3 days Ago By Ella Kipling
Lady Gaga might be known for her audacious outfits, influence in pop music and more recently, roles in Hollywood movies, but she has been suffering from a chronic illness many people may not have even heard of before. In 2017, the singer revealed that she had been suffering from fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body. She shared the news on social media and explained that her diagnosis would feature heavily in her documentary Five Foot Two .
She wrote: "I wish to help raise awareness and connect people who have it. We can all share what helps/hurts.” Lady Gaga, 38, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, explained how much her illness impacts her in an interview with Vogue: “I get so irritated with people who don’t believe fibromyalgia is real.
For me, and I think for many others, it’s really a cyclone of anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, and panic disorder, all of which sends the nervous system into overdrive, and then you have nerve pain as a result. "People need to be more compassionate. Chronic pain is no joke.
And it’s every day waking up not knowing how you’re going to feel.” Her documentary showed how Lady Gaga fractured her hop during her Born This Way Ball tour in 2013, which led to years of pain from fibromyalgia. Mayo Clinic explains that symptoms often begin after an event such as physical trauma, surgery, infection, or "significant psychological stress”.
However, for some, symptoms, which include widespread pain, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties, gradually worsen over time with no single triggering event. Fibromyalgia can also cause poor sleep quality, which can interfere with the ability to function at home or at work - and the frustration of dealing with the condition can lead to depression or anxiety. Experts still don't know what causes fibromyalgia and there is no cure for it, although treatments recommended by a doctor can help manage symptoms.
However, in September last year, Lady Gaga revealed that during her 2022 Chromatica tour she had been able to perform without experiencing pain, saying: “I did it pain-free! I haven’t smoked pot in years. I’ve, like, changed.” The singer explained that the ball was the first time she had performed “not in pain” in longer than she could remember.
She added: “I feel like this new album, in a lot of ways, is about that time but from a place of happiness instead of misery." Lady Gaga became engaged to Michael Polansky, a venture capitalist, in April 2024, four years after they began dating. Her most recent album, Mayhem , was released on March 7th this year to critical acclaim and it includes her collaboration with Bruno Mars, Die With a Smile , which won a Grammy Award.
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