Daisy Ridley has revealed she has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease after first believing her symptoms were related to a 'stressful' role she had been playing.
Ridley, 32, has spoken about her illness for the first time, explaining she had been suffering with tremors, fast heart rate, weight loss and fatigue.
The actress, who is known for playing Rey in the Star Wars movies, explained that although she had been feeling unwell, she didn't realise that her symptoms could have been anything other than stress.
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Ridley told Women's Health magazine: "It was funny, I was like, 'Oh, I just thought I was annoyed at the world,' but turns out everything is functioning so quickly, you can’t chill out."
When the symptoms continued, the actress decided to get checked out. She ended up seeing an endocrinologist, which is a consultant who specialises in hormone-related disorders.
It was then that Ridley realised that her uncomfortable symptoms were actually the result of an autoimmune disorder called Graves' disease.
According to the NHS, Graves' disease is an autoimmune condition where your immune system produces antibodies that cause the thyroid to produce too much thyroid hormone.
While it's not clear what causes the condition, it generally tends to affect younger, or middle aged women.
It often runs in families, too.
The symptoms of Graves' disease include:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Feeling shaky
- Weight loss
- Trouble sleeping
- More frequent bowel movements
- Menstrual changes
The condition is related to an overactive thyroid, with around four in five people with the condition also having Graves' disease.
It can be treated with medicines, with the NHS explaining that often, those suffering from Graves' disease will need to be treated for up to 18 months.
Ridley is hoping to raise awareness of the condition and is urging anyone who doesn't feel quite right, to see their doctor.
“I thought, 'well, I’ve just played a really stressful role; presumably that’s why I feel poorly',” she continued.
"We all read the stats about women being undiagnosed or under diagnosed and sort of coming to terms with saying, 'I really, actually don’t feel good' and not going, 'I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine'. It’s just normalised to not feel good."
Lucy Devine