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At the end of April, Angelina Jolie showed up in Lviv, which was being destroyed by the army. She met volunteers and visited children in the hospital. The actress is an envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He has long publicized the issue of refugees in many regions of the world. He also has considerable merits in raising awareness and preventing breast and ovarian cancer.
- Angelina Jolie is one of the most recognizable women in the world
- Due to its popularity, it has a lot of firepower. Thanks to this, he can pay attention to important health problems
- A few years ago, Jolie had a double mastectomy. This meant that many people for the first time heard about very dangerous mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes
- She has long been speculated about her alleged anorexia and other diseases. However, the actress only admitted that she was suffering from a rare neurological disorder
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Angelina Jolie suffers from Bell’s palsy
Angelina Jolie is one of the most popular Hollywood actresses. Her private life has always aroused curiosity and the subject of countless rumors, especially since she got involved with Brad Pitt. However, the couple broke up in 2016, one of the reasons being Pitt’s addiction to alcohol and bouts of aggression against the actors’ children.
Relationship problems and divorce procedures took a toll on Angelina Jolie’s health. The actress was always slim, but at the time her appearance sparked a lot of speculation about anorexia and other health problems.
The actress did not respond to gossip for a long time. She said about her condition in an interview with Vanity Fair in 2017. She revealed that she suffers from Bell’s palsy.
– Sometimes the women in the family put themselves in the last place … Until it affects their own health. I do not know if it is the fault of menopause or the issue of this difficult year – she said then. Jolie admitted that traumatic events from the past contributed to the development of the disease – the death of her mother, difficult relationships with her father or unsuccessful relationships.
Bell’s palsy – what is it?
Bell’s Palsy is a rare neurological condition that results in paralysis of the facial nerve, the peripheral nerve responsible for facial movement, and muscle weakness.
Symptoms of Bell’s palsy include drooping eyebrows, difficulty closing the eyelid, drooping corner of the mouth, facial asymmetry, smoothing the forehead, ear pain, and increased sensitivity to noise and taste disturbances. People struggling with this condition are also more prone to stress.
The exact cause of the disease is unknown. In many cases, it is viral in origin, Bell’s palsy may be a result of an influenza or herpes infection.
It is estimated that Bell’s palsy may affect 10-40 people out of 100. Pregnant women and people between 15 and 45 are the most vulnerable.
Symptoms of Bell’s palsy come on suddenly and usually go away on their own after a few weeks or months. The disease often does not require treatment, therapy depends on the type and severity of symptoms. Antiviral drugs and gicocorticosteroids are used, facial muscles massage is part of rehabilitation, and acupuncture, admitted by Angelina Jolie, can also bring relief.
Angelina Jolie and double mastectomy
A few years earlier it became famous about Angelina Jolie’s health adversities. In 2013, Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy. The decision was made after detecting a mutation in the BRCA1 gene. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations can cause ovarian or breast cancer in over 80%. people having this mutation.
The reactions to the actress’s decision were ambiguous. Some of the commentators praised her for her courageous step, others accused her of approaching the matter too radically, and described the procedure as “quirks”.
Jolie explained the reasons in a letter to the editors of the New York Times. She wrote that she reduced the likelihood of developing cancer from 87 percent. up to 2-3 percent and at the same time spared her children the experience of observing a long-term illness. So it was not a Hollywood star’s whim, but a prophylaxis based on experience. Jolie’s mom, Marcheline Bertrand, has battled breast cancer for almost a decade. She died in 2007 at the age of 56. Breast cancer also took the actress’s aunt and grandmother.
Two years after the mastectomy, Angelina Jolie also decided to have the ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.
Angelina Jolie effect
In a letter to the New York Times, Angelina Jolie stressed that breast cancer kills 458 a year. people around the world. She wrote clearly so that women would benefit from her experience, test themselves, and make informed decisions.
Jolie’s promotion of the problem of breast and ovarian cancer worked. The awareness of the problem and interest in prevention has increased wherever the name of the actress is associated. The term “Angelina Jolie Effect” has even been coined. This has a real impact on increasing the number of BRCA gene mutation tests and mammography, although – as research after years has shown – the number of mastectomy procedures has not changed significantly.
Within two weeks of the publication of Jolie’s letter in the New York Times, the number of genetic tests in the United States increased by 64 percent. The tests were then carried out by 4 thousand. 500 women.
In turn, a 2017 study by Italian scientists showed that in the USA, Austria, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, the number of BRCA1 and BRCA2 studies increased by 2013% between 2017 and 80.
In Poland, in some units performing mammography, the number of women reporting increased by 50%. after Jolie made the case public.
You can also check if you are at risk of breast or ovarian cancer. Perform a genetic test for mutations in the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes.
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