Black-legged ticks — also called deer ticks — can spread Lyme disease.Photo:Getty
Getty
Bella Hadidrecently shared that she’s“finally healthy”after dealing with Lyme disease for more than a decade.
The model, 26, posted a health update on Sunday, sharing that she is feeling better after “100+ days of Lyme, chronic disease, [co-infection] treatment [and] almost 15 years of invisible suffering.”
“The little me that suffered would be so proud of grown me for not giving up on myself🫶🏼,” Hadid began the Instagrampost, adding that she is grateful for momYolanda Hadid, who was also diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2012 along with the youngest Hadid sibling, Anwar.
“There are rough days when you sleep 12 hours, you wake up at 11 and you can’t get out of bed, with severe joint pain, brain fog, anxiety,”Yolanda previously told PEOPLE. “There are a lot of symptoms that you can’t see from the outside but bring you to your knees on the inside.”
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Symptoms can show up anywhere from 3 to 30 days after a tick bite, which presents as a small, itchy red bump, often resembling a mosquito bite.
The telltale “bullseye” rash that often signifies the bite of an infected tick.Getty
Lyme disease progresses in stages. In the early stages immediately after a bite, symptoms may include fever, tiredness, body aches, joint stiffness, and swollen lymph nodes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If Lyme goes untreated, however, the bacteria can spread throughout the body and the disease can progress to the next, more serious stage, which can show up anywhere from 3 weeks to 10 weeks after the initial tick bite.
If the bacteria spreads to the heart, it can cause a condition known as Lyme carditis, which impacts how the heart beats, according tothe CDC.While IV antibiotics are used to treat Lyme carditis, some patients require a temporary pacemaker.
Lyme carditis occurs in one out of every hundred cases, but a more common complication is Lyme arthritis, which occurs in 25% of those with the disease. Bacteria enters the joints, causing swelling, inflammation, and pain. Antibiotics are again the treatment, but Lyme arthritis that goes untreated may cause permanent damage to the joints,the CDC says.
Spray clothing and gear with0.5% permethrinif you’re going to be outdoors in an area where ticks are active, and use bug spray containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone, the CDC says.
Bug spray can help you stay safe when outdoors in areas ticks can be found.Getty
Examine yourself, pets, and children for ticks — focusing on the ears, underarms, belly buttons, and any other place where a tick could hide.
If you find a tick,the CDC cautionsthat you take care when removing it, as you want to avoid the head breaking off and remaining in the skin.
Other tick-bourne illnesses,like babesiosis, have seen an increase in cases due to climate change, creating warmer winters and longer summers. That means the population of ticks — including those that carry Lyme — has grown,NPR says, noting that they’re now active earlier in the spring, and stay active through the fall.
source: people.com
