The Only Way is Essex star Billie Shepherd has become the latest celebrity to share that the have been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
Shepherd, 35, said she’s gone through a “really tough” battle with the condition, most commonly spread to humans through infected ticks, that left her feeling “so unwell” with chronic fatigue and debilitating pain.
The reality star, who was diagnosed earlier this year, said she was forced to rely on her husband Greg for help with even simple tasks because she “couldn’t even get out of bed” and would “crawl” to the toilet.
“I was in bits. I was hysterically crying, because I was in so much pain,” she told The Mirror. “It was hard for me to sit on the toilet without Greg helping me. It was so scary.”
Shepherd, who shares three children – Nelly, 11, Arthur, eight, and Margot, two – with her husband, explained that it took doctors two “frustrating” months and numerous fruitless blood tests to get a diagnosis.
The TOWIE star said healthcare professionals now believe she’d been bitten by an infected tick as long as three years ago but the infection had remained dormant in her system until recently.
Lyme disease, when recognised, is usually treated with a course of antibiotics prescribed by a GP, however these only exacerbated Shepherd’s symptoms.
“It was only after [my sister] Sam introduced me to a holistic doctor and I started taking natural medicines that I started to notice a difference and things slowly began to turn around,” she said.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks and is usually easier to treat if it is diagnosed early, according to the NHS.
Many people with early symptoms develop a circular red skin rash around a tick bite, while others have flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, headaches, muscle and joint pain, and tiredness.
The majority of those infected will make a full recovery within a few months. However, infection does not lead to life-long immunity and sufferers can be re-infected and develop the disease again.
Musicians Justin Timberlake, Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne and Justin Bieber are all among high profile sufferers, as well as actor Alec Baldwin, comedian Miranda Hart, and supermodel Bella Hadid.
The NHS states that symptoms of Lyme disease can develop in anyone, anywhere. However, researchers from the University of Liverpool recently found that older women living in more affluent rural areas in the UK are among the most at risk of contracting the condition.
It’s recommended to cover your skin and tuck your trousers into your socks when walking in wooded and grassy areas to prevent bites. Insect repellant can also be helpful in detracting ticks, while wearing light-coloured clothing can make them easier to spot and brush off.
