“Star Wars” actress Daisy Ridley revealed that she’s been diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Speaking to Women’s Health magazine, the 32-year-old actress shared for the first time that she’d been diagnosed in September 2023 with the disease after suffering from major bouts of fatigue, hot flashes, and weight loss.
The Cleveland Clinic’s definition reads, “the thyroid hormones regulate body temperature, heart rate and metabolism. An overactive thyroid causes problems with organs like the heart, as well as bones and muscles.”
“I thought, ‘Well, I’ve just played a really stressful role; presumably that’s why I feel poorly,'” Ridley said after shooting her film “Magpie.”
Daisy Ridley Reveals Graves’ Disease Diagnosis https://t.co/ABYxeF5DAY
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 6, 2024
She said when she told her doctor how she was feeling, she was encouraged to visit an endocrinologist. Ridley said when the physician described the symptoms of people with Graves’ disease as “tired but wired,” it hit home.
“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,” the actress said.
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According to the Mayo Clinic, Graves’ disease is described as an “immune system condition that affects the thyroid gland. It causes the body to make too much thyroid hormone,” leading to hyperthyroidism, which can affect multiple organs, The Hollywood Reporter noted. It also noted that Graves’ disease is more commonly found in women, and people over 30.
The “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” star said following her diagnosis, she made some changes to her diet, after previously going vegan.
“I am not super strict about it, but generally cutting down on gluten makes me feel better,” she said, noting that doing so helps with inflammation for those predisposed to it.
“I’ve always been health conscious, and now I’m trying to be more well-being conscious,” she added. “I do a fair amount of the holistic stuff, but I also understand that it is a privilege to be able to do those things.”
“We all read the stats about women being undiagnosed or underdiagnosed 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,’” Ridley continued. “It’s just normalized to not feel good.”
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