RHOC’s Kelly Dodd reveals shocking diagnosis after she and husband Rick Leventhal test positive for Lyme disease
THE Real Housewives of Orange County star Kelly Dodd has revealed that she and her husband have tested positive for Lyme disease.
Kelly, 45, and spouse Rick Leventhal opened up about their health issue to their fans on Instagram while out shopping on Monday.
Sitting outside in the sunshine, the reality star filmed herself and Rick, 61, as they revealed they had tested positive for the disease.
Dodd told fans in the clip: "So, we tested positive for Lyme disease," before protesting she had "never had contact with a tick in her life".
Meanwhile, Rick explained that he had battled the disease on two occasions before, and knew they would have to take medication to be cured.
While Kelly was still filming, her husband ingested a tablet as he told viewers that the "pulls cure you", having cured his two previous battles.
Dodd is the latest of many reality stars in the Real Housewives to publicly share her diagnosis and battle with Lyme disease.
The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills star Yolanda Hadid spread awareness about the disease and revealed her journey to recovery.
She was diagnosed with the disease in 2012 and five years later, penned her book Believe Me: My Battle with the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease.
Yolanda opened up earlier this year that she was doing better than ever in her fight against the disease and was living well with the condition.
She told People: "I'm better than I've been in a long time. But as I've learned, there is no cure for chronic Lyme disease.
"Being in remission is a blessing everyday and I pinch myself every morning."
Last year, The Real Housewives of New York City star Ramona Singer also revealed she was battling the illness after she was bitten by a tick at home.
Pop singer Justin Bieber has also suffered from Lyme disease in the past, having opened up about his diagnosis last year.
What are the signs of Lyme disease?
A WHOLE host of celebrities have opened up about suffering from the disease - but what exactly is it?
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 - growing to 15cm in diameter.
However one in three people who contract Lyme disease won’t develop a rash and some people experience flu-like symptoms; tiredness, muscle pain, headaches, high temperatures, joint pain, chills and 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
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.
Other famous names to have battled it include Avril Lavigne and Bella Hadid, and it is most common across America and the UK.
Kelly Osbourne also spoke about her experiences in her memoir There Is No F**king Secret: Letters From a Badass B***h.
Alec Baldwin was also diagnosed with the disease in 2011, explaining in an interview that at the same time of year, he gets really tired.
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Lyme disease, which is a bacterial infection which is spread by infected ticks, can be treated using medication like antibiotics.
If left untreated, Lyme disease sufferers can develop much more serious symptoms including joint pain, nervous system issues and heart inflammation.