- Written by Helen Bushby
- culture reporter
image source, Getty Images
Amy Schumer: 'It's been a crazy few weeks for me and my family.'
Actress and director Amy Schumer has revealed that she suffers from Cushing's syndrome, which is caused by an excess of the hormone cortisol in the body.
She revealed her condition after a fan called her “swollen'' during a recent TV interview and was flooded with comments about her face.
In her initial response, Schumer attributed the change in her appearance to endometriosis.
Cushing's subsequent diagnosis left her feeling “reborn,” she said.
“There are several types of Cushings. Some are fatal and some require brain surgery or removal of the adrenal glands,” the actress told News Not Noise.
“I have the kind of Cushing that works out naturally and I'm healthy. [which] “It was the biggest news possible,” she added.
Cushing's syndrome occurs when the levels of cortisol, the main stress hormone in the body, increase over a long period of time.
It primarily affects people taking steroids.
Jessica Yellin, who founded News Not Noise, said she reached out to Schumer after reading online discourse about her appearance.
Schumer said she sought medical advice after reading the comments.
“I was also in the MRI for four hours at a time and thought that because so much blood was taken, the veins would close and I might not be able to see my son grow,” she told Yellin.
“Besides worrying about my health, I had to appear on camera when the internet chimed in.
“But thank God for that, because that’s when I realized something was wrong.”
image source, Getty Images
Amy Schumer said, “It's strong and beautiful and I'm so proud of this television show that I created.”
Schumer appeared on U.S. television earlier this month to talk about the second season of the sitcom “Life and Beth,” which she wrote, directed and stars in.
During her promotional tour, the actress, who has also appeared on the sketch show Inside Amy Schumer, the 2015 film Trainwreck, and 2018's I Feel Pretty, appeared on Jimmy Fallon and The View. I visited “The Tonight Show'' where I starred.
Afterwards, she faced a barrage of jokes mocking her face, as well as medical speculation and supportive comments.
“I enjoyed the feedback and reflections on my appearance,” she said.
In a semi-serious tone, the actress added on Instagram: “I have endured such speculation for almost 20 years.” […] As all women do. ”
What is Cushing's syndrome?
The NHS website says the syndrome can be serious if untreated and is rare.
It is often caused by long-term use of steroid drugs, especially tablets, that contain synthetic cortisol.
Very rarely, this syndrome can be caused by overproduction of cortisol in the body, caused by tumors in the pituitary gland in the brain or in the adrenal glands above the kidneys.
Cortisol is known as the “fight or flight” hormone. Sending alarm signals to the brain in response to stress can affect nearly every system in the body, from the immune system to digestion to sleep.
This syndrome is usually benign [non-cancerous] And it is most common in young women.
Symptoms tend to get progressively worse without treatment, and one of the main signs is weight gain and increased body fat, according to the website. Symptoms include:
- I have gained more fat in my chest and belly, but my arms and legs have become slimmer.
- Fat deposits on the back of the neck and shoulders, known as the “buffalo hump.”
- A round, red, swollen face.
Other symptoms include easily bruising skin, large purple stretch marks, weakness in the upper arms and thighs, low sex drive and fertility problems, depression, and mood swings.
Schumer praised News Not Noise as her “favorite and trusted news source” and said she wants to “advocate for women's health.”
“I really want women to love themselves and work tirelessly for their health in a society that usually doesn't believe in them,” she said.
“I want women to value feeling strong, healthy and comfortable in their own skin.”
She's spoken out about body positivity before, saying it's important to “advocate for self-love and accepting the skin you're in.”
“The other thing I would like to add is that this is a great example of the fact that you never know what's going on with someone,” she said.
“Everyone is struggling with something. We could all be a little kinder to each other and ourselves.”
Schumer added that comments about her son's name in 2020 prompted a similar period of reflection.
The actress originally planned to call him Gene Attell, naming him his middle name after his friend, cartoonist Dave Attell.
People online were quick to point out that the name “sounds like genitals.”
“I realized that I had given my son a not-so-good name,” she said. “As the saying goes, the Internet is undefeated.”
