Amy Schumer, Michael Cera, Jimmy Buffett cameo in ‘Life and Beth’
“Life & Beth” stars Amy Schumer and Michael Cera talk with USA TODAY’s Erin Jensen about filming in New Orleans with the late Jimmy Buffett.
Despite being no stranger to criticism and controversy, comedian Amy Schumer has long been open about the health issues she’s faced. Schumer revealed in an interview Friday that she has been diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome, a hormonal disorder, after receiving a barrage of online criticism about her appearance.
After appearing on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” to promote her Hulu show “Life & Beth” in early February, she faced online critics commenting on her “puffy” face. “There are medical and hormonal issues going on,” one person applauded. She wrote in an Instagram post.
Here’s what you need to know about Cushing’s syndrome, its symptoms, and treatments.
What is Cushing’s syndrome?
According to the National Institutes of Health, Cushing’s syndrome is a rare disease that occurs when levels of the hormone cortisol in the body are excessively high for an extended period of time. Cortisol plays a role not only in the body’s response to stress, but also in other important body functions, such as reducing inflammation, controlling blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and ensuring the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels.
There are two main types of Cushing’s syndrome: extrinsic and intrinsic, which are differentiated based on the cause of the disorder.
Schumer revealed that she has a more common form of extrinsic Cushing’s syndrome. It is caused by causes outside the body, such as glucocorticoids, a type of medicine used to treat many conditions, such as inflammatory diseases, skin rashes, and back and joint pain. People who take large amounts of glucocorticoids over a long period of time can develop exogenous Cushing’s syndrome because these drugs act like cortisol in the body.
Intrinsic Cushing’s syndrome is less common and is caused by factors within the body, such as overproduction of cortisol by tumors.
What does Amy Schumer say about being diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome?
In response to online criticism of her appearance, Schumer opened up about her health history with Cushing’s syndrome in an interview with journalist Jessica Yellin on Friday. The comedian revealed that she was diagnosed with exogenous Cushing’s syndrome because she received high-dose steroid injections.
Schumer admitted in an Instagram post in early February that her face was “more swollen than normal” after receiving criticism online. Schumer told Yellin that while promoting Season 2 of Life & Beth, she revealed that comments about her appearance made her realize “something was wrong with her.” Ta.
“While I was doing press in front of the cameras for my Hulu show, I was in an MRI for four hours at a time, and so much blood was taken that my veins closed and I may not be able to see my son grow up. ” she said.
Despite concerns about her health, Schumer said she felt “reborn” knowing the disorder would “resolve itself.”
Schumer has been open about her struggle with endometriosis for years, and explained that she was disclosing her Cushing’s syndrome diagnosis to continue to advocate for women’s health.
“I really want women to love themselves and fight relentlessly for their health in a system that usually doesn’t believe in them,” Schumer told Yellin.
Symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome include rounding of the face
According to the Mayo Clinic, Cushing’s syndrome has many signs and symptoms, but the main ones are a round face, a lump of fat between the shoulders, and pink or purple stretch marks on the skin. The round face associated with Cushing’s syndrome is sometimes called the “moon face” and is caused by weight gain in that area of the body.
Patients with this disease may also experience acne and have thin, weak skin that is easily bruised. Additionally, their bodies may be slow to heal wounds.
If left untreated, Cushing’s syndrome can lead to many other symptoms, including bone loss, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.
Can Cushing’s syndrome be cured?
According to the National Institutes of Health, Cushing’s syndrome can be life-threatening if left untreated, but most cases are curable with treatment. Treatment for this disease aims to reduce cortisol levels in the body, so each patient may receive different treatments depending on the cause of Cushing’s syndrome.
For example, patients with Cushing’s syndrome caused by glucocorticoids may be treated by gradually reducing their intake of the drug over time. Surgery may be recommended for patients whose disease is caused by a tumor.
Even after patients are successfully treated for Cushing’s syndrome, they may still experience health problems due to complications brought about by the disease, such as weakened bones.
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Madeline Nguyen is a breaking news reporter for the Republic. Contact Madeline.Nguyen@gannett.com or 480-619-0285. Follow her on X @madelineynguyen.
