Amy Schumer Diagnosed With Cushing Syndrome

Amy Schumer has been diagnosed with Cushing syndrome. The comedian revealed the health condition during an appearance on Jessica Yellin’s “News Not Noise” newsletter, saying the diagnosis has left her feeling “reborn” following the recent discourse surrounding her puffier face.

Cushing syndrome occurs when one has elevated levels of cortisol (the primary stress hormone) inside the body for a long time, according to the Mayo Clinic. Possible symptoms include weight gain, high blood pressure, and bone loss. Treatment can involve medication, radiation therapy, or surgery.

The actress said that she learned of her condition while promoting season 2 of her show Life & Beth. During her various press appearances, fans began questioning why she had a “puffier face,” often taking to her comments section on social media to inquire about her health status.

“While I was doing press on camera for my Hulu show, I was also in MRI machines four hours at a time, having my veins shut down from the amount of blood drawn and thinking I may not be around to see my son grow up,” she said. “So finding out I have the kind of Cushing that will just work itself out and I’m healthy was the greatest news imaginable.”

And while normally having the internet “chime in” on her appearance is anything but helpful, Schrumer said the uptick in concern (and criticism) pushed her to look deeper into her health.

“It has been a crazy couple [of] weeks for me and my family,” she said. “Aside from fears about my health, I also had to be on camera having the internet chime in. 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 wants to “advocate for women’s health.”

“The shaming and criticism of our ever-changing bodies is something I have dealt with and witnessed for a long time,” said Schumer. “I want so much for women to love themselves and be relentless when fighting for their own health in a system that usually doesn’t believe them.”

Schumer first responded to the comments about her face looking puffy following appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The View earlier this month. “Thank you so much for everyone’s input about my face!” Schumer wrote on Instagram. “I’ve enjoyed feedback and deliberation about my appearance as all women do for almost 20 years. And you’re right it is puffier than normal right now.”

In her initial statement, she added that she has endometriosis and that “there are some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now, but I’m okay.”

From Rolling Stone US.