Published on
updated on
Reading 2 min.
Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley has announced that she is suffering from a serious illness. But what is it and how does she live with it on a daily basis? Here is her testimony.
“This is the first time I’m sharing this” confides Daisy Ridley. Tuesday, August 6 in Women’sHealth magazine, the actress who played Rey in Star Wars, admits to having been diagnosed last year with Graves’ disease. She looks back on her journey with this rare disease, in addition to her endometriosis with which she has lived since she was 15. Doctissimo shares her testimony and tells you more about this rare disease linked to the thyroid.
The discovery of his illness: “it was a real blow”
Even before she knew what she was suffering from, the 32-year-old actress confides that she was generally abnormally tired, irritable, that her heart rate could beat very fast with tremors. She also experienced rapid and significant weight loss. Symptoms that manifested themselves after the filming of Magpie, a psychological thriller in which she plays one of the main characters.
If at first these signs did not particularly worry her, it is because she associated her fatigue with her work: “I just played a very stressful role, that’s probably why I feel bad”.
On the recommendation of her GP, the actress consulted an endocrinologist last September, who made the diagnosis: Graves’ disease. “It was a real blow” says the actress, who has always given great importance to her health. She then began taking medication and was forced to change her diet, particularly by eliminating gluten to reduce inflammation.
Focus on Graves’ disease
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease, caused by theattack” of the thyroid gland by the patient’s immune system. This is the most common form of hyperthyroidism. Symptoms may include: diarrhea, weight loss, palpitations, sweating, sleep disturbances, trembling fingers or hands, menstrual cycle disorders, decreased libido, significant fatigue, nervousness, difficulty concentrating, etc.
It is responsible for more than 60% of hyperthyroidism and affects 6 times more women than men. Most often, this disease is diagnosed in adulthood but can also affect children and the elderly. It generally occurs between the ages of 17 and 35.
Certain factors such as tobacco, stress, genetics or pregnancy can be risk factors for the disease. For the moment this disease remains very mysterious and there is no no treatment to cure it.
Listen to your body to better understand the illness
When she takes a step back, Daisy Ridley is surprised that she did not become alert more quickly. “I didn’t realize how bad I felt until then. Then I looked back and wondered how I ever put up with it.” confides the young woman.
Now, she pays close attention to the signals her body is sending her and makes an effort to rest when she needs it, something she says too many women neglect. “Statistics show that many women are underdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. This is often because they prefer to say they are fine rather than admit that they are feeling bad. It is important to remember that it is normal to not feel good sometimes.” she explains.
Indeed, although there is currently no treatment, rest and listening to your body are essential in accepting and managing this disease.
Slideshow: 10 tips for taking care of your thyroid