Justin Timberlake recently announced on social media that he was diagnosed with Lyme disease. The singer and actor, who is currently on his two-year “Forget Tomorrow” world tour, shared that the diagnosis helped him understand the “relentlessly debilitating” nerve pain, fatigue, and sickness he’d been experiencing.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lyme disease impacts nearly half a million people in the United States each year. Timberlake’s post, which received hundreds of thousands of likes and comments, has brought renewed attention to this common tick-borne illness.
Understanding Lyme Disease
What Is It? Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S. It’s caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans through tick bites, particularly in late spring, summer, and fall. The risk of contracting the disease is significantly reduced if a tick is removed within 24 hours of it attaching to the skin.
Where Is It Found? The disease is most prevalent in the Northeast and upper Midwest. States with a high number of cases include Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
What Are the Symptoms? Symptoms can appear as soon as three days after a tick bite and can progress in stages.
- Early Symptoms: These include fever, headache, and fatigue. A distinctive bull’s-eye rash, though not always present, can also appear. The rash may also simply be an expanding red area.
- Later Symptoms: Weeks or even months after the initial infection, people may experience a second stage of symptoms, such as cardiac inflammation, heart rhythm issues, neurological problems, and meningitis.
- Advanced Symptoms: Months to years after the initial bite, Lyme disease can lead to arthritis in large joints (like the knee) and nervous system changes.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Lyme disease is diagnosed using FDA-approved antibody tests. The good news is that most cases can be effectively treated with a course of antibiotics that lasts 10 to 14 days. However, if left untreated, the infection can lead to a wide range of severe and long-term health issues.
Prevention Tips
The CDC recommends several preventive measures to avoid tick bites:
- Use Repellent: Apply insect repellent with DEET to your skin.
- Treat Gear: Treat your clothes and outdoor gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin.
- Do a “Tick Check”: After being outdoors, perform a full-body check. Remember to look under your arms, in and around your ears, inside your belly button, behind your knees, in your hair, and around your waist and between your legs.
- Protect Pets and Home: Check pets for ticks and tumble dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes after coming indoors to kill any ticks that might have latched on.
- Proper Removal: If you find a tick, tug gently but firmly near the tick’s head until it detaches from the skin.
