Doctors have flocked to social media to express concern about comedian Amy Schumer’s health, after a recent television appearance in which her face appeared unusually swollen and swollen.
The Life & Beth star, 42, appeared as a guest on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday.
After her appearance, a clip of her talking about her love for Taylor Swift and Beyonce circulated on TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter, and doctors posed the question to the public: “What happened to Amy’s face?”
Doctors and viewers quickly assumed that Amy is taking steroids such as prednisone and dexamethosone, which are used to treat inflammation.
Medical professionals also suggested that Amy could have an autoimmune disease like lupus or a hormonal imbalance, which can also cause bloating.
The actress has previously spoken openly about her struggles with endometriosis, chronic pain, and Lyme disease, all of which could lead to steroid use and facial swelling.
The actor admitted to using cheek fillers in the past, a treatment that is known to cause swelling if done wrong.
Doctors and other medical experts expressed concern about Amy Schumer’s health as her face appeared swollen in an interview with Jimmy Fallon (R) on Wednesday.
The 42-year-old comedian was photographed arriving at the NBC television studios in New York on Wednesday.
Dr Jebra Faushay, a gender studies academic, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: ‘I’m going to need all the surgeons and doctors to intervene here. Serious question, what happened to Amy’s face? Is she normally her this size?
Sarah Absher, a registered nurse, responded: “Honestly, it looks like what’s known as ‘moon face,’ a condition associated with long-term steroid use.”
Users pointed to the specific steroids prednisone and dexamethosone, which are used for conditions that cause inflammation, such as asthma, allergic reactions, inflammatory bowel disease, and migraines.
They are different from anabolic steroids, which increase testosterone levels to improve athletic performance.
“Moon face” is a common side effect that causes the face to become round, full, and puffy.
Medications such as prednisone should only be taken for a few days at a time, as prolonged use could cause adrenal insufficiency, also known as Addison’s disease. This causes the body to not produce enough cortisol, the stress hormone.
Lisa Clark, a nurse in Miami, also noted that Amy’s bloating could be due to a cortisol imbalance.
Even without taking steroids, a cortisol imbalance can occur due to stress or tumors pressing on the adrenal glands or pituitary gland in the brain.
“I’ve also seen similar effects in lupus,” Ms. Clark said, nothing that’s hard to know for sure without more details about Amy’s medical history.
In 2021, Amy posted a photo of herself inside what appeared to be a doctor’s office while having her facial filler dissolved.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues and organs. According to the Mayo Clinic, side effects include fatigue, fever, joint pain, swelling, butterfly-shaped rash on the face, skin lesions, difficulty breathing, chest pain, and dry eyes.
Prednisone is also often prescribed for lupus symptoms.
Additionally, some X users suggested that Amy might have Cushing’s syndrome, which is when the body produces too much cortisol.
This causes weight gain throughout the body, including the face, as well as acne and slow wound healing.
In addition to speculation on social media, Amy has been open about her struggles with other conditions.
In 2022, she opened up about her battle with endometriosis, which occurs when tissue grows around the uterus and becomes trapped, causing debilitating pain and heavy bleeding, especially during menstrual cycles.
In a CBS News interview, Amy called it a “very, very lonely illness.”
Many endometriosis patients take medications to regulate their reproductive hormones known as progestins.
According to Mount Sinai, taking these medications can cause water retention, which can cause your face to swell.
In 2020, the actress also revealed that she was diagnosed with Lyme disease, which is Transmitted by black-legged ticks that carry the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi or, more rarely, Borrelia mayonii.
Common signs of Lyme disease, according to the Mayo Clinic, include a target rash, fever, headache, extreme tiredness, joint stiffness, and muscle aches and pains.
Additionally, the condition can cause swollen lymph nodes, which can make the cheeks look puffy.
And in 2021, Amy opened up about her experience receiving facial fillers, cosmetic injections that smooth lines and wrinkles.
A common side effect of these is facial swelling, and although she said she had the fillers dissolved, she may have received similar treatments again.
Although some trolls took the opportunity to mock Amy, other fans expressed their support and well wishes.
A user named JC wrote: ‘That’s a steroid to treat diseases. Let’s be nice and mind our own business.
Dr. Tatiana Prowell, a Maryland oncologist, said, “Let’s not do it.” Instead, let’s stop normalizing comments about women’s faces and bodies for sporting reasons.’
‘Let’s stop inviting doctors to speculate about the diagnosis of people whose history they don’t know. Let’s stop inviting trolls to shame people. Let’s be better.’
And Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn said, “Maybe just let her live.” Why do people feel the need to judge people’s physical appearance? You have no idea what is going on in his life, so any comments here are pure speculation, unnecessary and hurtful.
