What do Justin Bieber, Gigi Hadid, Avril Lavigne and Alec Baldwin all have in common?

No, they aren’t all starring in the next Marvel movie together (but how incredible would that be? Seriously though…)

Unfortunately they have something a little more somber that connects them: All have spoken out in recent years about their ongoing battles with Lyme disease.

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed each year in the United States. And now with so many high-profile people talking about their experiences with Lyme, questions and concerns about what exactly it is and how you contract it have been on the rise.

Our founding physician and Medical Director, Dr. Caesar Djavaherian, breaks it down for us.

“Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through tick bites. If you catch it early, it can be treated right away with antibiotics. If untreated, more serious symptoms like fatigue, body aches, joint pain and weakness can occur.”

What are the Symptoms?

Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes are all signs of Lyme disease, according to the CDC. Approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected people actually form an erythema migrans (EM) or “bulls-eye” rash, which clears as it enlarges, hence the name, so detection and diagnosis can get tricky.

Worried You Might Have Lyme Disease?

Early treatment and detection is easy, assures Dr. Djavaherian. “Just one dose of an antibiotic can help prevent the bacteria from multiplying in your body.”

However, he does stress that delaying treatment might lead to months-worth of antibiotics to kill Lyme and by then most people have other, sometimes devastating, symptoms.

If, however, you have any concerns you might have Lyme, reach out to your doctor or go to an urgent care facility, like Carbon Health, right away.

Carbon Health and Lyme Disease Prevention

Carbon Health has worked closely with the Bay Area Lyme Foundation for the past three years, supporting their Lyme Biobank study. Carbon clinicians collect blood samples from patients who have tick bites and use it to identify the prevalence of Lyme disease in the communities we serve.

Our Berkeley and Mountain View clinics have trained providers who specialize in this area. Patients with tick bites or symptoms can visit those clinics to potentially participate in the study to support further Lyme research.

Debunking Lyme Disease Myths

The Global Lyme Alliance is breaking down misconceptions about the disease. We highlighted some of the most common myths here. Read more on their website.

MYTH: You have to be near deer to be exposed to deer ticks.

Nope, they also love small mice, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, birds, deer, dogs and cats.

MYTH: Ticks fall from trees.

Nope, according to the Lyme Disease Alliance, they actually crawl up trees and more than likely fell off onto your shoes and climbed up your leg. Tuck your pants into your socks to help avoid this.

MYTH: Hiking and camping are the only times you can catch a tick-borne disease.

Nope, you could be at risk any time you’re outside, be it gardening, mountain biking, camping or hiking. Use bug repellent to help minimize your chances.

MYTH: Lyme is only found on the East Coast.

Nope, the reality is that ticks carrying Lyme disease have spread throughout most of the United States and are prevalent as far west as California.

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