It took medics 33 years to discover comedian Miranda Hart had been battling with the bacteria infection Lyme disease.
Initially the 51-year-old was mislabeled as being agoraphobic — an anxiety disorder characterised by symptoms of anxiety in situations.
She also recalls running out a doctor’s appointment in floods of tears after they told her she was ‘TATT’ — ‘Tired All The Time’ and said: ‘I just don’t know what to do with you’.
The comic officially received the diagnosis lockdown and believes she contracted Lyme Disease when she was 14 after battling nasty flu-like symptoms in Virginia.
In her new memoir, I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You, which is set to be released on October 10, she describes suffering from chronic stress with viral infections and injuries being her primary stressor and ‘years of fear from misdiagnosis’.
Miranda Hart has given a rare insight into her three decade mystery health battle and the moment she received her official diagnosis – she has Lyme Disease
The comic officially received the diagnosis in lockdown and believes she contracted Lyme Disease when she 14 after battling nasty flu like symptoms in Virginia
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by ticks and can cause general flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, headache, swollen joints and a fever, which can last for a few weeks, but for reasons not yet understood, some patients suffer for years.
In her memoir the comic writes that she struggled to deal with the ‘unnerving neurological symptoms’ she first experienced when she was 14.
She explained that it got ‘considerably worse’ when she headed into her forties along with increasing fatigue and cell depletion.
Recalling when she received her diagnosis she writes: ‘I got off that Zoom call, pulled my laptop shut and sat there, still and aghast. So many emotions, I was shocked, but I also immediately felt a deep well of sadness and disappointment – for over three decades I’d KNOWN there was something wrong. I recalled all the times I’d told different doctors, “I feel toxic and poisoned, or, It’s like I have flu every day but I don’t have a temperature.”
‘(It’s amazing how the body can sometimes literally tell us what’s going on.) I felt anger rising at the times l’d been told I must have agoraphobia.
‘I would try and treat it as such, when, as it turned out, it was the lack of energy and the extreme light and sound sensitivity that made my body crash when going out to be in any kind of activity or stimulating environment.’
Since the UK’s first confirmed case in 1985, the recorded incidence of Lyme disease has steadily been increasing
Getting rid of a tick from your own skin is crucial to avoid the risk of infection, or contracting other diseases including Lyme disease. The NHS has a four-step routine to help safely spot and remove ticks
Since the UK’s first confirmed case in 1985, the recorded incidence of Lyme disease has steadily been increasing.
The bacteria was detected among more than 1,000 people across the country in 2022.
But, in addition to these laboratory-confirmed cases, there is an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 additional cases of the bacterial infection each year.
As a result, charity Lyme Disease UK says that 3,000 to 4,000 people in England and Wales are affected annually.
However, it warns that this could still be a gross underestimate due to lack of awareness about the condition and misdiagnosis.
In fact, a research paper, published in the journal BMJ Open in 2019, suggested that the figure is possible three time higher than official stats.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
A rash
A rash is one of the most obvious signs of Lyme disease to look out for.
The erythema migrans (EM) rash, often referred to as a bull’s-eye rash due to its red circular rings, should be treated straight away, says the charity Lyme Disease UK.
However, the rash doesn’t always present in the same way, especially on darker skin, and a third of people do not develop a rash at all.
It can also not take on a ring shape and instead have a solid or bruise-like appearance.
The behaviour of any rash after a tick bite is the most important thing to be aware of, warns Lyme Disease UK.
The erythema migrans (EM) rash, often referred to as a bull’s-eye rash due to its red circular rings, should be treated straight away, says the charity Lyme Disease UK
An EM rash takes at least three days, and in some cases up to three months, to appear.
It generally isn’t itchy, painful, or hot, and gradually spreads outwards.
However, if you have redness or itchiness immediately after a tick bite is usually a histamine reaction.
Flu-like symptoms
Not everyone develops a rash.
Some people experience flu-like symptoms.
Often likened to a ‘summer flu’, Lyme Disease UK says some people can get headaches, a stiff neck, muscle pain and fatigue.
Some small children may also have behavioural changes as they are unable to articulate how they are feeling, the charity adds.
If Lyme disease is left untreated or if it is not treated early on, weeks, months or even years later more serious symptoms can develop.
Pain and swelling in the joints, known as inflammatory arthritis, is one of the more serious symptoms that can follow Lyme disease, according to the government website.
Muscle and joint pain can also be felt just weeks or days after getting tick bite, the NHS says.
Facial paralysis
More serious symptoms can develop if Lyme disease is left untreated.
Drooping on one side of the face or a weakness of your facial muscles is another indication of an infection.
That’s because the bacteria that causes Lyme disease can also damage the nervous system, including the facial nerve.
Weakness or a paralysis of the facial muscles can be seen in someone infected by Lyme disease and it usually affects on side of the face, according to the charity Facial Palsy UK.
This symptom is especially common in children, says Lyme Disease UK.
Some people can also experience shooting nerve pains.
This pain can feel sharp or prickly and follow the course of the nerve, according to the government website.
Memory problems
Being forgetful and struggling to concentrate are also later symptoms of the disease.
The bacteria that causes Lyme disease can not only cause numbness and nerve pain, but also memory problems and difficulty concentrating, according to the government website.
If the disease is treated early on it is less likely you will suffer with memory problems.
Eye problems
Blurry vision could be a sign of Lyme disease.
The Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria that causes Lyme disease can also change your vision, according to the charity Guide Dogs UK.
People can experience floaters and inflammation typically in the late stages of the disease.
In the early stages Lyme disease it can cause conjunctivitis making your eyes bloodshot, irritated and swollen
However. this vision change can be temporary and can improve or resolve with treatment of the disease.
In the early stages the disease can cause conjunctivitis making your eyes bloodshot, irritated and swollen.
Due to the neurological effects of the infection, it can cause twitching anywhere on the body including the eyes.
The charity also highlights a more rare eye symptom, known as optic neuritis.
This is where the optic nerve becomes inflamed, which can lead to severe eye pain and vision loss, but experts say it is unclear how Lyme disease directly causes this to happen.
