Kim Kardashian West said she wanted to help other sufferers as she opened up on her battle with the skin condition psoriasis.
The reality TV star experienced her first flare up 13 years ago when red, scaly and itchy patches formed on her skin.
Kardashian West, 38, recently revealed she has been told it is likely she also has psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory form of arthritis that causes joint pain and stiffness.
The mother-of-four wrote an essay for her sister Kourtney’s lifestyle website Poosh detailing her experiences with the condition.
Alongside pictures of patches of red skin on her leg, she wrote: “For the past eight years, although the spots are unpredictable, I can always count on my main spot on my right lower leg, which consistently stays flared up.
“I have learned to live with this spot without using any creams or medication — I just deal. Sometimes I cover it up and sometimes I don’t. It doesn’t really bother me.”
Kardashian West, who found fame while starring in her family’s reality TV show and is married to the rapper Kanye West, said her symptoms got “extremely bad” earlier this year.
She had lesions covering her face and the majority of her body and woke up during the night unable to use her hands.
“One night, I woke up to use the restroom and I physically couldn’t pick up my phone”, Kardashian West said.
“I thought it was strange but maybe I just slept on my hands weird and I was so tired, I didn’t need to be checking my phone at that hour anyway. I fell right back asleep.
“I woke up that morning and I still couldn’t pick up my phone. I was freaking out—I couldn’t even pick up a toothbrush, my hands hurt so badly.
“As the day went on, I got a bit more movement in my hands, but they really hurt from the inside – I felt it in my bones.”
Kardashian West described the devastating moment her blood tests came back positive for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
She said she “felt so lost”. However, she was given better news three days later when doctors told her the results had been a false positive and she had neither condition.
Kardashian West was instead diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. She has taken steps to alleviate the symptoms of the autoimmune disease, including adopting a largely plant-based diet and trying to “keep my stress to a minimum”.
As a result, Kardashian West said, she has become “extremely comfortable” with her psoriasis.
She wrote: “No matter where it is on my body, sometimes I am fine with showing it off and other times I don’t want it to be a distraction, so I cover it up with body makeup.
“If you have psoriasis, you can’t let it ruin your life or get the best of you. You have to do what you can to make sure you are comfortable but not let it take over.
“I hope my story can help anyone else with an autoimmune disease feel confident that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”