Lyme Disease Explained: What It Is, What The Symptoms Are And What Treatment Is Available

You may have heard about Lyme Disease this week, as Amy Schumer revealed that she has been recently diagnosed with the illness, saying that she might have had it 'for years'. The actress also asked her 10.2million Instagram followers for advice on handling the symptoms, saying she is 'excited' to 'get rid of it'.

In the last few years, a number of celebrities have opened up about suffering with the disease including Bella Hadid and Yolanda Foster, Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne, Ashley Olsen, Christy Turlington and Tommy Hilfiger’s daughter, Ally.

In 2015, the NHS confirmed cases of the illness had quadrupled in the last twelve years. More recently, 2019 figures suggest there could be as many as 8000 cases a year in the UK according to research published in the British Medical Journal.But what exactly is lyme disease and how do you treat it? We've done the research so you don't have to...

What exactly is lyme disease?

‘Essentially it’s an infectious disease transmitted to people by the bite of an infected tick,’ says Stella Huyshe-Shires from Lyme Disease Action. ‘It causes a wide range of symptoms which include a circular red rash, headaches, a stiff neck, facial palsy, extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and disturbances of sight, hearing, coordination, digestion and sleep.

‘The first reported case of Lyme Disease in the UK was in 1977 (but it was probably around before then) and it’s been increasing ever since. We don’t know if this is because of greater awareness, or more time spent outdoors or flying to places where you get ticks. And we don’t know why some people are more likely to get bitten and infected – in the same way we don’t know why some people get bitten by mosquitoes on holiday while the person they’re with don’t. It could be that some people have a stronger immune system and fight off a tick infection without even realising.’

Who has lyme disease?

Amy Schumer is the most recent celebrity to open up about having the disorder. And Justin Bieber also opened up about having the disease earlier this year. Prior to this, 30 year-old Ally Hilfiger said in 2015 that the disease – which she believes she caught as a 7-year-old – has left her living ‘like an 80-year-old woman’. After years of misdiagnosis (her chronic fatigue, headaches and muscle pain were dismissed as growing pains) she was finally diagnosed at 21. ‘It has taken over every single cell in my body and in my brain,’ she said.

Yolanda Foster – star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and mother to supermodels Gigi and Bella Hadid – announced her battle with Lyme Disease in 2012 and in 2015 admitted daughter Bella and son Anwar also have it.

Speaking about her struggle for diagnosis, Yolanda says: ‘I wasted the first year trying to get diagnosed and spent the next two trying to find a cure. I’ve now lost the ability to read, write or even watch TV, because I can’t process information.’

How do you get lyme disease and what treatment is available?

Stella says that ticks are found all over the world, including the UK, most commonly in gardens, woods and parks. ‘Cities also contain ticks – they’re not just a countryside problem. However, it’s important to remember that not all ticks carry Lyme Disease – we think it’s around a fifth – so the odds are in your favour if you do get bitten by one.’

Stella says that after spending time in woodland or sitting in long grass, you should always run your hands over any exposed areas of skin. If you find a poppy seed-sized tick, remove it as soon as possible with fine tweezers.

If lyme disease is diagnosed and treated early with antibiotics it’s usually curable. But Stella – and the celebrity sufferers – says there’s still a long way to go in terms of knowledge and awareness about the disease.

‘We still don’t have proper diagnostic testing, a vaccine or a cure for Lyme Disease,’ says Yolanda Foster who has since gone from antibiotics to ‘every holistic protocol there is to offer’ and regularly posts pictures of herself on Instagram trying out alterative therapies in a bid to treat and cure her disease.

‘The fact is a lot of research still needs to be done into the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Disease,’ says Stella.

The facts you need to know about lyme disease

For more information visit www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk.