Danielle Jonas, wife of Kevin Jonas, opened up about her Lyme disease diagnosis in an interview with Parents, after experiencing an unexpected symptom. Part of the band Jonas Brothers, one of the most famous American pop rock bands formed in the early 2000s, Kevin Jonas along with this wife Daniella was talking about their family life when this topic was brought about. Unexpected Symptom of Lyme Disease In the interview, Danielle opened up about experiencing extreme hair loss and intense scalp eczema. She stated that after noticing excessive hair shedding, she sought medical attention. "They tried to tell me it was anxiety. Finally, I had a biopsy that showed I actually had Lyme disease," she explained. A biopsy ultimately confirmed the Lyme disease diagnosis.Also Read: World Mental Health Day 2025: Mild Memory Loss or Alzheimer’s? A Deeper Look at Both Conditions The resulting inflammation from the disease also led to a severe case of eczema on her scalp. The hair loss was "very traumatic," leading her to consider wearing a wig. While trying to maintain a normal public life alongside Kevin, she opted for hair extensions, but the extensions aggravated her scalp eczema even further due to the pulling. Can Lyme Disease Cause Hair Loss? The exact link between hair loss and Lyme disease is not entirely understood. However, case studies have shown that it, along with inflammation, has been noted in Lyme disease patients. A 2021 case report published in the Biomedical Journal of Science & Technical Research presented the case of a 40-year-old woman came to the clinic because she had a crusty sore on the back of her scalp that was stuck to the skin. It had been there for about 10 days. Initially, doctors thought it might be a severe inflammatory scalp condition like early erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp, or EPDS or a bacterial skin infection. However, the patient also showed the doctor a photo of a tick attached to her scalp right where the sore was. Also Read: Tick Bit Her When She Was A Teenager, But She Was Diagnosed With Lyme Disease At 27Because of this tick bite history and her symptoms, doctors suspected a rickettsia infection which is another type of tick-borne illness. However, they couldn't rule out Lyme disease, which is also spread by ticks. She was immediately given an antibiotic called Doxycycline and her symptoms quickly improved. The dead skin patch was treated with a special iodine gauze and healed well. Three weeks after starting the antibiotics, blood tests confirmed she had Lyme disease caused by the Borrelia bacteria. She had very high levels of antibodies (IgG and IgM) against it. Tests for Rickettsia infection, their initial suspicion, were negative. This case highlights how important it is for doctors to get a detailed history, including any recent tick exposure, to properly diagnose and treat a tick-borne illness like Lyme disease right away. Because Doxycycline treats both Lyme and Rickettsia infections, starting the medication quickly was the right choice. Other Symptoms of Lyme Disease Another 2024 study published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology describes an adult woman who started losing hair two months after getting several tick bites. The hair loss specifically happened where one of the ticks had bitten her scalp. Interestingly, she didn't have the usual flu-like symptoms often associated with Lyme disease.Also Read: Does Owning Pets Increase Your Risk of Lyme Disease? Expert Reveal The Truth Researchers believe that Lyme disease may cause temporary hair loss because of an autoimmune-like reaction, where the body mistakenly attacks its own hair follicles. Additionally, the physical tick bite itself can directly damage the hair follicles, leading to a condition called tick-bite alopecia. To ensure you get treatment as early as possible, one must know what symptoms of Lyme disease look like. Lyme disease symptoms can appear in different stages. You might even develop them without realizing you were bitten by a tick. Early symptoms are as follows, Fever and chillsFatigue HeadacheMuscle and joint achesSwollen lymph nodes like in your neck or armpitsThe characteristic "bull's-eye" rash also called erythema migrans, which can expand up to 12 inches wide.
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