16-year-old Iqbal Sheikh spends most of his life in a pond due to a rare condition which doctors can’t seem to wrap their heads around.
For the last five years, Iqbal Sheikh, from Murshidabad in West Bengal, India, has spent much of his waking time submerged in a pond. The 16-year-old experiences a burning sensation on his skin, and being in the water helps relieve some of his pain, according to LADbible.
His family has tried to find answers, reaching out to doctors as well as traditional healers in an effort to determine what is causing the burning sensation. So far, however, no one has been able to identify the condition or provide Iqbal with a proper diagnosis.
Iqbal Sheikh has spent years “living” in a pond
Recently, videos of Iqbal began circulating online, showing him sitting in the pond while eating snacks. The attention the videos received may have brought him one step closer to finding answers about the mysterious condition that has kept him in the water for years.
One of the country’s richest men, Anant Ambani, saw the videos and decided to intervene, according to Gulf News. Reports say he has organized Iqbal’s trip to Mumbai, where he can undergo a specialist evaluation.
The attention surrounding Iqbal’s case has also prompted doctors online to speculate about what could be causing his intense pain.
Some have pointed to a skin condition called erythromelalgia, which causes episodes of burning pain, warmth and redness in the skin. According to the NHS, it most commonly affects the feet, although it can also affect other parts of the body.
What is erythromelalgia?
According to Cleveland Clinic “it may be tempting to soak the affected area in ice water, but ice baths can make erythromelalgia symptoms worse. It can also put you at risk for skin issues like nonhealing wounds and necrosis that are difficult to treat.”
Erythromelalgia has not been confirmed as Iqbal’s diagnosis, and doctors will need to determine what is actually causing his symptoms. If doctors determine that he has the condition, treatment usually includes medication taken by mouth, while lidocaine infusions, nutritional supplements, pain management therapies and certain creams may also help, according to Cleveland Clinic.
For now, Iqbal’s condition remains a mystery. After spending five years relying on a pond to ease the burning sensation on his skin, the 16-year-old is finally one step closer to see specialists who may be able to provide the answers he and his family have been searching for.
READ MORE
- Donald Trump threatens to deport Robert De Niro after actor’s “sick and demented” comment about him
- Hayden Panettiere’s neighbor describes horrific scene inside apartment block after she had an apparent overdose
