Kim Kardashian says she was miserable this year because she was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis: 'It was painful and scary'
Although Kim Kardashian has always been pretty much open about her struggles with the autoimmune disease, psoriasis, she opened up about it again recently in an in-depth blog post on her sister's website, Poosh.
"Today I’m sharing with Poosh my journey with the autoimmune conditions psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, including what’s worked for me and how I’ve adjusted my life since being diagnosed. Even though I always grew up with my mom having psoriasis and hearing her talk about her struggle, I really had no idea what my life would be like dealing with an autoimmune disease myself," she began the essay with.
She recalled her first flareup of psoriasis when she was 25. "I got a common cold, and since psoriasis is an autoimmune condition, this triggered it. It was all over my stomach and legs," she wrote.
However, there was a dermatologist in her apartment she was living in at the time, who gave her a shot of cortisone, which made the condition disappear for the next five years. However, it made a comeback in her thirties when she was living in New York.
Since her mother, Kris Jenner, was the one from whom she inherited the skin condition, she tried the same remedies that made the latter's psoriasis go away, especially UV rays from the tanning beds. However, instead of curing her, it had the opposite effect.
"For me, however, that remedy would burn the areas and cause them to itch, so I always felt helpless," she said.
Unable to get rid of it, she learned to live with it, until it got really bad this year. "Earlier this year is when it got extremely bad—it covered my whole face and a majority of my entire body," she quipped.
Just before her appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' she said that she felt "miserable" as her hands had swelled up and grew painful. "After I flew home, I went to the doctor because then I thought I could possibly have rheumatoid arthritis. I knew I felt the pain in my bones, and after I Googled the possibilities, I was beyond scared," she said about a time that was documented in her reality show 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians.'
Although her blood initially tested positive for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, she was later diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Despite being scared for her health, Kim said that she will continue to battle through her condition.
"I’ve become extremely comfortable with my psoriasis. No matter where it is on my body, sometimes I am fine with showing it off and other times I don’t want it to be a distraction, so I cover it up with body makeup," she said. "I live a healthy life and try to eat as plant-based as possible and drink sea moss smoothies. With all the stress in life, I try to make sure I take time for myself so that I am centered and keep my stress to a minimum."