10 Celebs You Didn’t Know Battled Serious Health Issues

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With their immense talent, impressive bank accounts, and luxurious lifestyles, celebrities often seem like more than mere humans. But they really are just people, which means they’re prone to the same ups and downs in life that everybody else has to go through. Including health issues.

Behind the scenes, many celebrities are dealing with health issues that they may or may not open up about publicly. Those who choose to become vocal about their experiences often do so in order to let other sufferers know that they’re not alone. Keep reading to find out about 10 celebrities you didn’t know have battled serious health issues.

Bono: Glaucoma

Bono is the lead singer of the world-famous Irish band U2. Perhaps even more recognizable than his music is the dark gasses he wears during nearly all public appearances. And while these are fashionable and set him apart from the crowd, there’s actually a medical reason behind his signature eyewear.

The U2 front-man suffers from a chronic eye condition known as glaucoma. Simply put, this makes his eyes sensitive to light. To deal with it, he has to wear glasses with dark lenses when he goes places with more light than his eyes can handle.

Selena Gomez: Lupus

Selena Gomez is one celebrity who isn’t shy when it comes to discussing her personal health battles. Recently, the singer and actress opened up about her struggle with Lupus. The incurable auto-immune disease causes the immune system to attack its own internal organs and skin tissue.

According to Elle, Gomez underwent a kidney transplant in 2017 when she was just 24 years old. Her best friend, Francia Raisa, donated her a kidney which “saved her life”. Following the surgery, Gomez is feeling a lot better, though she has still been dealing with the side effects of her condition.

Sarah Hyland: Kidney Dysplasia

While some illnesses come later in life, others are present from birth. That was the case with Sarah Hyland’s kidney dysplasia, which she has suffered from for her entire life. The condition brings about chronic pain for the actor, even though she has already had a transplant to have both of her kidneys replaced.

On The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Modern Family actress opened up about the horrible condition, which has left her with compromised mental health. She revealed that being in pain every single day has been extremely upsetting, to say the least.

Emilia Clarke: Brain Aneurysms

In a personal essay for The New Yorker, Emilia Clarke revealed the secret health battle she’d fought behind the scenes of the wildly popular TV show Game of Thrones, on which she played Daenerys Targaryen.

Shortly after filming the first season of the show, Clarke suffered not one but two brain aneurysms. She had to undergo brain surgery before she could return to reprise her role of the Dothraki Khaleesi, all under the nose of her growing army of fans. Before the aneurysm, Clarke had often suffered from low blood pressure, low heart rate, and spells of dizziness.

Bella Hadid: Lyme Disease

Bella Hadid and her mother Yolanda are extremely vocal about their battle against Lyme disease. Believed to be spread by ticks, the disease can have devastating effects and be incredibly debilitating. The model has opened up about how her diagnosis has affected her life.

In an interview with Evening Standard, Hadid explained that her memory was affected by the disease. At times, she couldn’t even remember how to drive to destinations she’d been visiting all her life. She became too sick to go horseback riding, one of her favorite pastimes, and had to sell her horse.

Tom Hanks: Type 2 Diabetes

When Tom Hanks makes headlines, it’s mostly for the incredibly successful films that he stars in. Very rarely does he appear in the news for other reasons, and he’s been known to keep private about his personal life and health. Most fans don’t even know that the actor suffers from Type 2 Diabetes.

In an interview with David Letterman, Hanks revealed that he’d been dealing with high blood sugar for a while before his doctor gave him the diagnosis. The condition is controllable and can be managed through a variety of means, including diet.

Miley Cyrus: Tachycardia

Miley Cyrus is one artist who isn’t afraid to open up about her personal life and share her experiences with her fans. According to the Daily Mail, the ‘Wrecking Ball’ singer suffers from a heart condition known as tachycardia, which means her heartbeat is faster than normal. She was also born with a hole in her heart.

A doctor who reportedly spoke to In Touch magazine revealed that the condition could leave Cyrus with a stroke. Cyrus spoke about having the condition in her memoir, Miles to Go. “There is never a time onstage when I’m not thinking about my heart,” she confessed.

Lil Wayne: Epilepsy

Not all artists on the rap scene are quick to publicly discuss their private health battles, but Lil Wayne did reveal to the world in 2013 that he is an epileptic. He suffers from seizures, and while many go unheard of by the public, he did have such a bad seizure back in 2017 that he was found unconscious and had to be hospitalized.

Wayne explained that his seizures often come down to stress or overworking himself. Because his heart rate can drop so low, there is a chance that the seizures could be fatal.

Sia: Graves Disease

Australian singer and songwriter Sia is one of the world’s most private celebrities. Most of the time, she doesn’t even go out in public without some form of disguise. Though she doesn’t like to draw attention to her personal life, she has publicly confirmed that she does suffer from Graves’ disease. She admitted that she suffered from the condition back in 2010 on Twitter.

The autoimmune disorder causes an overactive thyroid, which can result in a number of symptoms. The disease can cause shivers and weight loss, and can even cause the eyes to bulge out of their sockets.

Lena Dunham: Endometriosis

When it comes to speaking up about important issues that affect everyday people, Lena Dunham always steps up to the role. In the past, she has opened up about her own struggle with endometriosis, a condition where abnormal tissue grows in the uterus.

In 2018, Dunham underwent surgery to treat the condition, removing her uterus and cervix. She agreed to the hysterectomy to end the years of pain that she had already been through as a result of the endometriosis. Though the surgery means that Dunham will never be able to conceive a child, it has ended her pain.

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