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A 25-year-old Indian woman who is unable to eat solid
food has survived on a liquid diet since she was born.
Manju Dharra, from Sonipat, near New Delhi, drinks four to five litres
of milk a day as well as consuming tea, buttermilk and water.
She has a condition called achalasia, which means she vomits suddenly if
she tries to eat anything solid.
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Her mother, Bhagwati Dharra, said: ‘She takes only fluids like milk,
tea, water and sometimes juice.
‘Mostly she takes milk, tea, buttermilk, water. If she eats solid food,
she faces the problem of vomiting suddenly.’
Manju added: ‘If I eat something then I throw up and I feel very, very
bad. Now I feel fear when I look at solid food.’
Her mother, Bhagwati Dharra, said: ‘She takes only fluids like milk,
tea, water and sometimes juice.
‘Mostly she takes milk, tea, buttermilk, water. If she eats solid food,
she faces the problem of vomiting suddenly.’
Manju added: ‘If I eat something then I throw up and I feel very, very
bad. Now I feel fear when I look at solid food.’
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Ms Dharra, who is above average height for an Indian woman, manages to
carry out her household chores and appears healthy but she suffers from
stomach pains.
Ms Dharra’s mother did not become concerned about her until she was two
years old.
At this point, she tried to introduce her to rice and bread but she just
cried and was sick.
At first, her mother believed she was just a fussy eater or that she was
being naughty but as time went on she came to realise she was ill.
The family took her to various doctors are tried numerous treatments but
nothing helped.
They are unable to afford to send her to a specialist or to consider
surgery and have invested in a cow to provide her with the milk she
needs.
Ms Dharra’s father, Ramkanwar Dharra, a bricklayer, said: ‘Our economic
situation is not such that we could continue her studies.
‘Manju is one of seven children - she has two brothers and five sisters
and the rest of the family is healthy and none of them suffer from the
same condition.’
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Dr Adarsh Sharma, a paediatrician in Jaipur, explained that the
condition could be cured by an operation and says that the family need
to consult a specialist.
Achalasia occurs when the gullet loses its ability to move food along
and the valve at the end of the gullet fails to open to allow food to
pass into the stomach.
This causes the food to become stuck in the gullet meaning it is often
brought back up.
A ring of muscle called the cardiac sphincter keeps the opening from the
gullet to the stomach shut tight to prevent acid reflux.
Normally, this muscle relaxes when you swallow to allow the food to pass
into your stomach.
In achalasia, this muscle does not relax properly and the end of the
gullet becomes blocked with food.
Surgery is often required to address the problem. |