It affects more than 400,000 people per year in the US alone, but despite being so common, this one disease seems particularly prevalent among celebrity circles.
Miranda Hart became the latest celeb to speak out about having the disease after years of trying to figure out what was causing her symptoms, but she's far from alone, joining a long list of fellow A-listers who have also opened up about it over the years.
The likes of Bella Hadid, Justin Bieber, Amy Schumer and Shania Twain make up just a few other famous faces to reveal their diagnosis, and the whole thing has started to pique the interest of both fans and experts.
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The illness in question? Lyme disease - in particular, chronic Lyme disease.
What is Lyme disease?
According to the NHS, Lyme disease is a 'bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks' and refers to the symptoms and health problems that develop as a result of the infection.
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It tends to be easier to treat if it's diagnosed early with one of the main symptoms being a 'circular or oval shape rash' forming around the tick bite.
What are the other symptoms of Lyme disease?
The main symptom to keep an eye out for is the rash, but the illness can also manifest as flu-like symptoms, including:
- A high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- Headache
- Muscle and joint pain
- Tiredness and loss of energy
Lyme disease: The latest celebrity health phenomenon?
Throughout the years, quite a few celebrities have revealed they've been struggling with a chronic form of Lyme disease which has been wreaking havoc on their health for years.
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For instance, back in 2023, model Bella Hadid posted a serious of snaps to her Instagram to mark '100 days of serious medical treatment' for Lyme disease, admitting that 'living in this state, worsening with time and work while trying to make myself, my family and the people who support me, proud, had taken a toll on me in ways I can’t really explain'.
She went on to thank her family and medical team for their support, with the post including several pictures of the star hooked up to IV drips and undergoing different tests.
Meanwhile, in 2020 Justin Bieber admitted it's been a 'tough couple of years' as he told fans he'd been diagnosed with the illness.
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It came after speculation swirled over his health at the time, and some accused him of being on drugs.
"They failed to realise I've been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my skin, brain function, energy, and overall health," the singer fumed.
Other celebs to have opened up about their experience with the illness include:
- Alex Baldwin
- Avril Lavigne
- Ben Stiller
- Kelly Osbourne
- Kris Kristofferson
The big Lyme disease debate
Although most people unlucky enough to have had a run-in with an infected tick recover within two to four weeks using antibiotics, others claim their symptoms have lingered for years after, and medics have no clue why.
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This is often described as 'Chronic Lyme Disease' and tends to be what these celebs are talking about when they've opened up about their health.
However, this is not a universally recognised diagnosis, and some experts even discourage people from using the term.
"The condition where patients experience prolonged symptoms due to Lyme disease is called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) and its cause is currently unknown. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages using this terminology when communicating about prolonged symptoms due to Lyme disease," CDC explains.
More research still needs to be done into it all, but when it comes to the sheer volume of celebs who seem to be grappling with it, there's a few theories floating around over why.
Theory one: Lifestyle factors
There are number of lifestyle factors that would put celebs more at risk of being bitten by infected ticks such as having the money to splash out on sprawling countryside estates in places like the Hamptons and the Malibu canyons where ticks tend to be more prevalent.
Celebs are also more likely to be taking part in pricey pastimes such as horse riding in woodland areas, which again, has a higher population of ticks.
Theory two: Top tier medical care
Money talks, and that's true for medical care too. Celebs often have access to the best of the best when it comes to healthcare, meaning it can end up being super specialised compared to what ordinary folk would be given.
This means they may just be more likely to get the answers because they can cough up the money to run extensive screenings and tests.
Plus, when a celeb speaks out about their health, it makes waves in the media, so naturally draws more attention than if a normal person were to go on the record.
Theory three: Bigger platforms
Due to the fact they have platforms with often millions of followers, A-listers may simply be more likely to speak about Lyme disease to raise awareness, as opposed to literally being more likely to get it.
It's common for celebs to get candid with their followers from time to time, and this could simply fall under that bracket.
Topics: Celebrity, Health, Lyme disease
Chloe Rowland