Amy Dowden, 28, will be another familiar face on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, having made her first appearance on the show in 2017. But some fans of the star and the dance competition may not know is for much of her life she’d been living with Crohn’s disease. In May this year, Amy went public with her diagnosis on ITV’s This Morning. She revealed she first started showing symptoms of the condition aged 11.
As a child, I couldn’t keep still, then all of a sudden my parents could see I had no energy
Amy Dowden
The first symptoms of the condition she experienced were fatigue, followed by extreme vomiting.
Amy added she experienced severe pain that caused her to pass out.
She said: “As a child, I couldn’t keep still, then all of a sudden my parents could see I had no energy.
“The next thing I started getting stomach cramps, and I actually passed out from the pain. I went years with these awful stomach pains.
“I was hardly in school, and I was in and out of hospital.
“It took until I was 19 for me to be diagnosed.
“I had terribly vomiting – extreme vomiting. Extreme pain, where my body couldn’t cope.
“I had these enormous dreams, and I could just see them fading away.
“When I was diagnosed, I thought ‘finally, I have an answer’, now it’s time to go and fulfill my dreams. It made me more determined.”
What is Crohn’s disease?
Crohn’s disease is a lifelong condition in which parts of the digestive system become inflamed.
The condition can affect people of all ages, according to the NHS, and the main symptoms are as follows:
- Diarrhoea
- Stomach aches and cramps
- Blood in your poo
- Tiredness (fatigue)
- Weight loss
The symptoms can be constant or may come and of every few weeks or months.
You should see your GP if you experience the following symptoms, says the health body:
- Blood in your poo
- Diarrhoea for more than seven days
- Frequent stomach aches or cramps
- Lost weight for no reason, or your child’s not growing as fast as you’d expect
Your GP can then find out what’s causing your symptoms and may refer you for tests to check for Crohn’s disease.
Another star who’s been open about their Crohn’s disease is Emmerdale star Jeff Hordley.
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