All signs of Lyme disease as Justin Timberlake opens up about secret health battle

Justin Timberlake opened up yesterday (31 July) about his secret health battle with Lyme disease.

This came after the ‘Suit & Tie’ singer faced backlash for some of his performances during his ‘world tour'. And as that came to an end earlier this week, Timberlake took to Instagram to reveal he had been diagnosed with the disease.

While most people get better from it after antibiotic treatment, symptoms can go on for months or even, years.

Ongoing symptoms include tiredness, aches and loss of energy – explaining the way the 44-year-old says he had been feeling while on stage for the Forget Tomorrow world tour.

Some signs of Lyme disease can be relatively easy to spot and it’s usually easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early but again, it can cause problems for quite some time.

Timberlake decided against cancelling the world tour (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation)

What did Justin Timberlake say?

Taking to Instagram with a carousel of moments from the tour, he called it a ‘fun, emotional, gratifying, physically demanding, and, at times, gruelling’ experience.

“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,” Timberlake wrote.

“Among other things, I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme disease -— which I don’t say so you feel bad for me –– but to shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes.

“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.”

Timberlake said he was ‘shocked’ by the diagnosis, but it helped him to ‘understand’ why he would be experiencing a ‘massive amount of nerve pain’ or feeling ‘crazy fatigue or sickness’ onstage.

The ‘Mirrors’ singer said he faced the decision over whether to cancel the tour and decided to keep going, proving his ‘mental tenacity’ to himself.

Lyme disease can be contracted by being bit by an infected tick (Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images)

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection, which can be spread to humans by infected ticks.

The NHS says that not all ticks in England carry the bacteria that causes it, but it’s still important to be aware of the parasites and to safely remove them as soon as possible. While they may be found all over the UK, high-risk places include grassy and wooded areas in southern England and the Scottish Highlands.

GPs will prescribe a course of antibiotics if it’s suspected you might have Lyme disease and treatment is more effective if it’s started as soon as possible.

Bella and Yolanda Hadid, Riley Keough, Justin Bieber, Alec Baldwin and Ben Stiller are among the other stars who have opened up about their experiences with Lyme disease.

What are the signs?

In some people, an early sign of Lyme disease is a circular or oval shape rash around a tick bite. While it usually appears within one to four weeks, it could take up to three months to appear and can last for several weeks.

Not typically hot or itchy, the NHS explains it can have a darker or lighter area in the middle and may spread gradually. It could be flat or slightly raised, and look pink, red or purple on white skin or may look more like a bruise on brown and Black skin.

Some of those affected also get flu-like symptoms a few days or weeks after being bitten. This includes: a high temperature or feeling hot and shivery, headache, muscle and joint pain and tiredness and loss of energy.

More likely if treatment is delayed, some people with Lyme disease develop more severe symptoms in the months or years after.

These may include: pain and swelling in joints, nerve problems (like pain or numbness), heart problems and trouble with memory or concentration.