{"id":7154,"date":"2026-05-01T14:32:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dailycupofwellness\/?p=7154"},"modified":"2026-05-01T14:34:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:34:17","slug":"carrie-ann-inaba-says-she-lives-with-constant-pain-from-invisible-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/dailycupofwellness\/2026\/05\/carrie-ann-inaba-says-she-lives-with-constant-pain-from-invisible-illness.html","title":{"rendered":"Carrie Ann Inaba Says She Lives With &#8216;Constant Pain&#8217; From &#8216;Invisible&#8217; Illness"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_7157\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7157\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7157\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/410\/2026\/05\/Carrie-Ann-Inaba_credit-Kathy-Hutchins-Shutterstock.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7157\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kathy Hutchins \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Carrie Ann Inaba is using a frightening recent health scare to shine a light on a condition she says many people still don\u2019t fully understand.<\/p>\n<p>The longtime &#8220;Dancing with the Stars&#8221; judge, 58, revealed she was rushed to the hospital after experiencing a medical emergency mid-flight while traveling to New York City. In an Instagram post, Inaba shared that she \u201csuddenly felt quite ill,\u201d describing symptoms that quickly escalated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd while it seemed like food poisoning, I also suddenly broke out into a cold sweat, got dizzy and my arms went numb,\u201d she wrote. \u201cLike many people who live with autoimmune disease, I travel with a health tool kit and am prepared for the worst, but this scared me.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DXNiy3kjd_U\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DXNiy3kjd_U\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Carrie Ann Inaba (@carrieanninaba)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>That moment brought renewed attention to her long battle with Sjogren\u2019s disease, a chronic autoimmune condition she\u2019s been managing for years.<\/p>\n<p>Inaba told <em>Fox News Digital<\/em> that her journey began long before her official diagnosis. Early on, she experienced severe eye issues. \u201cMy eyes were really, really dry and I kept having injuries to my corneas,\u201d she said. At first, her symptoms were dismissed, but after seeing a specialist and undergoing extensive testing, she was finally diagnosed in 2013\u2014more than a decade after her symptoms began.<\/p>\n<p>Sjogren\u2019s disease can be difficult to detect because it affects people differently. Inaba said she later developed persistent pain in her neck and shoulders, along with extreme fatigue. \u201cI had no energy to move forward with things, which is unlike me,\u201d she said. \u201cI&#8217;ve always been a go-getter\u2026 I was physically active my whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The unpredictability of the disease has been one of the hardest parts. With symptoms ranging from dry eyes and mouth to brain fog, anxiety, and chronic pain, Inaba says it can feel overwhelming\u2014and isolating.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI live with pain 24\/7,\u201d she shared.<\/p>\n<p>To manage her condition, Inaba has built a daily routine focused on minimizing flare-ups. She stays hydrated, uses a humidifier, and incorporates practices like meditation, reiki, and body work. She\u2019s also learned to pace herself, especially around major events.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know that more than likely, I might be sick and I might have a few down days afterwards, and it&#8217;s worth the risk,\u201d she said. \u201cIf I don&#8217;t have to be in a crowd, I won&#8217;t, because I want to take care of my health and prioritize myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, Inaba is speaking out to raise awareness through the \u201cSjout for Sjogren\u2019s\u201d campaign, encouraging others to advocate for their health and seek proper care.<\/p>\n<p>Her message is simple but powerful: take symptoms seriously and don\u2019t ignore what your body is telling you.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want people to respect that it is a complicated systemic autoimmune disease that needs care,\u201d she said, noting that there is currently no FDA-approved treatment and that managing symptoms is key.<\/p>\n<p>Above all, Inaba wants people to understand that just because they can\u2019t see the illness doesn\u2019t mean it isn\u2019t real.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an invisible illness,\u201d she said. \u201cI know when I&#8217;m out there doing whatever show I&#8217;m doing, you don&#8217;t think I&#8217;m sick, but I pay a price for doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She also offered encouragement to others walking a similar path. \u201cIt&#8217;s sometimes a lonely and isolating disease\u2026 I want people to feel confident enough to shout about what they&#8217;re going through,\u201d she said. \u201cDon&#8217;t let people tell you it&#8217;s not real.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Inaba, sharing her story isn\u2019t just about her own journey\u2014it\u2019s about helping others feel seen, heard, and understood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Carrie Ann Inaba is using a frightening recent health scare to shine a light on a condition she says many people still don\u2019t fully understand. The longtime &#8220;Dancing with the Stars&#8221; judge, 58, revealed she was rushed to the hospital after experiencing a medical emergency mid-flight while traveling to New York City. In an Instagram&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":7157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Carrie Ann Inaba Says She Lives With &#039;Constant Pain&#039; From &#039;Invisible&#039; Illness<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Carrie Ann Inaba is using a frightening recent health scare to shine a light on a condition she says many people still don\u2019t fully understand.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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