Abrial Pang, 31, looks fit and healthy and isn’t someone that you’d picture as sick. At 25, he was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, an autoimmune disease that leads to inflammation in the joints and ligaments in his spine and sacroiliac joints.

About once a month, he experiences flares in his joints. The illness is chronic, incurable and degenerative and can only be managed with anti-inflammatory painkillers, stretches and exercise.

According to research, there are about 80 to 100 known autoimmune diseases. They include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Type 1 diabetes, Graves’ disease and many more.

Young adults living with a chronic disease face daily challenges with public transport, work and being misunderstood by people.

00:00 Misconceptions about ‘invisible’ chronic disease
01:06 What having ankylosing spondylitis is like
04:05 Challenges at work
06:41 Why he refuses the priority seat on the MRT
09:40 National Arthritis Foundation support group
11:17 Symptoms, reality of chronic pain
13:14 Concerns about family, future partner

To find out more about Autoimmune Diseases Singapore, visit https://www.autoimmunediseases.sg

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