Elvis Presley's Rare Autoimmune Disease You Never Knew About

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When Elvis Presley passed away on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42, the world was shocked. As writer Sally A. Hoedel told Fox News Digital, "It's hard for us to imagine [that he was in physical pain] because he once appeared so perfect on the outside that he couldn't have been flawed on the inside." 

However, in hindsight, it becomes clear that the "Hound Dog" singer was dealing with serious health issues prior to his death (his daughter Lisa Maria Presley's death also occurred under tragic circumstances). According to Dr. Forest Tennant, author of "The Strange Medical Saga of Elvis Presley," while it was initially believed that Presley had died of a heart attack, the status of his health was much more complicated. As Tennant explained, he had been in good health up until the preceding decade. However, his condition began to deteriorate and had declined so severely in the three years prior to his death that he needed constant nursing care (via MedCentral).

Tennant went on to explain that, while Presley's health issues were not fully understood at the time, modern medicine now allows us to determine that he likely had an autoimmune inflammatory disorder and chronic pain due to repeated head injuries. Although an abnormal heart rhythm, drug abuse, a genetic antitrypsin deficiency, and poor diet further contributed to his demise, Tennant said he feels that Presley's autoimmune condition was the missing piece of the puzzle that doctors at the time did not understand (via MedCentral).

As Tennant laid out (via Gulf Physio), a history of repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may well have either caused him to develop autoimmune disease or worsened an existing condition. If brain tissue is loosened by an impact and leaks through the blood-brain barrier, this can cause antibodies to form and attack healthy tissues, he explained.

Tennant specifically discussed four separate incidents that are known to have occurred to the King of  Rock and Roll. In 1956, Presley was hit in the face on two separate occasions during violent altercations. Then, two years later, he took part in skating "war" games with friends in which he was tackled repeatedly. In fact, the singer ended up taking large amounts of the drug Percodan to cope with the pain. Finally, in 1967, Presley tripped over a television cord in his bathroom and fell, banging his head on a porcelain bathtub and knocking himself out. Following this last injury, it was reported that he was behaving strangely, and it only got worse over time. He additionally reported having headaches and body pain.

The Cleveland Clinic writes that autoimmune disease occurs when your immune system begins to attack your body instead of defending it. Normally, it is able to sense when foreign substances like viruses, bacteria, and toxins have entered your body. And, when it does, it triggers white blood cells to remove them. However, sometimes, your immune system becomes confused and begins attacking your own healthy tissue.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, autoimmune diseases often share certain common symptoms, including fatigue, joint pain and swelling, skin issues, abdominal pain, digestive complaints, fever, and swollen glands. However, Ana-Maria Orbai, MD, MHS, told the organization it can be difficult to get a diagnosis since there's no single test for it, and it may require a combination of symptoms, blood markers, or even a tissue biopsy to get to the bottom of what's causing your illness. "If you've been healthy and suddenly you feel fatigue or joint stiffness, don't downplay that," she said. "Telling your doctor helps him or her to look closer at your symptoms and run tests to either identify or rule out autoimmune disease."