Singer Halsey has hinted that her recent health problems are due to lupus, a “stealth” autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack itself.
The 29-year-old American pop star, whose real name is Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, posted a series of videos in which she receives medical infusions while breaking down in tears.
Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, Nick Cannon and Katherine Ryan have also battled systemic lupus erythematosus, more commonly known as lupus.
Lupus occurs when the body’s immune system mistakes its own tissues and organs as foreign, producing proteins called autoantibodies that attack them.
According to the Mayo ClinicThe disease causes inflammation and affects the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs.
‘I’ll keep you posted because I know you’re watching the heart monitor and I’m sick all the time and I don’t want anyone to worry. I’m on a treatment plan right now…’ Halsey continued.
She shared the news on Instagram in a series of videos that appear to document the singer receiving infusions.
What exactly triggers lupus is still unknown, but sunlight, stress, smoking, certain medications, and viruses can cause symptoms in people who are more likely to get lupus because of their genes.
Hormones such as estrogen are also thought to trigger symptoms.
In fact, lupus is most common in women during their fertile years, when hormone levels are at their highest.
Lupus affects approximately one in 200 people in the United States and the United Kingdom, and more than five million worldwide.
There is no cure, but there are treatments that can help reduce symptoms.
However, sufferers often face a long road to diagnosis. No two cases of lupus are the same, which makes it very difficult to diagnose.
Halsey is also mother to her son Ender, who will turn three next July. She shares the little one with her ex, Alev Aydin.
Symptoms of lupus include pleural effusions (fluid buildup in the lungs), heart and kidney problems, arthritis, and Raynaud’s phenomenon (when the fingers turn white or blue in response to stress or cold). A butterfly-shaped rash on the face is also a key sign.
The singer and screenwriter, but in April 2023 it was revealed that the couple had separated but would share the amicable upbringing of their son. After the split, Halsey began dating actor Avan Jogia; seen with Jogia in May in Los Angeles
A telltale sign is a butterfly-like facial rash on both cheeks, but this does not occur in all cases.
Lupus symptoms vary in severity and last for different periods of time. Most patients have mild symptoms that occasionally turn into more severe and temporary episodes.
Commonly reported symptoms are tiredness, fever, joint pain such as stiffness and swelling, skin lesions, difficulty breathing, and chest pain.
Dry eyes, headaches, confusion and memory loss, and fingers turning white or blue in the cold or when someone is stressed can also occur.
The signs are similar to many other diseases, which means it can be difficult for doctors to identify lupus as the cause.
For this reason, some experts have called this disease the “great masker.”
Some people are born predisposed to lupus, which can be caused by infections, certain medications, or sunlight.
Doctors recommend seeing a doctor if you have an unexplained rash or fever, pain, or fatigue that persists.
Six out of 10 people with lupus will have kidney complications.
One such complication is lupus nephritis, which occurs when lupus autoantibodies attack the parts of the kidneys that filter waste.
This can inflame the kidneys and cause them to not function properly and even fail.