She’s Sharing Her Medical Battles With The World In Hopes Of Fostering A Supportive And Transparent Online Community

Social media has become the ultimate hub for sharing personal experiences, struggles, and milestones with the world.

And while everyone enjoys hearing about hilarious stories, romance, and “tea,” a social community has also emerged around medical conditions.

More and more people who struggle with their health have taken to social media to share their diagnoses, educate the community about their condition, and answer medical questions to the best of their knowledge.

The move has fostered a welcoming and supportive environment for social media users to tear down stigmas surrounding their ailments and show the world what it is really like to live with them.

One such user is Etta Shaheen, a woman from Las Vegas who started her Instagram account @The_Dizzy_Diva to shed light on vestibular migraines and persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD).

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, vestibular migraines often run in families and result in severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, vertigo, loss of balance, and sensitivity to motion.

PPPD is a form of chronic dizziness in which diagnosed patients often describe feeling a “constant sensation of floating or rocking with nausea,” according to Stanford Medicine.

And unfortunately, Etta’s symptoms did not develop gradually and slowly reveal themselves. Instead, she woke up one morning in January of 2020 to her life changed forever.

Instagram; pictured above is Etta

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“I woke up like normal then, at around 3:00 p.m., I fell to the floor with the worst vertigo I have ever had,” Etta wrote in an Instagram post.

She then began vomiting uncontrollably and was forced to wait for an ambulance to arrive. Etta was understandably confused and scared– wondering what could have possibly been wrong.

But, after undergoing assessments in the emergency room, doctors claimed she showed no signs of illness.

“How was that possible? Just a few days later, I was diagnosed with vestibular migraines. And, after a few more months of 24/7 symptoms, I was diagnosed with PPPD,” Etta continued.

She has now been living with the conditions for about two and a half years, and Etta created her Instagram account in hopes of rallying a community together.

“I made this account to connect with others that are going through a vestibular disorder and also to share hope. I have battled suicidal thoughts, 24/7 debilitating symptoms, and lots of heartaches,” she explained.

Nonetheless, Etta keeps going. She continuously posts updates regarding her conditions and mental health on her Instagram account while also taking the time to answer any followers’ questions.

Most recently, Etta moved from Miami to Las Vegas and shared how she has never been in a better mental state.

“I am so much happier than I have been in a really long time. To those of you struggling right now, my DMs are always open. You will get better, I promise,” she shared in a recent post.

To remain updated with Etta and support the sharing of medical struggles in open, positive forums, you can visit her Instagram account linked here.

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Katharina Buczek graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Digital Arts. Specializing ... More about Katharina Buczek

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