SWNSDanielle Sheehan improvement in her face rashes after her implants were removed. See SWNS story SWSYimplants. A mum spent years suffering from a mystery illness which left her temporarily blind – but disappeared after she had her breast implants removed. Danielle Sheehan, now 32, had implants aged 19 after winning a ¿5k beauty makeover. She […][/caption]
A MUM was left blind after having a boob job.
Danielle Sheehan, now 32, had implants in 2010 at aged 19 after winning a beauty makeover.
SWNSDanielle Sheehan had implants aged 19 after winning a £5,000 beauty makeover[/caption]
SWNSShe spent years suffering from a skin conditions and eventually blindness[/caption]
SWNSDanielle Sheehan improvement in her face rashes after her implants were removed.[/caption]
In the years that followed the ex-model was plagued by hair loss, fatigue, eczema and inflammation – but couldn’t work out why.
“I felt like I was slowly dying and I just didn’t feel well at all,” Danielle said.
She went to her doctor multiple times and even attended A&E when she lost her sight.
Danielle, from Norwich, Norfolk, said medics suggested she might have an autoimmune condition or be under too much stress.
But she now thinks she had breast implant illness (BII) – after her problems vanished within weeks of her implants being removed.
“I stumbled across other people talking about BII and saw they had rashes around their eyes the same as mine, it was like a lightbulb moment,” she explained.
Doctors she spoke to had not heard of the condition but sent her for an ultrasound to check the integrity of the implants.
The implants were intact, but Danielle decided to get them removed anyway.
Within hours of having the surgery she saw an improvement in her skin condition.
She said: “I feel safe in my body now, I feel emotionally stable, the rashes around my eyes have gone and the eczema is trailing off now.
“My hair looks better – it had got really thin and was falling out.
Now she wants to raise awareness of the condition and thinks doctors should ask women if they have breast implants before investigating for autoimmune disorders.
She said: “GPs need to take it seriously and ask about implants – it should be a mandatory question for girls going in with autoimmune conditions.
“I don’t think anyone would know – you never would put hair loss and rashes down to having implants.”
Tens of thousands of women on online forums claim they have suffered BII, for which there is currently little scientific evidence.
Surgeons, including from British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), previously called for more research.
The MHRA says there have been more than a million breast implant operations in the UK, and surgeons say most patients are happy with the results.
What are the symptoms of breast implant illness?
Symptoms of breast implant illness can vary from person to person.
Common symptoms include:
Joint pain
Muscle pain
Muscle weakness (myopathy)
Anxiety and depression
Brain fog
Fatigue
Memory loss
Trouble concentrating
Autoimmune condition symptoms or diagnosis
Chronic pain
Dry eyes or low vision
Hair loss
Skin problems such as rashes