Fans have recently been concerned about a combination of sudden and severe symptoms suffered by actress Kate Beckinsale.
The British star, 50, has caused concern on social media for several unexplained health problems over the past year, including spending weeks in hospital and losing so many pounds that fans called her “too skinny.”
However, this week the Van Helsing star revealed what caused his health to plummet: pain.
Beckinsale said on Instagram that in the weeks following her stepfather’s death and her mother’s stage four cancer diagnosis, she spent six weeks in the hospital “because The pain had burned a hole in my esophagus, causing me to vomit copious amounts of blood.
She added that she found it “very difficult” to eat. Although Beckinsale’s health problems may seem extreme, doctors told DailyMail.com that “the brain is capable of causing profound changes” in the body, including severe gastrointestinal distress and weight loss.
Kate Beckinsale, 50, revealed she spent six weeks in hospital due to a torn oesophagus and vomiting blood.
And keeping a sense of humor, even while showing off your butt, could be an “antidote to stress.”
Fans criticized Beckinsale for looking “too thin.” She noted that she has had trouble eating due to her torn esophagus and feelings of pain.
Beckinsale first alarmed her followers earlier this year when she posted since-deleted videos of herself dancing on Instagram. Several commented on their concern over the actress’s ever-shrinking figure.
Beckinsale revealed she had spent six weeks in hospital “due to profuse vomiting of blood” caused by a Mallory Weiss tear, a tear in the inner lining of the esophagus, the tube that connects the throat to the stomach.
This injury usually occurs where the esophagus and stomach meet due to severe vomiting, heavy lifting, prolonged coughing, and trauma to the chest or abdomen.
Dr David D Clarke, a specialist in internal medicine and gastroenterology and president of the Association for Psychophysiological Disorders, told DailyMail.com that stress and severe pain can “delay stomach emptying to the point of causing vomiting”.
‘Vomiting can cause a tear in the lower esophagus which can then lead to bleeding.’
According to the Cleveland Clinic, most Mallory Weiss tears are between 0.75 and 1.5 inches long, or the width of a nickel or two. The most common symptom is vomiting blood, which occurs in more than 85 percent of patients.
Most patients heal on their own, but some tears require surgery.
Beckinsale’s vomiting could be caused by a number of factors. For example, crying for long periods of time or displaying other intense emotions can trigger the body’s stress response.
Dr Randy Brazie, a licensed psychiatrist and co-author of ‘The Steadfast Leader’, told DailyMail.com that strong emotions such as pain can trigger the vagus nerve, which regulates processes such as digestion.
“This can lead to a significant increase in gastric acid secretion and intestinal muscle activity,” he said.
The actress recently shared a photo of herself wearing a “Stomach Problem Survivor” t-shirt, hinting at gastrointestinal distress.
Beckinsale also shared that she uses humor to deal with the pain, even showing off her backside in a department store in London.
In addition to vomiting, increased acid levels, he said, could lead to ulcers that trigger esophageal tears.
Eating with an esophageal tear can be dangerous because the perforation allows food to leak into the chest, leading to breathing problems. This could have left Beckinsale unable to eat or restricting her feedings through a tube, leading to weight loss.
At the time of her stepfather’s death in January, sources close to Beckinsale also revealed that she was barely eating due to her emotional distress.
“Stress, pain and depression can also cause a decrease in appetite, which can lead to weight loss in some cases. If stomach emptying slows, this can cause a person to feel full after eating less than usual and to experience nausea or vomiting,” said Dr. Clarke.
‘All of this would contribute to reducing food intake, which could then cause weight loss.’
Beckinsale also revealed on social media earlier this year that “stress, shock and grief” triggered a flare of her mast cell disease, which Dr. Clarke said likely refers to mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS).
MCAS is a disease in which mast cells (blood cells responsible for allergic reactions) trigger a release of chemicals that cause allergy symptoms.
Symptoms include itchy skin or a raised, red rash, feeling dizzy or faint, and swelling of the throat, mouth, and tongue, which may cause difficulty breathing.
Dr Clarke said that while it is “possible” that the pain exacerbated Beckinsale’s suspected MCAS, most of the physical symptoms of pain and emotional stress are caused by the brain rather than mast cells.
