Towie’s Demi Sims rushed to hospital after falling ill with serious disease
TOWIE star Demi Sims has revealed she's been diagnosed with a serious disease after an emergency hospital visit.
The reality star contracted Lyme disease in America before falling ill back in the UK.
The condition is a bacterial infection which is spread by infected ticks, usually found in areas of overgrown vegetation.
Demi told fans she's been prescribed a three-week course of antibiotics and is relieved medics diagnosed her before the disease became more serious and had life-changing implications.
When a follower asked why she wasn't in Los Angeles, where she is now based, Demi replied: "I caught Lyme disease in America and I didn't know what it was until it made me very ill in the UK. Luckily I went to hospital and got treated for it before it got dangerous.
"I've got three weeks on antibiotics to get rid of it then I'm going back!"
She then reminded fans the likes of Justin Bieber and Bella Hadid suffer from a more serious version of the condition that affects their nervous system.
Demi, who has only just rekindled her relationship with Megan Barton-Hanson, signed off by reassuring fans she wasn't contagious and was already feeling better.
Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics and you should visit the doctor immediately if you develop any of the symptoms described after being bitten by a tick.
Most people require a two to four week prescription depending on how developed the condition is.
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For particularly severe cases, patients are referred to a specialist for antibiotic injections.
There is currently no vaccination to prevent Lyme disease.
How to spot you have Lyme disease
Most people develop a distinctive red rash the shape of a circle with a ring around it between three and 30 days after they were bitten.
The rash can vary in size significantly and can expand over the course of days or weeks.
Typically, this blemish grows to around 15cm in diameter.
The 8 main symptoms are:
- A rash
- Tiredness
- Muscle pain
- Headaches
- High temperature
- Joint pain
- Chills
- Neck stiffness
If left untreated, Lyme disease sufferers can develop much more serious symptoms including:
- Serious joint pain
- Nervous system pain which can lead to paralysis of facial muscles, memory problems and difficulties concentrating
- Heart problems, such as inflammation of the heart muscle
- Inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord as with meningitis.