While the news of the death of 'Dangal' girl Suhani Bhatnagar has shocked everyone, it has also highlighted the need for awareness about a rare disease. Let us tell you that the 19-year-old actress died of a rare autoimmune disease named dermatomyositis.

This disease initially affects the skin and skeleton muscles. Its symptoms are so minor that it takes a lot of time to diagnose. This very thing became the cause of Suhani Bhatnagar's death. The actress's father told the media that Suhani had been suffering from symptoms for 2 months but the doctor diagnosed her two weeks ago.

Do not ignore these common symptoms of rare diseases
The earliest symptom of dermatomyositis is a red rash on the face, eyelids, around the nails, knuckles, elbows, knees, chest, and back. Along with this, it often includes muscle weakness, swelling, difficulty in breathing, and difficulty in swallowing.

This is why autoimmune disease occurs
Speaking with TOI, Dr Uma Kumar, professor and head of the rheumatology department at AIIMS, explained that autoimmune disorders occur when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy body tissues and destroys them. Anti-inflammatories and medications are given to slow this process. Most patients respond well to treatment and only 5% have a fulminant course.

These lifestyle habits are also responsible
The doctor says that although no exact cause of the autoimmune disorder is known, research shows that many lifestyle factors can trigger this problem. These include frequent viral infections, smoking, air pollution, certain medications, and chronic stress. Apart from this, genetic factors also play an important role in this.

These people are at greater risk
This disease occurs more in adults aged 40-60 and children aged 5-15 years. The risk of this disease in women is double that of men. Apart from this, according to health experts, people who have been patients of Covid-19 also have a higher risk of this disease than others.

How to protect
Neurologist Dr Shamsher Dwivedi explains that there is no prevention for autoimmune disorders. Only its timely diagnosis can help in reducing the severity of the disease in most cases.
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(PC: Freepik)