Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian said he is battling the disease
The husband of Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian, claims that he was quite surprised to learn that he has Lyme disease.
In a series of tweets on X/Twitter on Tuesday, the 41-year-old co-founder of Reddit provided an explanation of his health status. He stated that following several medical procedures, he was informed of the diagnosis by his doctors.
The tech entrepreneur, who is father to two children with the tennis icon, added, “I found out I have lyme disease after doing a full battery of health scans, tests, etc.” ‘Strange. Thankfully, no symptoms, but we’ll treat.
Ohanian outlined some of the complex specifics underlying his diagnosis: ‘Too little good cholesterol. Bad cholesterol is OK. I must work on that. Positively: 162 ng/dL free testosterone and 822 ng/dL total testosterone.
Although Ohanian’s family had a history of the disease, he claimed that the diagnosis surprised him because he did not belong to the demographic that is usually exposed to the illness in that area.
Ohanian stated, “I have a loved one who had it a few years ago. He showed a lot of symptoms and we just couldn’t figure it out until they tested him for it and found it (plus, it was successfully treated).”
“This was quite a surprise because I don’t spend much time in the northeast or in the wilderness.”
Ohanian captioned a photo of the cartoon character The Tick with the comment, “Can’t keep me down, tick!” and added that he was “gonna grab some antibiotics” to treat the illness.
Ohanian made it clear to his 563,700 platform followers that he was not in any way advising the general public on Lyme disease prevention: “Talk to a doctor, please!” he exclaimed. “Listen to no one else for health advice!”
“An illness caused by borrelia bacteria,” according to the Mayo Clinic, “humans usually get Lyme disease from the bite of a tick carrying the bacteria.”
Ticks that are capable of carrying the bacterium Borrelia exist across most of the United States, although the illness is most prevalent in the upper Midwest, northeastern, and mid-Atlantic states in the United States, as well as in Europe and south central and southeastern Canada, according to the clinic.
The best line of defense is to “avoid tick bites when you are outdoors.” People are more vulnerable if they “spend time where the ticks live, such as grassy, brushy or wooded areas.”
‘476,000 persons may be diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year in the United States,’ according to the CDC. It also states that this figure includes those who are ‘treated based on clinical suspicion but do not truly have Lyme disease.’
According to the government organization, the majority of cases ‘may be treated with 10-14 days of antibiotics,’ and that treating the illness in its ‘early stages’ ensures a full and speedy recovery.
The sickness has occasionally been the subject of controversy. According to an American Medical Association report from January 2023, “treatment is challenging due to a lack of evidence-based guidelines for caring for people experiencing persistent symptoms and growing misinformation.”
“Some patients may believe their persistent symptoms are due to Lyme disease, even without evidence of having had the disease,” the American Medical Association stated.
According to Grace Marx, MD, MPH, an epidemiologist from the Vector-Borne Disease division of the CDC, “when patients present without typical manifestations of Lyme disease but report persistent symptoms, the clinical picture becomes much less clear.”
“Chronic Lyme disease” is a word that is less precisely defined, according to Marx. It is sometimes used interchangeably by patients, clinicians, and the general public, and it frequently encompasses individuals who have never had a definitive diagnosis of acute Lyme disease.
Ohanian is just one of many well-known figures who have openly discussed their struggles with Lyme illness.
Some of the others are model Bella Hadid, the daughter of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Yolanda Hadid, and both have been vocal about their struggles with the illness.
In 2021, Yolanda said that she had experienced severe depression with a plethora of symptoms for over ten years.
In February 2021, Yolanda said to British Vogue, “I can’t begin to describe the darkness, the pain, and the hell I lived through every day.” “This illness nearly brought me to tears.”
Bella said last year that she had battled the illness for almost 15 years and had received 100 days of treatment.
The musician Justin Bieber announced in January 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Lyme disease by doctors after becoming the target of disparaging comments on his appearance.
The Grammy-winning musician wrote on Instagram, “While many people continued to say things like, ‘Justin Bieber looks like s***, on meth, etc., they failed to realize I’ve been diagnosed with Lyme disease and had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my skin, brain function, energy, and overall health.”
The Hollywood Reporter reported in 2011 that actor Ben Stiller received a diagnosis for the illness in 2010.
“I purchased it in Nantucket, Massachusetts, a few years back,” Stiller stated to the publication. After they were unable to diagnose the inflammation in my knee, they discovered that it was Lyme disease. Although I no longer have symptoms, Lyme never goes away from your body. It’s a very difficult task.
Comic In September 2020, Amy Schumer announced to her Instagram fans that she had been diagnosed with Lyme disease and shared the medicine she had been on.
Does anyone have LYME for the summer? Schumer remarked, “I got it, and I’m on doxycycline.” “It may have been with me for years.” Any suggestions? Would you like one or two glasses of wine? I am aware that the sun is harmful. Additionally, I take lyme-2 herbs from cape cod. In addition, I want to add that I feel great and can’t wait to get rid of it.
Olympia, age six, and Adira River, age eleven months, are Ohanian and Williams’ two daughters. Williams served as hostess at last week’s ESPYs in Los Angeles.
During the ceremony, the tennis star made news when she poked fun of NFL kicker Harrison Butker.
Following his contentious May 11 graduation speech at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, which touched on delicate subjects including abortion, Pride Month, and women in the workforce, she made the remarks.
