Chanelle Hayes reveals arthritis diagnosis at 35: ‘It’s going to hinder me’
Chanelle Hayes has revealed she has been diagnosed with arthritis at the age of 35 – a condition that usually develops in people in their mid-40s or older, according to the NHS. The former Big Brother star took to Instagram to reveal the news to her followers.
“Morning, so I've just had a phone call from the doctors [sic] regarding the results of an X-ray I had done,” Hayes explains in a video on her Instagram Story.
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“And, considering I'm only 35 years old, I've now been diagnosed with arthritis in both hips.
“Bit annoyed to say the least because I feel like it's going to hinder me from doing stuff that I need to do,” she added.
Hayes explained that her specific diagnosis was osteoarthritis, which the NHS describes as a condition that “causes joints to become painful and stiff” and says it is the most common type of arthritis in the UK.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis include swelling and tenderness of the join and a “grating or crackling sound when moving the affected joints”.
Hayes also asked her followers for advice on how to handle the diagnosis. “Is there anyone else who has been diagnosed with arthritis in their 30s who can send me the light at the end of the tunnel?” she wrote.
Read more: Number of adults with arthritis has risen 40% this century
The arthritis diagnosis comes just days after Hayes opened up about her mental health on Instagram, posting a collage image of herself in the new year with a caption explaining that she had been feeling “overwhelmed”.
“I’ve not really posted much over Christmas and New Year as I’ve had so much work to do both for my degree, actual work work and then obviously trying to squeeze all this around spending quality time with family. It’s been a lot. I feel challenged,” she wrote.
“I feel a little lost and overwhelmed at how fast the years are going and that maybe I’m not moving anywhere with them. Like I’m stuck. I saw so many fabulous, happy, celebratory posts over the last few weeks and rightly so. But I didn’t really see anybody acknowledging that sooooo many people are sad at this time of the year. I bet so many of us are, but behind our screens and through our feeds we paint a different picture.
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“I just wanted to post to say it’s OK to feel overwhelmed, there’s no need to hide it, and so I’m not. This week has been rubbish and I’ve got so much to do this year I’m just dreading it. I have knots in my stomach. If you’re feeling like this too, you’re not on your own.”
Hayes' followers were quick to praise Hayes for being so candid, with one person, @tnob45, replying: “Thank you for sharing a normal post, so many share posts that are pretentious, every day isn't always happy and positive. Take care and enjoy the good days.”
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