowles has always been vocal about her art, whether it be her singing, songwriting, visual art, or shows she produces. Now, the 38-year-old recently got vocal about her health issues, revealing that she had received multiple diagnoses back in 2018.
In an Instagram video, Solange’s fellow musician, Shaun Ross could be heard detailing his journey with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a disorder that occurs as a result of long COVID.
The younger sister of Beyonce and mother of two commented on the post revealing that she, too, had been diagnosed with the medical condition, along with the conditions of Sjogren’s and Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS).
Ross explained that he wasn’t releasing the video to gain sympathy or attention, because he doesn’t want his illness to be his identity. He just wanted to remind viewers that you never know what someone is fighting and to be careful with your words. This prompted Knowles to reveal that six years ago she found out she was suffering from several medical issues, including POTS.
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“I got diagnosed with POTS, Sjogrens and Mcas in 2018 and really relate to not wanting your health to be your identity,” Solange continued.
That sounds like a lot for any one person to handle on a day-to-day basis. Below, we break down each of those diseases.
The Conditions Solange Now Suffers From
POTS Disease
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic condition that causes an abnormally rapid increase in heart rate when standing up or sitting up. It’s a type of autonomic dysregulation, which means it affects the autonomic nervous system’s ability to regulate blood flow.
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POTS is characterized by:
- A heart rate increase of at least 30 beats per minute within 10 minutes of standing
- Lightheadedness or fainting that’s relieved by lying down
Other symptoms include:
- fatigue
- headache
- palpitations
- sleep disturbance
- nausea
- bloating
POTS can affect people of any age or gender, but it’s most common in women between the ages of 15 and 50. It can often start after a pregnancy, major surgery, trauma, or a viral illness.
There’s no cure for POTS, but it can be managed with lifestyle changes, medication, physical therapy, compression stockings, or gentle resistance training.
Sjögren’s Syndrome
Sjögren’s syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body’s moisture-producing glands to be attacked by the immune system. This results in a reduction of tears and saliva, leading to dry eyes and mouth. Other symptoms include:
- Dry skin, nose, and throat
- Frequent nosebleeds
- Coughing frequently
- Itchy or burning eyes
- Excessive blinking
- Sensitivity to bright lights
- Difficulty swallowing or speaking
- Difficulty tasting food
- Fatigue
- Joint and muscle pain
Sjögren’s syndrome can affect other organ systems, including the lungs, kidneys, and nervous system. It can occur on its own or alongside other autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
There is no cure for Sjögren’s syndrome, but treatments can help manage symptoms. These include:
- Eye drops
- Sprays, lozenges, and gels to keep your mouth wet
- Medicine to help your body produce more tears and saliva
Sjögren’s syndrome is most often not life-threatening, but the outcome depends on other diseases you have
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
According to the Mayo Clinic, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a condition which can develop in children or adults. MCAS forms part of a spectrum of mast cell disorders. People with MCAS may also have other mast cell disorders such as mastocytosis or hereditary alpha tryptasemia syndrome (HATS).
In people affected by MCAS, chemicals called mast cell mediators are released too frequently or abundantly, and/or in response to triggers that are not typically considered to be harmful, for example; foods or chemicals in the environment. This can lead to a wide range of symptoms that affect multiple parts of the body.
Triggers and symptoms of MCAS vary greatly between individuals. Triggers can include fragrances, exercise, stress and changes in temperature. MCAS symptoms can come and go and may often change over time within the same person. This can make it difficult to identify specific triggers, and the number of triggers and severity of symptoms may continue to increase as the condition progresses.
Solange Previously Said She Was Diagnosed with this Mental Health Issue…Twice
The soulful songstress says she’s always been full of energy and claims that sometimes her sporadic speech and effervescence led people to believe she was on drugs. But the real culprit was something she didn’t believe in at first: ADHD.
Knowles says that when a doctor told her she had ADHD she did not believe him: “I was diagnosed with ADHD twice. I didn’t believe the first doctor who told me and I had a whole theory that ADHD was just something they invented to make you pay for medicine, but then the second doctor told me I had it.”
She also said that she feels everyone in the music business seems to suffer from the symptoms of ADHD. “The symptoms seem to apply to everyone around me in the industry. Loss of memory, starting something and not finishing it…”
Traditionally, ADHD was thought to be a male-oriented disease, and men were once believed to account for the vast majority of cases. But recent research has begun to focus on how the disorder affects females, so that ADHD may be identified earlier in women’s lives.
Although ADHD can cause some difficulties, many people with ADHD are very successful in life. Following diagnosis, what’s next?
Solange’s case is a lesson for all of us. Take control of your health. Be present in your health and not just take what is given to you. Here are some things we can learn.
1. Learn about the disorder—what it is and what it isn’t.
2. Try to get your significant other involved in learning with you.
3. Remember that getting a diagnosis of a condition like ADHD changes nothing. You only have a name for what was previously unnamed.
4. You will probably be relieved and sad after receiving your diagnosis. You may be relieved to know that something is the matter and that it is not your fault. You may be sad to know that something is the matter and no one ever realized it.
5. Recognize that getting the diagnosis is the first step to a better life. You have to know a problem before you can begin to address it and work with it.
6. Reexamine your past and realize that much of what happened was not your fault.
7. Begin to focus on what you can do to make your future better.
8. Remember that improvements will come slowly. Accept this and don’t be too hard on yourself.
What Solange Wants People to Know About Her
While revealing her current health struggles, Solange also mentioned “not wanting your health to be your identity.” Meaning, even though she may have these health issues that can sometimes get in the way of what she may want to do, remember that she is still a real person–not her ailments. She is still the creative, lovely, fun, and talented singer we’ve grown to love. None of these health issues should change that.
