Fans have recently fretted over a mix of sudden, serious symptoms suffered by the actress Kate Beckinsale.
The British star, 50, has caused concern on social media over several unexplained health scares over the last year, including spending weeks in the hospital and dropping so many pounds that fans called her ‘too thin.’
However, this week the Van Helsing star revealed what caused her health to take a nosedive: grief.
Beckinsale said on Instagram that in the weeks following the death of her stepfather and her mother’s stage four cancer diagnosis, she spent six weeks in the hospital ‘because the grief had burned a hole in my esophagus, which made me vomit copious amounts of blood.
She added that she found eating ‘very hard’. Though Beckinsale’s health issues may seem extreme, doctors told DailyMail.com that the ‘brain is capable of causing profound changes’ in the body, including severe gastrointestinal distress and weight loss.
Kate Beckinsale, 50, revealed that she spent six weeks in the hospital due to a torn esophagus and vomiting blood
And maintaining a sense of humor, even with mooning, could be an ‘antidote to stress.’
Fans criticized Beckinsale for appearing ‘too thin.’ She noted that she has had trouble eating due to her torn esophagus and feelings of grief
Beckinsale first alarmed fans earlier this year when she posted since-deleted clips of herself dancing on Instagram. Several commented with concerns about the actress’ shrinking figure.
Beckinsale revealed that she had spent six weeks in the hospital, ‘due to copiously vomiting blood’ from a Mallory Weiss tear. This is a split in the inner layer of the esophagus, the tube that connects the throat to the stomach.
This injury typically occurs where the esophagus and stomach meet due to severe vomiting, heavy lifting, prolonged coughing, and trauma to the chest or abdomen.
Dr David D Clarke, internal medicine and gastroenterology physician and president of the Psychophysiological Disorders Association, told DailyMail.com that stress and severe grief can ‘slow the emptying of the stomach to the point that vomiting occurs.’
‘Vomiting can cause a tear in the lower esophagus that can then hemorrhage.’
Most Mallory Weiss tears run between 0.75 and 1.5 inches long, or the width of a nickel or two, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Vomiting blood is the most common symptom, occuring in over 85 percent of patients.
Most patients heal on their own, but some tears require surgery.
Beckinsale’s vomiting could have been due to a number of factors. For example, crying for long periods of time or displaying other intense emotions can activate the body’s stress response.
Dr Randy Brazie, licensed psychiatrist and co-author of ‘The Steadfast Leader,’ told DailyMail.com that strong emotions like grief can trigger the vagus nerve, which regulates processes like digestion.
‘This can lead to a significant increase in gastric acid secretion and gut muscle activity,’ he said.
The actress recently shared a photo of herself wearing a ‘Tummy Troubles Survivor T-shirt,’ hinting at gastrointestinal distress
Beckinsale also shared that she uses humor to cope with grief, including mooning a department store in London
As well as vomiting, increased acid levels, he noted, could lead to ulcers triggering an esophageal tear.
Eating with an esophageal tear can be dangerous because the perforation allows food to leak into the chest, causing resporatory issues. This could have left Beckinsale unable to eat or restricted eating to via a tube, resulting in weight loss.
Around the time of her stepfather’s death in January, insiders also revealed that Beckinsale was hardly eating due to emotional distress.
‘Stress, grief, and depression can also lead to diminished appetite which can lead to weight loss in some cases. If the emptying of the stomach is slowed that can cause a person to feel full after less than their usual intake and to be nauseated or vomit,’ Dr Clarke said.
‘All of that would contribute to reduced food intake which could then cause weight loss.’
Beckinsale also revealed on social media earlier this year that ‘stress, shock, and grief’ led to a flare of her mast cell disease, which Dr Clarke said likely refers to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
MCAS is a disease in which the mast cells – blood cells responsible for allergic reactions – to trigger a release of chemicals leading to allergy symptoms.
Symptoms include itchy skin or a raised, red skin rash, feeling light-headed or faint and swelling of the throat, mouth and tongue which can lead to breathing difficulties.
Dr Clarke said that while ‘it is possible’ that grief exacerbated Beckinsale’s alleged MCAS, most physical symptoms of grief and emotional stress are caused by the brain rather than mast cells.