By Kayleigh Donaldson | Celebrity | November 4, 2019 |
By Kayleigh Donaldson | Celebrity | November 4, 2019 |
After a paparazzi image of her not looking at her best while walking with a cane went viral, Lena Dunham took to Instagram to share her story of chronic illness and revealed her diagnosis of Ehlers-Danos Syndrome. Dunham, who has talked before about being a recovering addict and severe endometriosis led her to have a hysterectomy, opened up about the realities of her struggle and how walking with a cane has made her life much easier.
Dunham’s not the only public figure to have dealt with EDS in recent months. Both Sia and Jameela Jamil talked about their diagnoses.
Hey, I'm suffering with chronic pain, a neurological disease, ehlers danlos and I just wanted to say to those of you suffering from pain, whether physical or emotional, I love you, keep going. Life is fucking hard. Pain is demoralizing, and you're not alone.
— sia (@Sia) October 4, 2019
The U.S. National Library of Medicine says that Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in its various forms affects at least one in 5,000 people across the world, and many go undiagnosed as its symptoms are mistaken for chronic pain. The condition is rooted in joints and tissue and some of its most notable symptoms include loose joints, very stretchy skin, abnormal scar formation, and hypermobility in the joints. EDS patients are more prone to injury and long-term pain. While it can be treated in various ways, there is no cure for the condition itself but it does not impact one’s life expectancy.
If you’re interested in finding out more, check out the British charity Ehlers-Danlos Support UK.