Jack Gray

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By Jack Gray and Bonnie McLarenNewsbeat reporters

Selena Gomez has been praised after explaining how her body changes when she takes medication to treat Lupus .

The Singer , 30, has previously been open about her diagnosis with the condition - But she's recently been subject to nasty comments about her appearance.

On a TikTok live, Selena told fans that when she's taking medication she " holds a lot of water weight".

" I would much rather be healthy and Take Care of myself, " She Said .

" My medications are important, and I believe that they're what helps me. "

Lupus is an incurable autoimmune disease where The Body 's immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal tissue.

Symptoms can be managed using medication. In 2017, Selena revealed she had a kidney transplant linked to her Lupus .

Kate Appleby and Chris Clarke , both 30, have Lupus - and they've told BBC Newsbeat what it means to them to have Selena talk so openly about her experience.

" Having someone like Selena stand up and shout above The Rooftops has full support from myself, and probably the whole Lupus community, " Chris says.

Kate, who has nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram and says she's also been a victim of body-shaming too, says Selena's bravery is " incredible".

" I go from being very skinny to being a bit curvier.

" You know, you go from being visibly more ill to your illness being much more hidden, " she says.

" And because I have a sort of public profile people then very quickly judge and I've had a lot of criticism from people commenting on not only how my appearance changes, But also how I manage my illness. "

More women than men have Lupus , according to the NHS.

Chris also says his medication changes his appetite.

" I do have a bit of a beer belly, But that's not by drinking beer. I've been on one of the medications, which is a steroid, " he says.

" Everyone thinks 'steroids, Great - you Build Up muscle'. But it's not that steroid.

" It makes you hungry, you want to eat more and trying to control the appetite is a lot harder. "

What is Lupus ?

According to the NHS, Lupus is a complex and poorly understood condition that affects many different parts of The Body .

Its symptoms range from mild to life-threatening.

There are some types that just affect skin, But the term is usually used to describe a more severe form of the condition - Lupus erythematosus (SLE).

That affects many parts of The Body , including The Skin , joints and internal organs.

Lots of people can have the condition for a long time without knowing before they get a sudden flare-up.

The symptoms include extreme tiredness, rashes (especially on The Face , wrists and hands) and joint pain and swelling.

Even mild cases can be distressing and have a big impact on quality of life.

But the symptoms can be similar to more common conditions so it's often hard to diagnose.

Chris says Selena raising awareness means a lot, as he hadn't even heard of the condition when he was first diagnosed.

" What Selena is doing ultimately save lives, " Kate adds.

" Going back to Mental Health issues when I got diagnosed, if there had been someone like Selena at that point, being very vocal and talking about it, would have personally made all the difference for me. "

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Source of news: bbc.com