Justin Bieber reaches out to fans after rumors about his unhealthy decline in appearance and health take off

In recent years, fans have noticed Justin Bieber’s appearance take a turn for the worse. Many different thoughts crossed their minds, but the truth was never one of them. After all the rumors had gone around for months, Bieber finally revealed the reason for his unhealthy appearance. He has been diagnosed with Lyme disease and had a chronic case of mononucleosis (known more widely as mono).

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria that gets into the bloodstream when bitten by a tick, more specifically a deer tick. The bacteria, known as Borrelia burgdorferi, is deposited right into the body after being bit by a tick that has Lyme disease. Symptoms include fevers, headaches, chills, and swollen lymph nodes. The more severe symptoms include muscle and joint aches, fatigue, weight loss, swollen joints, face drooping on one side, abnormal heart rhythms, and a “bull’s eye” rash. If not treated right away, problems within the nervous system, spinal cord, brain, and heart can arise.

On Wednesday, Jan. 8, the 25-year-old celebrity released the news via Instagram. In the description, Bieber also announced he will be making a YouTube video that focuses and explains his viewpoint on this experience. Bieber also said that during the past few years he has been struggling to get better. Along with the Lyme disease, his diagnosis of a chronic mononucleosis infection caused his skin and appearance to change. Bieber is not the first celebrity to come forward with Lyme disease. Avril Lavigne, Bella Hadid, and his wife’s uncle Alec Baldwin are experiencing this setback as well.

Bieber explained that this disease has brought him mental health struggles and depression throughout the past couple of years. Despite all of the negative comments about his appearance from fans, Bieber has continued to grow his platform and create new music. He has recently released a solo – the first in four years – “Yummy.” He also hinted he will be releasing a new album sometime later this year.

Lyme disease is extremely chronic and affects 1.5 million people in the United States and the number is expected to rise to two million in 2020. Throughout Biebers new journey, he has experienced so much support and love from his fans and he plans on using this support to overcome this illness. Bieber won’t let this setback affect his ability to produce and write music, which has grown his fan base and support system as well.