Amy Schumer has been diagnosed with Cushing syndrome.
The condition occurs when too much cortisol (the primary stress hormone) is inside one’s 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.
Schumer, 42, revealed her diagnosis in Friday’s edition of Jessica Yellin’s “News Not Noise” newsletter days after fans began questioning why she had a “puffier” face during her promo tour for season 2 of Life & Beth.
Related: Amy Schumer Responds to Speculation About Her ‘Puffier’ Face, Shares Health Update
The actress said that she learned of her condition while promoting her show and feels “reborn” after getting a diagnosis.
“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. So finding out I have the kind of Cushing that will just work itself out and I’m healthy was the greatest news imaginable,” said Schumer.
The comedian said that “having the internet chime in” on her appearance helped her know something was wrong.
Related: Amy Schumer Says She Experiences ‘Crushing Anxiety’ as She Gets Candid About Mental 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.”
When asked why she was open to sharing her “personal medical information,” Schumer said 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.”
She expressed that her diagnosis “is a good example of the fact that we never know what is going on with someone.”
“Everyone is struggling with something,” she added. “Maybe we can all be a little kinder to each other and ourselves.”
Schumer first shared that she had “some medical and hormonal things” while addressing her critics in a Feb. 15 Instagram post.
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“You’re right it is puffier than normal right now I have endometriosis an auto immune disease that every woman should read about,” wrote Schumer. “There are some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now but I’m okay.”
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