The 8 subtle symptoms of Lyme disease – and why so many celebrities seem to get the debilitating bacterial infection --[Reported by Umva mag]

MIRANDA Hart is the latest in a string of famous people to be diagnosed with Lyme disease. The bug has previously struck the likes of model Bella Hadid and her mum Yolanda, singers Justin Bieber and Avril Lavigne, and actor Ben Stiller to name a few. Miranda Hart has been fighting Lyme diseaseGetty - Contributor The actor and comedian initially thought she had agoraphobia, an anxiety disorderBBC Lyme disease is a bacterial infection carried by ticks which spreads when they bite humans. There are around 3,000 cases in England and Wales every year. It can cause flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, headache, swollen joints and a fever, which can last for a few weeks. In some cases, patients can suffer from side effects for years. This is what happened to the Call The Midwife actor, for whom it took 33 years to get a Lyme disease diagnosis, after initially mistaking her symptoms for agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder. The comedian has now opened up about the health battle she faced behind closed doors during an appearance on Radio 4’s Today programme while discussing her new book. “I was basically bed-bound – and housebound,” the 51-year-old said. “There’d be times where I’d look at a glass of water, and think, ‘I don’t know how to pick that up’. “All anyone wants is to be heard, accepted, loved and seen… and when you’re not – particularly in a medical situation – it’s the worst.” So why does it seem like so many famous faces are being diagnosed with it? Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases from the University of East Anglia, said there could be some factors that make celebrities more vulnerable. “But it’s more likely that we’re more interested in hearing about celebrities, so we don’t hear about normal people,” he told The Sun. Stars’ increased leisure time and access to the wilderness where ticks live could put them at greater risk, he added. “If there is a rich and famous or class bias in this, it’s probably because they spend more time walking around in wooded parkland, more money to go out to those areas, or have big homes with these sorts of places,” Prof Paul said. “As you’re walking along, the ticks jump on your legs and crawl their way up, then have a blood feast and give you Lyme disease,” he previously told MailOnline. Celebs also have access to better healthcare, so may be more likely to get a diagnosis – though it can still take some time. When Miranda finally received her diagnosis, she was able to trace the condition back to her teenage years. Both Yolanda Hadid and her daughter have been diagnosed with Lyme diseaseGetty Images - FilmMagic instagramBella, 28, has been suffering from the virus for 15 years[/caption] Instagram/Justin BieberJustin Bieber was diagnosed with Lyme disease after receiving nasty remarks about his appearance[/caption] GettyBen Stiller told The Hollywood Reporter in 2011 that he caught the bug in Nantucket, Massachusetts[/caption] “Probably when I was about 14 or 15, I got a tick-borne illness and that’s when my symptoms started,” she recalled. “It was such a relief. I mean, being misunderstood and misjudged is one of the hardest things about this kind of condition. For sure.” Most celebs who have spoken about their Lyme disease diagnosis happen to live in the US – where there are over 300,000 cases per year. Alexis, 41, who is married to tennis legend Serena Williams, detailed his diagnosis in a series of posts on X (formally Twitter) earlier this year. “Doing a full battery of health scans, tests, etc, and found out I have Lyme disease,” he said. “Wild. No symptoms, thankfully, but gonna treat.” Other celebs diagnosed with Lyme disease These stars have spoken candidly about their battle with the tick-borne disease: Yolanda Hadid Bella Hadid Anwar Hadid Riley Keough Amy Schumer Justin Bieber Avril Lavigne Shania Twain Ben Stiller Alec Baldwin Kelly Osbourne Miranda Hart TV star Yolanda Hadid revealed she had suffered depression amid a pileup of symptoms for the better part of a decade, which she attributed to chronic Lyme. “I can’t begin to describe the darkness, the pain and the hell I lived through every day,” the 60-year-old socialite told British Vogue in February 2021. “This disease brought me to my knees.” Her daughter, Bella – now 28 – also last year described how she had undergone 100 days of treatment amid a battle with the condition. The supermodel shared snaps of her medical records, which revealed the extent of her health problems spanning over a decade. According to the documents, she suffered from extreme fatigue, memory disturbances, depression, sleep disorders, headaches, muscle weakness and joint aches as a teenager. GettyAvril Lavigne spoke of her own diagnosis in 2015[/caption] Stand-up com

Oct 9, 2024 - 13:38

The 8 subtle symptoms of Lyme disease – and why so many celebrities seem to get the debilitating bacterial infection --[Reported by Umva mag]

MIRANDA Hart is the latest in a string of famous people to be diagnosed with Lyme disease.

The bug has previously struck the likes of model Bella Hadid and her mum Yolanda, singers Justin Bieber and Avril Lavigne, and actor Ben Stiller to name a few.

a woman wearing a black shirt and a necklace smiles for the camera — Miranda Hart has been fighting Lyme disease

Miranda Hart will not be returning to Call the Midwife — The actor and comedian initially thought she had agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection carried by ticks which spreads when they bite humans.

There are around 3,000 cases in England and Wales every year.

It can cause flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, headache, swollen joints and a fever, which can last for a few weeks.

In some cases, patients can suffer from side effects for years.

This is what happened to the Call The Midwife actor, for whom it took 33 years to get a Lyme disease diagnosis, after initially mistaking her symptoms for agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder.

The comedian has now opened up about the health battle she faced behind closed doors during an appearance on Radio 4’s Today programme while discussing her new book.

“I was basically bed-bound – and housebound,” the 51-year-old said.

“There’d be times where I’d look at a glass of water, and think, ‘I don’t know how to pick that up’.

“All anyone wants is to be heard, accepted, loved and seen… and when you’re not – particularly in a medical situation – it’s the worst.”

So why does it seem like so many famous faces are being diagnosed with it?

Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases from the University of East Anglia, said there could be some factors that make celebrities more vulnerable.

“But it’s more likely that we’re more interested in hearing about celebrities, so we don’t hear about normal people,” he told The Sun.

Stars’ increased leisure time and access to the wilderness where ticks live could put them at greater risk, he added.

“If there is a rich and famous or class bias in this, it’s probably because they spend more time walking around in wooded parkland, more money to go out to those areas, or have big homes with these sorts of places,” Prof Paul said.

“As you’re walking along, the ticks jump on your legs and crawl their way up, then have a blood feast and give you Lyme disease,” he previously told MailOnline.

Celebs also have access to better healthcare, so may be more likely to get a diagnosis – though it can still take some time.

When Miranda finally received her diagnosis, she was able to trace the condition back to her teenage years.

two women stand on a red carpet in front of a wall that says boss — Both Yolanda Hadid and her daughter have been diagnosed with Lyme disease

a woman is laying on a bed with wires around her body

Bella, 28, has been suffering from the virus for 15 years[/caption]

a man with a beard wearing a green hat is crying

Justin Bieber was diagnosed with Lyme disease after receiving nasty remarks about his appearance[/caption]

a man in a suit and tie stands in front of a sign that says dg

Ben Stiller told The Hollywood Reporter in 2011 that he caught the bug in Nantucket, Massachusetts[/caption]

“Probably when I was about 14 or 15, I got a tick-borne illness and that’s when my symptoms started,” she recalled.

“It was such a relief. I mean, being misunderstood and misjudged is one of the hardest things about this kind of condition. For sure.”

Most celebs who have spoken about their Lyme disease diagnosis happen to live in the US – where there are over 300,000 cases per year.

Alexis, 41, who is married to tennis legend Serena Williams, detailed his diagnosis in a series of posts on X (formally Twitter) earlier this year.

“Doing a full battery of health scans, tests, etc, and found out I have Lyme disease,” he said.

“Wild. No symptoms, thankfully, but gonna treat.”

Other celebs diagnosed with Lyme disease

These stars have spoken candidly about their battle with the tick-borne disease:

Yolanda Hadid
Bella Hadid
Anwar Hadid
Riley Keough
Amy Schumer
Justin Bieber
Avril Lavigne
Shania Twain
Ben Stiller
Alec Baldwin
Kelly Osbourne
Miranda Hart

TV star Yolanda Hadid revealed she had suffered depression amid a pileup of symptoms for the better part of a decade, which she attributed to chronic Lyme.

“I can’t begin to describe the darkness, the pain and the hell I lived through every day,” the 60-year-old socialite told British Vogue in February 2021.

“This disease brought me to my knees.”

Her daughter, Bella – now 28 – also last year described how she had undergone 100 days of treatment amid a battle with the condition.

The supermodel shared snaps of her medical records, which revealed the extent of her health problems spanning over a decade.

According to the documents, she suffered from extreme fatigue, memory disturbances, depression, sleep disorders, headaches, muscle weakness and joint aches as a teenager.

a woman with long blonde hair wearing a black leather jacket

Avril Lavigne spoke of her own diagnosis in 2015[/caption]

amy schumer poses for a picture on the red carpet at the golden globes — Stand-up comedian Amy Schumer took a lighthearted approach to announcing she had Lyme disease

She also experienced night sweats, heart palpitations, cold hands and feet, numbness, ADHD, ringing in her eyes and chest pain.

Singer Justin Bieber said, in January 2020, that doctors had diagnosed him with Lyme disease after receiving nasty remarks about his appearance.

“While a lot of people kept saying, “Justin Bieber looks like s***, on meth” etc. they failed to realise I’ve been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease,” the 30-year-old artist wrote on Instagram.

“Not only that but I had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my skin, brain function, energy, and overall health,” he added.

Actor Ben Stiller told The Hollywood Reporter in 2011 that he’d been diagnosed with the bug in 2010.

“I got it in Nantucket, Massachusetts, a couple of years ago,” he said.

I had no idea a bug bite could do this – I was bedridden for five months Avril Lavigne

“My knee became inflamed and they couldn’t figure out what it was, then they found out it was Lyme.

“I’m symptom-free now, but Lyme doesn’t ever leave your system. It’s a really tough thing.”

In September 2020, standup comedian Amy Schumer opened up about her Lyme disease diagnosis, saying she’d had it for years.

In a post on Instagram, the Trainwreck actress said: “Anyone get Lyme this summer? I got it and I’m on doxycycline.

“I have maybe had it for years. Any advice? Can you have a glass of wine or two on it?

“I know to stay out of the sun. I’m also taking these herbs from cape cod called Lyme-2.

“I also want to say that I feel good and am excited to get rid of it.”

Avril Lavigne, spoke of her own diagnosis in 2015, which she revealed in an interview with People magazine.

She said: “I had no idea a bug bite could do this – I was bedridden for five months.

“When you go through something like that, you realise how fulfilling simple things are – things I could do anymore, like being able to get up in the morning and go to the kitchen and grab a cup of coffee.

“It taught me patience; it taught me being more present. That was a beautiful lesson.”

What are the subtle symptoms of Lyme disease?

Most people develop a distinctive red rash in the shape of a circle with a ring around it between three and 30 days after they are bitten.

The rash can vary in size significantly and can expand over the course of days or weeks.

Typically, this blemish grows to around 15cm in diameter.

The 8 main symptoms of Lyme disease are:

A rash
Tiredness
Muscle pain
Headaches
High temperature
Joint pain
Chills
Neck stiffness

If left untreated, Lyme disease sufferers can develop much more serious symptoms including:

Severe joint pain
Nervous system pain which can lead to paralysis of facial muscles, memory problems and difficulties concentrating
Heart problems, such as inflammation of the heart muscle
Inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord as with meningitis

What to do if you get bitten

If you’ve been bitten by a tick, it will attach to your skin.

You should try to remove it as soon as possible. This helps to reduce the risk of getting a tick-borne infection, like Lyme disease.

This is a bacterial infection that causes a pink or red circular rash to develop around the area of the bite.

You should:

Use a tick removal device or fine-toothed tweezers to gently grip the tick as close to the skin as possible.
Pull steadily away from the skin without crushing the tick.
Wash your skin with water and soap afterwards.
Apply an antiseptic cream to the skin around the bite.

Do not use a cigarette end, match head, alcohol or petroleum jelly on a tick.

Many pharmacies and outdoor stores sell tick-removal devices.

These are useful if you often spend time in areas where there are ticks.

If the tick’s mouthparts break off in the skin and can not be removed, this may cause irritation. But, they should fall out naturally in time.

Source: NHS

The following news has been carefully analyzed, curated, and compiled by Umva Mag from a diverse range of people, sources, and reputable platforms. Our editorial team strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information we provide. By combining insights from multiple perspectives, we aim to offer a well-rounded and comprehensive understanding of the events and stories that shape our world. Umva Mag values transparency, accountability, and journalistic integrity, ensuring that each piece of content is delivered with the utmost professionalism.