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Bella Hadid, world famous model, is affected by Lyme disease. A long fight against the disease that she has often made public. Today, she announces that she is “doing well”. What is Lyme disease and how to prevent it? Doctissimo takes stock.
Affected by Lyme disease in 2012, Bella Hadid regularly discusses her state of health with her fans, through her social networks. On Sunday August 6, she spoke again to give her news, on her Instagram account.
A strong message that sums up his fight against Lyme disease
In a post, Bella Hadid shares several pictures, where we can see her in the hospital, on a drip. It also shows various medical reports. In legend, she looks back on her journey and her long days of treatment to cure her illness, contracted following a tick bite infected with the bacteria. Borrelia burgdorferi.
“The hurting little me would be so proud of the person I’ve become, for not giving up. I am grateful to my mother for keeping all my medical records, for staying by my side, for never leaving me, for protecting me, supporting me, but above all for believing in me through everything. that”.
The model recognizes that it was a test for her. “Living in this condition, which gets worse with time and work, while trying to make my family and the people who support me proud, has weighed on me in ways I can’t quite explain. Being sad and sick while having all these blessings/privileges/opportunities/love around me just might have been the most disconcerting thing ever.”. The international star concludes her message by acknowledging that she is “doing well”, promising to return when “she is ready”.
What is Lyme disease?
Caused by a tick bite infected with bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection.
Symptoms of Lyme disease vary over time but generally include:
- Erythema migrans, which is a painless red spot centered on the bite site that gradually spreads. It is present in 95% of cases and can appear between 3 and 30 days after the bite;
- Disseminated dermatological, articular, cardiac, ophthalmological and neurological symptoms which may appear a few weeks to several months after the bite.
The disease can also take polymorphic, diffuse and unexplained clinical forms which can result in headaches, cognitive disorders, disabling muscle pain and various other symptoms. In some cases, a course of antibiotics can be proposed to reduce the outbreak.
To avoid bites, which can transmit to humans, if the tick is infected with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, several recommendations should be implemented:
- Cover your arms and legs with long clothes when you are in the countryside, especially during walks;
- Avoid tall grass;
- Use insect repellent;
- Limit time spent in areas where ticks live, i.e. tall grass, wet undergrowth, grasslands, meadows and fields;
- After your exit, once at home, check that no ticks have clung to you, in particular under the armpits and other folds of the skin, on the scalp or in the navel, in order to withdraw as soon as possible.
If you spot a tick, be sure to remove it properly. Above all, no ether or product before removing it, this would promote regurgitation of the tick and therefore the risk of infection. All our advice for proceeding well on “Tick bite: recognizing and removing a tick”.