Michelle Visage health: Strictly Come Dancing star’s ‘battle with chronic illness’

Michelle Visage, 51, has described her time on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing as “amazing” but also “pretty emotional”, as it marks her “rebirth”. In April this year, the star revealed she had Hashimoto’s disease. The condition is caused by the immune system attacking the thyroid gland, making it swell and become damaged. Michelle believed the condition developed due to her breast implants, so in a bid to regain her health she had them removed in February. Speaking to The Irish News she explained: “My thyroid had doubled in size and I had to have a biopsy shortly before I left America.

“Thankfully, it wasn’t cancer. I was told it was benign on the day I came to England for Strictly, which was a really big moment.”

Referring to her breast implants, she said: “I had them put in when I was 21 and started to get sick at 24. I’ve battled chronic illness because of them for the past 30 years.

“It takes around two years to detox from them, but now I’m starting to recover.

“I’ve suffered hair loss, weight gain, lethargy and hardcore panic attacks, but the worst was brain fog and not being able to remember things.

“It was so difficult to even move and nobody could tell me why, until I discovered thousands of women suffer symptoms from breast implants. Since having them removed, my thyroid’s going down in size, which is amazing.”

Hashimoto’s disease primarily affects middle-aged women but can also occur in men and women of any age, as well as children.

Symptoms of the condition may not show at first, but if they do, one of the first signs if a swelling at the front of the throat.

Mayo Clinic explains: “Hashimoto’s disease typically progresses slowly over years and causes chronic thyroid damage, leading to a drop in thyroid hormone levels in your blood.

“The signs and symptoms are mainly those of an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).”

Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

  • Fatigue and sluggishness
  • Increased sensitivity to cold
  • Constipation
  • Pale, dry skin
  • A puffy face
  • Brittle nails
  • Hair loss
  • Enlargement of the tongue
  • Unexplained weight gain
  • Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
  • Joint pain and stiffness
  • Muscle weakness
  • Excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding
  • Depression
  • Memory lapses

The clinic advises if you start to experience tiredness for no apparent reason, dry skin, a pale, puffy face, or constipation, to see your GP.

The exact cause of Hashimoto’s disease is unknown, but it’s important to get it treated as soon as possible, as left untreated, a number of complications can occur.

One complication people with the condition may be at increase risk of is heart problems.

Mayo Clinic explains: “Hashimoto’s disease may be associated with an increased risk of heart disease, primarily because high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the “bad” cholesterol — can occur in people with an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). If left untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to an enlarged heart and, possibly, heart failure.”

Another Strictly star who’s been open about their health condition in the past is Will Bayley. 

source: express.co.uk