Justin Bieber admitted in an Instagram post that he is suffering from Lyme disease. The pop star wrote that he had a rough couple of years but he is getting the right treatment that will help treat the incurable disease and that he promised his fans that he will be back as soon as he is done with his treatments.
Bieber also wrote that while a lot of people kept saying that he looks like he is on meth or other hard drugs, people failed to realize that he had been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but he also had a serious case of chronic mono which affected his brain function, his skin, his energy, and his overall health.
The Grammy-winning singer stated that he will be discussing battling the infection on his upcoming YouTube documentary series titled Justin Bieber: Season, which is debut on January 27, 2020. The show will have 10 episodes and it will follow Bieber as he creates his new album and highlight his private life. He added that the public can learn all that he has been battling with and overcoming.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease develops because of a bacteria called borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria are transmitted to humans through a bite from an infected deer or black-legged tick. The symptoms can happen anywhere from 3 to 30 days after the bite and it can be wide-ranging, depending on the stage of the infection. In some cases, the symptoms can even appear months after the bite.
The chances of you getting Lyme disease from a tick bite depend on the kind of tick, where you were when the bite happened and how long the tick was attached to you. Black-legged ticks must be attached to you for 36 to 48 hours in order to transfer Lyme disease. If you remove the ticks within 48 hours, you are not likely to get infected, according to the Cleveland Clinic infectious disease specialist Alan Taege, MD.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
The early signs and symptoms of Lyme disease include chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes, which are all common in the flu. In up to 80% of Lyme infections, a rash is one of the early symptoms.
Without proper treatment, the symptoms could get worse. They might include rashes on other areas of the body, severe headache or neck stiffness, loss of muscle tone or drooping on one or both sides of your face, arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, heart palpitation or an irregular heartbeat and numbness, shooting pains or tingling in the hands or feet.
Effects on your health
Lyme disease can cause restless sleep, fatigue, pain, aching muscles or joints, speech problems, pain or swelling in the shoulders, knees, elbows and other large joints, decreased short-term memory or ability to concentrate.
Treatments for Lyme disease
Antibiotics are used to treat Lyme disease. Recovery from the disease will be a lot quicker and more complete the sooner your treatment begins. Oral antibiotics can be given by your doctor. These are the standard treatment for people diagnosed with early-stage Lyme disease.
These antibiotics include doxycycline, which is meant for adults and children who are older than 8. Amoxicillin or cefuroxime are also given for adults, younger children, and women who are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Doctors usually recommend a 14 to 21-day course of antibiotics. However, some studies suggest that courses lasting 10 to 14 days are effective too.
Your doctor may also recommend you taking intravenous antibiotics. If the disease involves your central nervous system, they may recommend you 14 to 28 days of intravenous antibiotics. This is effective in removing infection, even though it may take you some time to fully recover from your symptoms.
There are side effects of using intravenous antibiotics, such as lower white blood cell count, colonization or infection with other antibiotics and mild to severe diarrhea.
After treatment, there is a small number of people who will still have symptoms, like fatigue and muscle aches. The cause of these continuing symptoms, also known as post-Lyme disease syndrome, is not known, and treating with more antibiotics really does not help much.
Experts believe that certain people who get Lyme disease are predisposed to have an autoimmune response that contributes to their symptoms. More study is needed.
