Celebrities living with a chronic illness
Graves disease is an auto-immune thyroiditis that affects the thyroid gland. It can lead to a swollen neck and an irregular heartbeat. Missy Elliott was diagnosed with the disease after she almost wrecked her car. She said, "I could't keep the brake down and almost crashed."
Actress Selma Blair has confessed on Instagram that she suffers from multiple sclerosis. "I drop things, my memory is fuzzy and my left side is like sending orders to a broken GPS." In spite of this, she wants to "play with my son again, walk, and ride my horse".
Asthma is an inflammation of the airways that prevents the patient from breathing normally. Pink was born with a collapsed lung and has suffered from asthma since she was a little girl.
Many celebrities are living with chronic illnesses that you may not know about. Halle Berry was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes after she passed out on a TV show. It's a disease that can damage the eyes, heart, and kidneys.
The 'Modern Family' star suffers from multi-cystic renal dysplasia, the most severe form of renal dysplasia. It affects the kidneys, and if it damages both of them, it can lead to death. Sarah Hyland had her first kidney transplant in 2012. Her body rejected it. She said to People Magazine: "When you have an organ transplant, it's basically a foreign thing in your body."
Dyspraxia is also called 'the disease of the clumsy child. It causes psychomotor problems'. Since he was a child, Daniel Radcliffe has suffered from this illness. It makes him move in a clumsy way. They say he cannot even tie his shoes.
Hashimoto's disease is a disorder of the thyroid that affects the immune system and, above all, causes sudden weight changes. On her instagram account Gigi Hadid said: "You may not know that when I started at age 17 I had not yet been diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease." She reacted to comments that she was geting "too skinny."
The young star of 'Stranger Things' has a condition called Cleidocranial Dysplasia (CCD). It's a genetic disease that affects the bones and teeth. It can delay and even limit a person's development. Gaten Mararazzo has shared stories about his personal struggles with CCD. "Most of my teeth are still baby teeth," he confesses.
Christina Aguilera suffers from depression, a mental illness that affects the patient's behavior and perception of reality. She opened up about her condition, saying that feelings of sadness are always right below the surface for her.
Hepatitis C is an infection that attacks the liver and causes fatigue, loss of appetite, and yellowing of the skin. Pamela Anderson contracted it in 2002, reportedly, when sharing a tattoo needle with her then-husband Tommy Lee.
In 2018, Kanye West revealed that he had bipolar disorder. It's a mental illness that causes strong mood swings and may result in very impulsive behavior during a 'high' or manic episode. Over time, the rapper has been seen to make surprising moves or outrageous statements. It's unclear whether they are directly linked to his bipolar disorder, but it is a possibility.
After Kanye's extravagant media performances in 2020, the singer Halsey appeared to offer her public support for him on social media. Without mentioning Kanye's name, she began sharing stories of her own struggle with bipolar disorder and pleaded with fans not to make jokes about it. "Personal opinions about someone aside, a manic episode isn't a joke. If you can’t offer understanding or sympathy, offer your silence."
Bipolar disorder is more common than you might think. American actress and singer Selena Gomez revealed in April 2020 that she, too, was suffering from bipolar disorder.
Demi Lovato has also disclosed that she has bipolar disorder. She says that the mental illness is something you have, not something you are.
Bipolar disorder can lead to severe depression and requires ongoing treatment. Catherine Zeta-Jones has opened up about her problems with the illness. She says she appreciates life more since she heard the diagnosis.
At age 25, and after a few years without releasing any new singles, Justin Bieber announced on Instagram that he has Lyme disease. "While a lot of people kept saying Justin Bieber looks like sh**," he said, "they failed to realize I've been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease." Rumors had been that Bieber looked bad because he was using drugs. "It's been a rough couple years," he concluded, "but getting the right treatment [for] this incurable disease, I will be back and better than ever."
Justin Bieber is not the only celeb allegedly carrying Lyme disease. Ashley Olsen has the same diagnosis. Lyme disease is an infectious illness transmitted by a tick. It can generate fatigue, pain, paralysis, arthritis, and migraines. Olsen reportedly has been battling the illness for years.
Avril Lavigne also has Lyme disease. It led her to create The Avril Lavigne Foundation to educate people about this terrible illness.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a mental illness that can alter the normal rhythm of life. Footballer David Beckham has confessed that he always has an even number of sodas in his fridge and that he puts all the pamphlets and books of the hotels he visits in a drawer.
Fibromyalgia is a neurological disease that leads to fatigue and severe pain. Lady Gaga has actively helped raise awareness about this relatively unknown disease.
Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease. It causes peeling, swelling, and above all, a lot of pain. Kardashian revealed on Instagram that she lives with psoriasis.
Arrhythmia is an alteration of the heart rhythm that has a tremendous risk. It can make the heart beat too slow (bradycardias) or too fast (tachycardias). A few years ago Miley said: "There is never a time on stage when I'm not thinking about my heart."
Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease transmitted by a parasite. Its symptoms are comparable to those of a cold, but it can affect the foetus during a pregnancy. Shakira had a high-risk pregnancy because of this disease.
Parkinson's is a degenerative disease that affects the nervous system and causes tremors, stiffness, and slow movement. Michael J. Fox announced in 1998 that he was suffering from the disease, but he has continued to work.
Like Kim Kardashian, Cara Delevingne has the inflammatory disease of psoriasis. She is not ashamed to show how her arms have been marked by the disease.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome, is an illness that combines constant tiredness with pain. It can affect the cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems, so it is extremely severe. Cher has suffered from this illness for more than three decades.
Strokes are usually caused by high blood pressure. Frankie Muniz says he suffered so many mini-strokes that he doesn't remember anything about his hit show "Malcolm in the Middle".
Lena Dunham suffers from endometriosis, an illness that causes tissue to grow outside the uterus rather than inside where it belongs. It is very painful and Dunham has had to take sick leaves several times. There is no cure.
Lindsay Lohan suffers from personality disorder, which led her to abuse drugs and alcohol. She even injured herself. In addition, a mosquito in Bora Bora inoculated her with an incurable virus that causes high fevers and joint pain.
Lupus is a complicated disease in which the auto-immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissues. A number of stars deal with this condition. Selena Gomez, who recently found out she has bipolar disorder, she used to think that her "anxiety, panic attacks and depression" were caused by her lupus diagnosis. She told People Magazine about it in an interview.
Like Selena Gómez, Nick Cannon has lupus. In his case, it affects the kidneys. "I don't necessarily look sick," he says, "but there are times when I wake up and I can't move."
Worse than a simple headache, migraines can lead to a strong sensitivity to light and noise. Marcia Cross has suffered from migraines since she was a teenager.
Winona Ryder is living with anxiety attacks. Her panic attacks make her feel as if she is being persecuted or threatened. Anxiety attacks result in accelerated heart rates, breathing problems, upset stomach, and joint tremors.