More than two decades ago she stole everyone’s hearts with her role in “Married… with Children”.
On August 10, Christina Applegate disclosed that she had been given a multiple sclerosis diagnosis (MS).
The 49-year-old actress posted on Twitter that she was diagnosed “months ago” and described her path up to that point as “weird” and “a terrible road.” She also discussed her interactions with the MS community, stating that she has received “so much support from people [she knows] who also have this problem.”
Actress Selma Blair, who was herself diagnosed with MS in 2017 and has documented many of her own experiences on social media and elsewhere, is one such supporter. Applegate received a tweet from Blair saying, “Loving you always,” following the publication of her diagnosis.
Applegate requested privacy in a subsequent tweet as she manages her ailment. She used the words of a buddy who also has MS to describe her health journey: “We wake up and take the indicated action.”
Multiple Sclerosis is raised in awareness thanks to Applegate’s diagnosis.
According to Meghan L. Beier, PhD, an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and a rehabilitation neuropsychologist, Applegate’s decision to go public with her diagnosis may benefit people with MS and other related illnesses. Dr. Beier is an expert in managing chronic conditions like MS.
She says that it first raises awareness of the medical diagnosis. “Despite the fact that MS is the most prevalent neurologic condition after severe injury, the general public still knows very little about it. Celebrities aid in increasing public knowledge and comprehension of the illness.
According to Beier, getting management advice from people who have MS themselves can be a highly effective tool, particularly when it comes to dealing with symptoms like fatigue, cognitive issues, and physical difficulties.
“The entire MS community can benefit if a celebrity is able to positively share their personal struggles and also share the tools they are using to manage the challenges,” says Beier.
How Does Multiple Sclerosis Work?
The immune system of the body incorrectly assaults the myelin sheath, a layer of insulation that surrounds part of the body’s nerves, in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve in MS, an autoimmune illness of the central nervous system.
The myelin sheath is irritated by this onslaught, which either causes damage or leads it to be destroyed. This causes patches of patchy scar tissue, which are commonly referred to as “lesions,” to form where electrical impulses between the brain and other parts of the body are disrupted.
MS frequently causes symptoms such as lightheadedness, exhaustion, muscle stiffness, numbness and tingling, eyesight and balance problems, pain, and problems with the bladder and bowels.
According to Beier, a person is normally diagnosed with the condition between the ages of 30 and 50; Applegate’s diagnosis falls within this range.
Relapsing-remitting MS is the most common kind of MS at first, however secondary-progressive MS can develop. Primary-progressive MS is diagnosed in a substantially lesser percentage of people.
What kind of MS Applegate it has is unclear.
Even though MS is incurable, it can be controlled using disease-modifying drugs, which can help slow the disease’s course and lessen the frequency of relapses, which are times when MS symptoms get worse.
Physical therapy and other rehabilitative therapies, leading a healthy lifestyle that includes a nutritious diet and regular exercise, and managing concomitant illnesses like depression or anxiety are other treatments for MS.
In 2008, Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy, or the surgical removal of both breasts, as a result.
In the Netflix series Dead to Me, in which Applegate stars, her breast cancer story is mentioned. She portrays Jen Harding, a character who undergoes a preventative double mastectomy after losing her mother to breast cancer.
Body image problems were among Harding’s post-operative difficulties; Applegate herself still experiences these problems more than ten years after her operation.
Applegate stated in a May 2019 interview with USA Today, “I consider it every day. Yes, it’s been ten years, we say to one another as girls who have experienced this, but you never forget what you’ve gone through. Everything appears to be unique. You realize they are when you have to take a shower. That took place.”
