Ashley Olsen – The actor and fashion designer's Lyme disease diagnosis was made public in 2015, several years after Olsen was bitten by multiple ticks. Although she has not spoken publicly about her diagnosis, in 2015 a source told In Touch, “Her symptoms have gotten worse.
According to the source, the former child star has been suffering in silence with Lyme disease, after she was bit by a parasite several years ago. 'She's really sick.
Humans usually get Lyme disease from the bite of a tick carrying the bacteria. Ticks that can carry borrelia bacteria live throughout most of the United States. But Lyme disease is most common in the upper Midwest and the northeastern and mid-Atlantic states.
Most of the people who get Lyme disease and receive treatment early will be fine. Treatment can cure Lyme disease but you might still have some long-term effects. Untreated Lyme disease may contribute to other serious problems but it's rarely fatal.
Flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, and a rash that looks like a bull's-eye or is round and red and at least 2 inches long. This stage typically starts 3-30 days after a tick bite.
How long can you live with Lyme disease without knowing?
One of the only reliable ways to know whether or not you have Lyme disease is through a lab test. This means that if symptoms go unnoticed, it is possible to live with the disease for weeks, months, or even years and not realize it.
Late Lyme disease usually develops 6-36 months after a person first receives the causal infectious tick bite. The symptoms of late Lyme disease differ from the earlier stages.
“Lyme disease is the hardest diagnosis I treat as each patient responds so differently to therapy, it is hard to know where to start with each one, what will work, what will make them worse, etc. Some just never seem to get better no matter what I do. It is gratifying to see others improve.”
States with the fewest ticks carrying these diseases are Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. They do, however, have tick species that carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and tick paralysis, among others.
Over the past 20 years, cases of Lyme disease have multiplied and spread , with experts citing climate change (which can make cold areas more hospitable to the tick's lifecycle) and the increasing encroachment of human development adjacent to forested animal habitats.
The illness has taken a physical toll on Ashley - the twin sister of Mary-Kate Olsen and older sibling of Avengers: Age of Ultron star Elizabeth Olsen - in recent months and has affected her ability to work. The source added: "When she does come to work, she looks haggard and dishevelled. And she's often moody.
Many celebrities have spoken out about their Lyme disease diagnoses over the years, and because the disease is easy to misdiagnose, many had to fight to be believed. According to the Mayo Clinic, Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks and caused by four species of bacteria in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Even untreated, most people with the infection will cure it on their own and never develop complications. Untreated, complications that can occur later may include: Joint infection, usually involving a single large joint such as the knee. Nervous system disease, including meningitis and encephalitis.
The so-called controversy of Lyme disease is simple. On one hand, there is a sea of ignorance within the medical profession, and an ongoing denial by doctors that this tick-borne zoonosis exists. On the other hand, there is a concentration camp full of patients who can't get prompt diagnosis and treatment.
What's the worst that can happen with Lyme disease?
Untreated cases can progress to serious, even fatal health conditions, from arthritis and nerve pain to cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) or Lyme neuroborreliosis (inflammation of the brain and spine).
What happens if you never get treated for Lyme disease?
Without treatment, the disease can spread through the blood or lymph to different organs of the body. This stage develops weeks to months after the tick bite. Symptoms includes: Rashes in different parts of the body.
How soon after a tick bite do you need antibiotics?
Most cases of Lyme disease can be prevented or cured with prompt antibiotic treatment. If a preventive antibiotic is needed, a single dose of doxycycline will suffice but only if given in the first 72 hours after the tick has attached. To treat active disease, antibiotics are usually given for 2 to 4 weeks.
Furthermore, Lyme disease can also affect gum health, leading to gum problems such as inflammation and periodontal disease. This can impact oral health by causing gum recession, tooth sensitivity, and even tooth loss if left untreated.
Can Lyme disease stay with you forever? Although many patients will improve with appropriate treatment, others will experience ongoing Lyme disease symptoms that may stay with them forever. A growing number of case studies continue to document patients with chronic illnesses associated with Lyme disease.
