{
  "id": 16138371,
  "title": "Woman diagnosed with arthritis after 10 years of pain dismissed as stress",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/woman-diagnosed-with-arthritis-after-10-years-of-pain-dismissed-as",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-23T02:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/10/23/uae-woman-arthritis-diagnosis-symptoms/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Afna Shanavas, now 26, was diagnosed with arthritis after a decade of unexplained pain dismissed as stress. As a teenager, she constantly complained of exhaustion and pain while writing during exams. Despite numerous visits to specialists, her symptoms were frequently attributed to stress or overexertion, and she was only given painkillers. Ms Shanavas, a psychologist, was even referred to a psychiatrist as her symptoms were thought to be psychosomatic. Her condition escalated to a point where she was admitted to the hospital for a severe neck seizure at 17, which doctors later ruled out being a stroke. Finally, a minor cut that wouldn't heal led to a rheumatology test that confirmed her diagnosis of inflammatory polyarthropathy and ankylosing spondylitis, both forms of arthritis that can cause chronic pain and inflammation. These conditions typically affect people under 45, often following a period of chronic pain and a comprehensive evaluation. Ms Shanavas, now a head of inclusion and well-being, takes daily medication and has kept a decade-long journal to document her experiences. She emphasizes that arthritis can affect young people and urges others to recognize this.",
  "summary": "When Afna Shanavas first complained of pain at 16, doctors suspected stress. It would take another 10 years for her to discover she had arthritis. Writing during school exams became increasingly painful, and she was constantly exhausted. But despite visits to specialists, her symptoms were repeatedly treated with painkillers and she was asked to rest. “I knew I was in pain, but people did not…",
  "key_points": [
    "Afna Shanavas, 26, diagnosed with arthritis after 10 years of pain",
    "Pain initially dismissed as stress or overexertion by specialists",
    "Conditions inflammatory polyarthropathy and ankylosing spondylitis"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Misdiagnosing physical symptoms as psychological issues delays essential treatment for young patients and highlights the danger of dismissing chronic pain as mere stress or psychosomatic distress.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}