Selena Gomez reveals she underwent chemotherapy to treat lupus
Selena Gomez has spoken out for the first time about being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease lupus.
In a candid interview with Billboard ahead of the release of her second solo studio album Revival on Friday, the singer, 23, revealed she has undergone chemotherapy treatment to alleviate the symptoms of lupus.
'That’s what my break was really about. I could’ve had a stroke,' Gomez said of her time spent out of the spotlight after cancelling the Australian and Asian leg of her tour in December 2013.
Lupus is a complex and poorly understood condition that causes the body to mistakenly detect its own tissue as a foreign invader and attack itself.
For reasons that are unclear, the immune system fails to tell the difference between healthy tissue and germs and viruses that enter the system from the outside.
When Selena announced she was cancelling the Asian and Australian leg of her tour, sources claimed she may have lupus, while others suggested she had issues with addiction.
'I wanted so badly to say, "You guys have no idea. I’m in chemotherapy. You’re a**holes",' she told Billboard.
'I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again,' she added.
Lupus causes inflammation in many different body systems, including the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs - and can be life-threatening.
Because the condition affects multiple organs in the body, it has the potential to cause a stroke in various ways, including triggering the formation of a blood clot.
Its most distinctive symptom is a facial rash that resembles the wings of a butterfly unfolding across both cheeks — but this does not occur in all cases.
In fact, lupus is hard to diagnose as many of its symptoms mimic those of other ailments.
Common symptoms include pain or swelling in joints, muscle pain, fever, chest pain, hair loss. mouth ulcers and extreme fatigue.
It is not known exactly what causes the disease, which is most commonly seen in women, people aged 15 to 40 and people of African-American, Hispanic and Asian descent.
Daily Mail
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