PLX Academy · News · 19 December 2022
Chronic illnesses
They may be rich and famous, but celebrities are human too, and that means they are just as prone to getting sick as the rest of us. And just like us, some celebrities even live with chronic conditions that can take a toll on their day-to-day lives.
A chronic illness is a long-term medical condition that requires treatment and management over a long period of time, usually years. By being open about their health struggles, celebrities have played a part in raising awareness of many chronic conditions. Here are three celebrities who have publicly spoken about their chronic illnesses.
Kim Kardashian psoriasis
Kim Kardashian powerfully opened up about her psoriasis
After finding red, flaky patches of skin on her legs in 2011, the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star was diagnosed with psoriasis on an episode of her family’s TV reality show. Her mother, Kris Jenner, also has the disease.
She, in particular, has been very candid about her struggle with psoriasis, often opening up on social media in a way that makes others feel less alone. Kim advised others struggling with low confidence stemming from psoriasis: “You have to get to a place where you just feel comfortable and own it. Be able to realize it’s a part of you”.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, meaning the condition results when the immune system attacks the body’s own cells rather than foreign invaders. The skin disorder appears as raised red patches with thick, silvery scales. About 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. The disorder, which can range from a mild skin rash to a debilitating condition, can flare up for a few weeks or months, but also subsidies for periods of time.
Venus Williams sjorgen
Venus Williams stands up for Sjogren’s awareness
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams reveals Sjogren’s Syndrome causing her eyes to be so dry and it is making extra difficult for her to wear contact lenses. In 2011, Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease. Since then, Williams has made several changes to her lifestyle. Fortunately, Williams was able to continue her career, and at the age of 42, she is still listed as an active player.
“As a professional athlete, I know what it feels like to want your body to perform at its best, but I also know what it’s like to be one of the 54 million Americans battling a rheumatic disease. As a patient, I was misdiagnosed many times and my symptoms got progressively worse to the point where I couldn’t play professional tennis anymore. Today, I follow my rheumatologist’s treatment plan and am feeling healthy and energized “, says Venus Williams.
Sjogren’s Syndrome is a complex and often invisible disease. Some of the hallmark symptoms of Sjogren’s Syndrome are dry eyes and dry mouth, so that’s one of the differentiators between Sjogren’s and many other autoimmune diseases. With autoimmune diseases some of the typical symptoms are joint pain and fatigue, so those are symptoms you can also get with Sjogren’s Syndrome.
Lady Gaga fibromyalgia
Music icon Lady Gaga brings light to her fibromyalgia
Five years ago, Lady Gaga, revealed that she had fibromyalgia, a chronic illness so intense that it lead to “severe pain“ and tour cancellation during her music careеr. She expressed her frustration with people who don`t view the conditions as a real disease in an interview with Vogue.
“I get so irritated with people who don’t believe fibromyalgia is real. For me, and I think for many others, it’s really a cyclone of anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, and panic disorder, all of which sends the nervous system into overdrive, and then you have nerve pain as a result. People need to be more compassionate. Chronic pain is no joke. And it’s every day waking up not knowing how you’re going to feel”, says Lady Gaga.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention define fibromyalgia as “pain all over the body“оr widespread pain. There`s currently no test to detect the illness: Fibromyalgia is diagnosed based on patients feels and express to their doctor, according to American College of Rheumatology.