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Una Healy to be on medication for the rest of her life as she's diagnosed with autoimmune disease

The Irish singing star was given the heads up that she may want to see a doctor after a music producer heard her voice as she was touring with her former group, The Saturdays.

Una, 39, had become well known for her “husky tone” but as her team became worried about her, she sought diagnosis.

Opening up about the diagnosis on an Instagram interview with Emm Gryner, she said: “I remember when I joined the Saturdays first, you probably hear it a lot on the early recordings, my voice was a lot huskier, now I do have a husky tone that comes out sometimes, like a rasp.

“But I found that it was happening more and more and I went in one day to demo a song we were doing with the girls and the producer went ‘ok, can you do that again’ he looked really worried."

The girls were all sent to the doctor for a visit, with Una being questioned about swelling around her throat.

She continued: “I felt like I was losing my voice, and the doctor came in and was examining all of us. Because we were all feeling down and I guess the stress of it all.

“And he kind of looked around my neck, and he was like 'you’ve a bit of swelling around your throat there. Have you ever had your thyroid examined?'

© Redferns via Getty Images Una is famous for her role in former girl group The Saturdays

“And I said no, so I had my blood checked to check how my thyroid levels were and it turned out I’ve an underactive thyroid, so I’m hyperthyroid.

“It’s an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's.”

The star revealed that she will be taking the drug thyroxine for the disease but was sure to make it clear to fans that she was “totally healthy”.

Una has had two children since the diagnosis after previously expressing worry that the condition could make her infertile.

The illness is one where the thyroid gland gets attacked by the immune system, causing symptoms of fatigue, depression, infertility, weight gain and even the famous husky voice Una is known for.

Una successfully conceived after the diagnosis and is mother to nine year old Aoife and six year old Tadgh with former partner Ben Foden. 

Reference: OK :George Folger