A Young Woman Bleeds From Her Eyes And Ears And No One Knows Why
Marnie-Rae Harvey, a 17-year-old girl, has come to the attention of many scientists around the world, after developing a serious and unknown disease that causes her eyes and ears to bleed.
The teenager, who lives in the town of Stoke-on-Trent, in the United Kingdom, has been affected physically, mentally and socially because of this strange condition that doctors have not been able to explain.
Since presenting symptoms for the first time in 2013, Harvey has been reviewed by gynecologists, hematologists, neurologists and even pediatricians, but none have been able to establish a medical diagnosis for such a strange condition.
The young woman gave an interview to the BBC network and her story has already been around the world in recent weeks. In the statements, he told how this problem had affected his life and how he felt every time it appeared.
“It burns me and when they cover my pupils, as tears often do, I can’t see” – says Harvey.
What is most alarming his doctors is that this rare situation is getting worse and is also affecting the ears, nose, tongue and nails.
It all started with a cough …
One day in March 2013, Harvey was frightened to notice that after coughing, he had expelled some blood. The symptom recurred several times, but the doctors did not consider it to be serious.
The problem became more worrisome in July of that same year, a day in which the young woman woke up with her face covered in blood.
He had bled from his eyes, so his parents immediately called the ambulance. ” The paramedics were dismayed because they had never seen anything like it” – he remembers.
After being transferred to the hospital, she underwent several medical tests, but the specialists did not find any abnormalities in the eyes or in the blood.
However, the problem did not end there and, in fact, after two weeks the young woman began to “cry blood” every day. One day while shopping, she was forced to return to the hospital when her eyes and ears started bleeding at the same time.
This time, more analyzes were carried out and other specialists also recognized him, that the only strange thing they found was a decrease in his immune response.
“Tears of blood” are known in medical terms as hemolacria. According to this study carried out by a team from the King Abdulaziz Hospital (Saudi Arabia) , it is a rare disorder that is caused by an injury, a disorder in the lacrimal gland or clotting problems. In addition, it is usually, most of the time, a benign symptom.
However, the curious thing about this case is that in the tests performed on Harvey there is no evidence that indicates any of these problems.
The bleeding from your eyes and ears won’t stop
Over time, bleeds have become more common and already affect other parts of your body such as the gums, scalp, tongue and nose.
Due to the complexity and the impression it generates in the social environment, the young woman has had to “pause” her life and remains locked in her house.
“I did not manage to pass the final exams in college, so I could not go to university” – he laments. Not surprisingly, in his community he has become the “weirdo” and this has affected his self-esteem.
At the moment his situation remains unresolved, despite the fact that doctors are trying to investigate what his origin may be.
A possible brain tumor or an arteriovenous malformation has already been ruled out. Blood tests are normal and your iron levels are adequate.
Multiple treatments for an exceptional disease
To try to control the symptoms, she is currently receiving treatment with a drug called “Prostap 4,” designed to stop the uterus from working. If successful, doctors have suggested surgery for endometriosis.
The problem is that this treatment has a 60% risk of causing infertility. However, she has come to terms with it and states that, for now, she is only interested in alleviating this ailment.
Time will tell if Marnie-Rae manages to come up with a chronic treatment for her disease or if, on the contrary, her doctors find a complete cure.
