Music superstar Justin Timberlake has been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
The singer-songwriter and actor shared the diagnosis with his fans in an Instagram post Thursday that reflected on the conclusion of his two-year Forget Tomorrow World Tour.
“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.
The singer, who shares two sons with wife Jessica Biel, wrote that he hesitated to share his diagnosis but decided to do so in hopes of being more transparent with his fans.
“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 wrote. “When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure. But, at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness. I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? Or, keep going and figure it out. I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going.”
Lyme disease is a tick-borne infectious disease that, if left untreated, can affect the joints, heart and nervous system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most cases of Lyme disease can be effectively treated with a 10- to 14-day course of antibiotics. However, in some cases, prolonged symptoms may persist after treatment, including fatigue, body aches, and difficulty with concentration or memory. This condition is sometimes referred to as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, or PTLDS.
Timberlake, 44, did not share further details of his diagnosis or treatment.
The former *NSYNC member launched his Forget Tomorrow World Tour in April and performed his final show on Wednesday in Turkey.
In February, Timberlake canceled his final U.S. show of the tour just hours before he was set to take the stage in Columbus, Ohio, telling fans on social media that he was battling the flu.
More recently, Timberlake faced criticisms from fans on the European leg of his tour, who accused him of singing too few of his songs live during his performance, and instead calling on the crowd to sing the lyrics.
In revealing his Lyme disease diagnosis publicly, Timberlake wrote on social media that he was glad he continued his tour, despite the health struggles he faced.
“Not only did I prove my mental tenacity to myself but, I now have so many special moments with all of you that I will never forget,” he wrote. “I was reluctant to talk about this because I was always raised to keep something like this to yourself. But I am trying to be more transparent about my struggles so that they aren’t misinterpreted.”
What to know about Lyme disease
Timberlake is not alone in battling Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S., according to the CDC.
Other celebrities who have spoken publicly about their struggles with the disease include comedian Amy Schumer, singers Shania Twain and Justin Bieber and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
The illness, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to humans via tick bites and is more likely to be contracted in the late spring, summer and fall. In most cases, the tick must be attached to the skin for at least 24 hours before the bacterium can be transmitted.
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Symptoms appear as soon as three days after the tick bite, and include fever, headache and fatigue.
Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics over the course of 10 to 14 days. If left untreated, a wide range of symptoms may develop depending on the stage of infection including fever, rash, facial paralysis, an irregular heartbeat and arthritis.
Lyme disease is most commonly found in the Northeast and upper Midwest.
The CDC recommends preventive measures such as treating your clothes and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. They also recommend always doing a “tick check” after being outside and wearing insect repellent with Deet.
Ticks can also come into the home through clothing and pets, so the CDC recommends checking pets for ticks and tumble drying clothes on high heat for 10 minutes after coming indoors to kill ticks.
If you are ever in a situation where you are bitten by a tick, the CDC recommends tugging gently but firmly near the head of the tick until it is pulled away from the skin.
People who are outdoors in areas that may have ticks should also conduct a full body check when they return, including checking under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, in and around the hair, between the legs and around the waist, the CDC says.
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