The Canadian pop sensation, Justin Bieber, explained to the public that people who have said he looked like he was on drugs "failed to realize I've been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease." Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that can cause joint pain, rashes, fever, chills, fatigue, depression, and neurological problems and is often misunderstood. He has been battling this illness for over a year but is overcoming with treatments. While some 30,000 cases of Lyme disease get reported annually, the CDC in the USA suggests the actual number of diagnosed cases may be 10 times that amount as many never identify it and get it diagnosed.
According to the Mayo Clinics, Lyme disease is caused by four main bacteria species: Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii (United States), Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii (Europe and Asia). Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in these regions which is transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick, commonly known as the “deer tick”.
One is more likely to get exposed to Lyme disease in grassy and heavily wooded areas where ticks carrying Lyme disease thrive. It is important to take common-sense precautions in tick-infested areas by:
- Using an insect repellent such as permethrin on your body and clothes.
- Staying in the middle of the trail instead of going through high grass or heavily wooded areas.
- Wearing closed shoes or boots, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants.
- Wearing light-colored clothing to help you see ticks more easily with contrast.
- Showering and washing hair right after being outside to remove ticks before they attach.
The symptoms of Lyme disease vary with stages, which can overlap. Initially, a small, red bump appears at the site of a tick bite or tick removal and resolves over a few days. This normal occurrence does not necessarily indicate Lyme disease. However, the following symptoms can occur within a month after if you have been infected: