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Amy Schumer was diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome. The comedian revealed the health condition during an appearance on Jessica Yellin's News Not Noise newsletter, saying the diagnosis made her feel “reborn” after recent talk about her swollen face.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Cushing's syndrome occurs when levels of cortisol (the primary stress hormone) in the body are elevated for an extended period of time. Possible symptoms include weight gain, high blood pressure and bone loss. Treatment may include medication, radiation therapy, or surgery.
The actress said she learned about her condition while promoting the second season of her show “Life & Beth.” During her various press appearances, fans wondered why she had a “puffier face” and often inquired about her health status in her comments section on social media.
“While I was doing on-camera press shoots for my Hulu show, I was also sitting in MRI machines for four hours straight, my veins blocked by the amount of blood being drawn and thinking I might not be there “So to find out that I have Cushing's disease, which is getting better on its own and I'm healthy, was the best news imaginable.”
And while it's usually far from helpful when the Internet influences her appearance, Schrumer said the rise in concern (and criticism) has caused her to take a deeper look into her health.
“It was a crazy couple [of] Weeks for me and my family,” she said. “Apart from worrying about my health, I also had to be in front of the camera and turn on the internet. But thank God for that. Because that’s how I realized something was wrong.”
Schumer said she decided to publicly disclose her condition because she wanted to “advocate for women's health.”
“The shaming and criticism of our ever-changing bodies is something I have long grappled with and witnessed,” Schumer said. “I so desperately want women to love themselves and fight relentlessly for their own health in a system that usually doesn’t believe them.”
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Schumer first responded to comments that her face looked swollen after appearances on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “The View” earlier this month. “Thank you for all the posts about my face!” Schumer wrote on Instagram. “For almost 20 years, like all women, I have enjoyed feedback and reflections on my appearance. And you’re right, it’s more swollen than normal at the moment.”
In her initial statement, she added that she suffers from endometriosis and that “there are some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now, but I'm fine.”