A 16-year-old boy who has spent years “living in ponds” due to an unexplained burning sensation on his skin is now being evaluated by doctors in Mumbai.
Iqbal Sheikh is something of a local legend in Murshidabad, West Bengal, known for spending huge amounts of time submerged in ponds.
For years, people who saw videos of him assumed it was just an odd habit. What they didn’t see was what happened when he came out of the water.
According to his mother, Iqbal experiences a painful burning sensation on his skin whenever he’s out of the water, as well as dizziness and blurred vision. The cold water seems to be the only thing that brings him relief.
At times, the discomfort has been so severe Iqbal’s had to walk hunched to manage the pain.
“We knew he was suffering, but we did not know why,” his mother told the Mumbai Mirror. “When your child keeps telling you he is in pain and nobody can explain why, you continue searching.”
A local myth versus a medical mystery
Iqbal himself has said he believes a jinn, an invisible supernatural entity with a thin and subtle body, is behind what’s happening to him, forcing him toward the water.
So far, doctors haven’t been able to offer an alternative explanation.
The case has now reached Mumbai, where Iqbal is being evaluated at Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital. Businessman Anant Ambani is reported to have helped make that possible, and physician Dr. Brajpal Tyagi reached out to the family directly after Iqbal’s videos went viral.
“The first step is to establish exactly what condition he has,” Tyagi said. “Only after that can an appropriate treatment plan be developed.”
Doctors are reportedly looking into a range of possibilities, including but not limited to conditions affecting sweating, temperature regulation, nerve function, and pain perception.
The risks of years spent in water
Being submerged in water isn’t without its own dangers, whatever the diagnosis turns out to be.
Human skin can begin to break down after just a few days of continuous water exposure, leading to open sores and a higher risk of fungal or bacterial infections, even in clean water.
Spending this much time in water can also reduce circulation to fingers and toes and make breathing more difficult.
Dermatologists told the Indian news agency ANI echoed similar concerns and warned that Iqbal could be at risk of skin irritation, cracking, and infection the longer this goes on without a diagnosis.
“If the doctors can help us understand that and show us a way forward, it will mean everything to our family,” Iqbal’s mother said.
READ MORE:
- Dawson’s Creek actress Busy Philipps diagnosed with brain tumor aged 47
- New details emerge about Dolly Parton’s secret hospital visit just days before her death
