Indian Teen Spent Years Swimming in a Pond Before He Was Rescued. Then Doctors Discover He May Have a Rare Condition
The diagnosis is not final.
A 16-year-old from West Bengal, India, had reportedly spent five years of his life swimming in a pond to relieve the burning sensation he felt on his skin before he was eventually rescued by locals and brought to doctors. While a definitive diagnosis has not yet been made, doctors suspect that the Indian teen, Iqbal Sheikh, has the rare skin condition erythromelalgia.
Prior to the video of Sheikh spending time in the water circulating online, the teen’s family had reportedly sought help from doctors at different hospitals. However, they had to pause his treatments due to financial constraints. With Sheikh’s symptoms persisting, he eventually sought to relieve the unbearable sensations and pain by submerging himself in the ponds of Murshidabad.
In the video shared online, Sheikh can be seen eating snacks while sitting in the pond. In another scene, Sheikh can be seen lying down on the floor as he cries out in pain.
Indian teen may have erythromelalgia
Sheikh was reportedly airlifted to Sir H. N. Reliance Hospital in Mumbai, funded by Indian billionaire Anant Ambani, and is undergoing diagnosis and treatment. He is expected to remain at the hospital as doctors continue conducting tests and determining the appropriate treatment for Sheikh’s symptoms.
While the water may have provided Sheikh a bit of relief from his pain, health experts fear that it may have posed a risk to the teen’s health. Reportedly, Sheikh had developed cough and cold symptoms, and locals claimed that parts of his body had turned pale due to his long exposure to water. Sheikh’s family is said to be hopeful that his recent hospital admission will give the teen the medical support he needs, especially with doctors believing it may be erythromelalgia.
According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), erythromelalgia is a rare condition that usually affects the feet and, in some cases, the hands. Those with this condition suffer from symptoms such as burning pain, severe redness, and hot skin.
It remains unknown what exactly causes erythromelalgia. However, experts say it may be a result of underlying disorders or abnormalities in familial genes. For now, not much can be done to prevent erythromelalgia from manifesting.
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