Justin Timberlake reveals he has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, and he is “fighting health issues” on his “forgetful Tomorrow” world tour.
In a lengthy Instagram post Thursday, the 44-year-old singer revealed how tick-borne infections have affected his life, experiencing “a ton of neuralgia” and “mad fatigue or illness” during his recent live performance.
“If you know someone who has or experiences this disease, you know. Living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically,” he writes. “When I first got the diagnosis, I was certainly shocked, but at least I could understand why I was on stage and had a lot of neuralgia or just feeling crazy fatigue or illness.”
He continued, “I faced a personal decision. Stop the tour, or keep track of it and keep on understanding it. I decided to give my body a joy that far outweighed the fleeting stress my body felt. Be more transparent about my struggle so that they don’t get misunderstood.”
The 10-time Grammy Award winner wrote that by sharing his struggle with Lyme, he hopes that “it will be able to play my part in helping others who are experiencing the disease.”
Timberlake’s announcement comes amid recent concerns from fans about his performance at several stops on the European foot of his “Forget Tomorrow” tour. Videos circulating online from his shows in Transylvania, Romania and Dublin, Ireland, show that earlier this month he appears to struggle with dancing and singing in some of his most popular songs. The world tour concluded with his final show in Istanbul, Turkey on Wednesday.
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Named after the coastal Connecticut town, first identified in the mid-70s, Lyme disease is usually caused by the bacterium Borrelia Burgdorferi, which lives in white-footed mice, chipmanc and birds. The disease is transmitted to deer and humans through the bites of infected mites.
Lyme can cause fever, skin rash, fatigue, joint pain like arthritis, and in some cases nervous system complications and brain fog.
An estimated 300,000 people in the United States are infected with Lyme disease every year. Here are some useful tips that can help your family prevent mites from biting, which can reduce the risk of Lyme disease.
An estimated 476,000 Americans are diagnosed annually, but only a few have been officially reported. Timberlake joins many public celebrities about his fight with Lyme, including Avril Lavigne, Justin Bieber and Bella Hadid.
The CDC urges people to avoid areas with tall grass and leaf trash, walk in the middle of the trail when hiking, use EPA registered insect repellents, and wear long clothes to protect themselves from mites biting. Come indoors and take a shower immediately, wash away, and easily spot raw mites before chewing. The agency said a full body check should be performed using a handheld or full-length mirror to display all parts of the body when returning from the outdoors.
Bella Hadid reveals about her long-standing health struggles. The supermodel, who was recently treated for Lyme disease, shared an emotional update in her health battle.
