With the news of Justin Timberlake‘s Lyme disease diagnosis, many are wondering why it seems that so many celebrities have the illness. Over the years, fans learned that some of Hollywood’s biggest names were living with the medical condition, such as Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne, Kelly Osbourne and more.
Conspiracy theories about show business have formed and mutated over the years, with the most notorious being the “celebrities die in 3s” rumor. So, why is Lyme disease such a common diagnosis?
Below, News47.us explains everything you need to know about Lyme disease and which celebrities were diagnosed with it.
It seems that a large portion of Hollywood has revealed Lyme disease diagnoses, and that’s because the illness is common in the United States. More than 400,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The most commonly reported symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue, facial paralysis, an irregular heartbeat, arthritis and a skin rash called erythema migrans, according to the CDC.
Yes, but only in rare cases. According to the Cleveland Clinic, Lyme disease has resulted in few deaths, and there are treatments for the illness. However, if it’s left untreated, symptoms may linger for years.
