A mother has told how she has been left bedbound after being infected with Lyme disease eight years ago.
Kirstie Haysman, 34, was bitten by an insect almost a decade ago and now said she is left struggling daily after doctors failed to spot the symptoms and diagnose her. She started having symptoms in 2015 and said doctors initially thought she was struggling with an autoimmune condition.
Unhappy with the diagnosis, Kirstie went to Mexico for blood tests where she was told she had Lyme disease.
Kirstie told WalesOnline: “[If the infection had been diagnosed] it could have cleared up in 28 days with antibiotics – now my body is shutting down and my husband has to pick me up to use the toilet and have a bath. I was doing high intensity training before, I was very fit and it’s now at the point where when I wake up my entire body is weak and hurts everywhere.
“I pray it gets better so I can walk around – I’ve been outside twice in the last six weeks, other than that my life is in bed. This all could have been avoided if they’d done a simple Lyme test.”
Kirstie is now encouraging people with mystery symptoms like tiredness, ongoing fatigue, aches and pains and disfigured joints, to push for a Lyme disease test.
She organised to travel to Mexico for blood tests specifically for Lyme disease in February after searching online when a friend mentioned it could be Lyme disease.
Kirstie said: “It wasn’t until this year that I met someone who said, ‘Do you think you’ve got Lyme disease?’
“I’d been taking steroids, living on painkillers and had tried every low inflammation diet you can think of. I just assumed I had an autoimmune disease like lupus – Lyme is called ‘the great imitator’ because it imitates these autoimmune conditions.”
Now she is on three different antibiotics on a 12-month course and said she is also using herbal remedies to try to combat the illness.
A study into the disease by the British Medical Journal Global Health has found that there were 1,156 laboratory-confirmed cases in the UK in 2021, and that figure is set to rise each year. It said more than 14 per cent of the world’s population may have had Lyme disease.
With the symptoms of the disease believed to affect some of those infected for years, it is crucial to know what to do if you are bitten – as well as how to protect yourself and avoid bites from the ticks.
Here’s what you need to know about the disease, as well as how to keep yourself safe this summer.
What is Lyme disease and how can you catch it?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is spread by infected ticks that thrive in humid and warm temperatures.
Not all ticks in the UK carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, but it’s important to remove it as soon as possible and get your bite checked. The NHS says it is often easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early.
The ticks tend to live in shady and moist areas, and are often found clinging to tall grass or low shrubs in woods, parks and gardens.
If you’ve been bitten by a tick infected with the disease, you may notice a circular or oval-shaped rash.
Unfortunately, the rash can appear up to three months after a person is bitten, which makes early checking and treatment tricky. However, it can appear within one to four weeks.
The NHS website states: “The rash can have a darker or lighter area in the centre and might gradually spread. It's not usually hot or itchy.
“The rash may be flat, or slightly raised, and look pink, red, or purple when it appears on white skin. It can be harder to see the rash on brown and black skin and it may look like a bruise.”
You may start feeling flu-like symptoms including:
- Tiredness and a loss of energy
- High temperatures or shivers
- Headaches
- Muscle and joint pain
And, while treatment merely involves a course of antibiotics, this may need to be taken for up to 28 days and it does not eradicate the chances of long-term symptoms continuing.
The NHS website explains: “Most people with Lyme disease get better after antibiotic treatment. This can take months for some people, but the symptoms should improve over time.”
It warns there can be symptoms that can last for years, including tiredness, aches and a loss of energy.
Why are Lyme disease cases rising?
Lyme disease cases are on the rise due to global warming as the ticks thrive in warm and humid temperatures.
The study stated: “[Lyme disease] is the most prominent tick-borne disease, and tick populations (carriers of microbial pathogens second only to mosquitoes) have expanded globally and geographically in recent years, thereby greatly increasing the risk of human exposure to ticks.
“This may be related to ecological changes and anthropogenic factors, such as longer summers and warmer winters.”
Lyme Disease Action charity chairman Stella Huyshe-Shires told the Telegraph: “Ticks like to come out when the weather’s humid and warm and as the summers are getting hotter and winters are getting slightly warmer, they’re active for longer and putting more people at risk.”
People spending more time in green spaces has also been attributed as a potential reason as to why cases are rising.
How to protect yourself from Lyme disease and avoid getting bitten
There are several ways that you can avoid getting bitten by ticks when outdoors.
Ensure you cover your skin when you’re walking outside, particularly through shady and moist areas in woods or forests, by tucking your trousers into your socks – as they live low to the ground.
You should also cover your clothes and skin in insect repellant sprays or ointments, with the NHS advising you to use products with DEET in them. DEET is scientifically known as diethyltoluamide and is a key ingredient in insect repellants.
Try to stay on clear paths when possible, too, rather than straying to other routes with high grass.
The NHS also recommends wearing light-coloured clothing so that you can see when a tick has become attached to it.
If you do spot a tick on you, there are four steps to removing it safely.
The NHS guide suggests:
- Using fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool. You can buy these from some pharmacies, vets and pet shops.
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
- Slowly pull upwards, taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you have removed it.
- Clean the bite with antiseptic or soap and water.
Unless you spot a rash or become unwell, you do not need to do anything after removing the tick.
