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Monday, January 13, 2020

What it's really like to have Lyme disease, an illness that's difficult to diagnose and can take years to recover from

[Kiara Keane]Kiara Keane/Insider * Justin Bieber shared a TMZ article on his Instagram page last week announcing that he has been suffering from Lyme disease, and had been trolled by fans over his appearance. * Lyme disease is spread by infected ticks, and has a huge range of symptoms including fever, mood changes, joint and nerve pain, and severe fatigue. It can also lead to facial paralysis and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). * The bacterial infection is difficult to diagnose due to the wide range of symptoms and the actual likelihood of spotting a tick bite being relatively low, according to The Guardian. * I was diagnosed with Lyme disease after getting bitten by a tick in St James's Park, next to Buckingham Palace in London. I suffered from symptoms including short-term memory loss, joint pain, and severe fatigue. * I was treated with a two-week course of antibiotics, but it took around 18 months for my symptoms to completely subside. * Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.  It was the final day of what should have been a relaxing family vacation in Greece, back in August 2017, but I woke up feeling like I'd barely slept and had been hit by a bus.  This exhausted feeling had been nagging me for weeks, but as the five-day trip went on, I could barely get through a conversation without forgetting what my family and I were talking about. My joints ached constantly, and sleeping 14 hours a night barely felt like it was enough. What's more, a bullseye-patterned rash had appeared on my inner left thigh that morning, and I was worried it was some kind of skin infection.SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AT BUSINESS INSIDERNOW WATCH: 9 items to avoid buying at Costco SEE ALSO: * Justin Bieber says he has Lyme disease and chronic mono affecting his 'skin, brain function, energy, and overall health' * Yes, swelling is normal after a C-section * Men are paying $76,000 for a limb-extending surgery that involves breaking leg bones and inserting nails and screws


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