A theory has emerged on why so many celebrities are being diagnosed with the same debilitating bacterial disease.
It comes as Justin Timberlake is the latest star to reveal that he’s suffering from the illness, with the hitmaker sharing a lengthy message to his fans on social media Thursday (31 July).
Before revealing the details of his health woes, wrote on Instagram: “As many of you know, I’m a pretty private person. But as I’m reflecting on the tour and festival tour – I want to tell you a little bit about what’s going on with me.”
Speaking of the illness, he continued: “If you’ve experienced this disease or know someone who has – then you’re aware: living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically. When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure.”
He added: “But, at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness. I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out. I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going.”
The singer admitted he was ‘reluctant’ to talk about his diagnosis because he was ‘always raised to keep something like this to yourself,’ but he wants to be transparent about his struggles in order to help others.
He quipped: “Sharing all of this with the hope that we can all find a way to be more connected. I’d like to do my part to help others experiencing this disease too.”
The illness in question is Lyme disease – which has hit a whole slew of celebrities over the past decade – including Kelly Osbourne, Justin Bieber, Shania Twain, Miranda Hart, and Alec Baldwin.
Approximately 476,000 people in the US are diagnosed and treated for the bacterial disease each year, according to the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention.
As per the UK Health Security Agency, the biggest Lyme disease indicator is a spreading ‘bullseye’ rash at the site of the tick bite, which typically develops 3 to 30 days after being bitten.
However, the rash does not occur in every single case and other flu-like symptoms includes fever, headache and fatigue, a facial droop, nerve pains and numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.
Lyme disease is usually easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early, but it some cases, if left untreated it can turn chronic and cause further issues down the line.
But as more cases of the illness are popping up among household names, people are questioning whether there’s a reason it’s so common among celebs?
Well, there have been a few theories on why, and while they don’t offer a direct explanation, they do somewhat make sense.
Firstly, there are a number of lifestyle factors that would put famous people more at risk of being bitten by infected ticks – when you have a lot of money and time, you’re more likely to splash out on countryside estates in places like the Hamptons and the Malibu canyons where ticks are more prevalent.
Those who aren’t short on cash are are also more likely to take on more expensive hobbies such as horse riding in woodland areas, which have higher tick populations.
Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases from the University of East Anglia, confirmed this to MailOnline.
The expert explained: “If there is a rich and famous or class bias in this, it’s probably because they spend more time walking around in wooded parkland, more money to go out to those areas, or have big homes with these sorts of places.”
Secondly, it’s no secret that celebrities have access to the best of the best when it comes to healthcare, meaning, they may get to the root of the issue quicker.
And finally, famous people may simply be more likely to speak about Lyme disease to raise awareness, rather than being more likely to get it.
A-listers will often speak out about what they’re going through online, whereas normal folk will not, creating the illusion that it’s more common for celebs.
Featured Image Credit: Kevin Mazur / Getty Images