Stress of divorce gave me palsy, says Jolie
ANGELINA Jolie was diagnosed with the nerve condition Bell’s palsy during the stress of her divorce from Brad Pitt, she has revealed.
The actress – who is widely regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful women – said damage to her facial nerves caused one side of her face to droop.
Miss Jolie said she turned to acupuncture to deal with the problem and has now recovered.
She told Vanity Fair she believed she developed the issue, as well as hypertension, because ‘sometimes women in families put themselves last, until it manifests itself in their own health’.
Months later her skin became drier and she saw increasing amounts of grey hair.
The 42-year- old said: ‘I can’t tell if it’s menopause or if it’s just been the year I’ve had. I feel more of a woman because I feel like I’m being smart about my choices. I’m putting my family first, and I’m in charge of my life and my health.’
Bell’s palsy is the most common cause of facial paralysis and accounts for 60 per cent of all cases.
It occurs when the muscles in the face become compressed and has been linked with viruses like flu and respiratory tract infections as well as stress. Symptoms come on suddenly and can develop over just 72 hours, but 70 per cent of cases go after a few weeks or months.
The Tomb Raider star also opened up about the divorce from Pitt, 53, and said she cried in the shower, away from her six children.
‘It’s just been the hardest time, and we’re just kind of coming up for air,’ she said. Asked if things were improving between the pair she said they were both ‘working towards the same goal’.
She added: ‘I was very worried about my mother, growing up. I do not want my children to be worried about me. They need to know that everything’s going to be all right even when you’re not sure it is.’ Bell’s palsy is not Miss Jolie’s first health issue. In 2013 she had a double mastectomy to avoid getting breast cancer.
Two years later she had her ovaries removed as a preventative measure to avoid getting cancer.
The September issue of Vanity Fair is out on August 4.