Miranda Hart, Lyme disease and the doctors that don’t think it exists (10 October 2024)

Summary

Lyme disease is a tick-borne, bacterial infection that causes chronic fatigue, headaches, swollen joints and fever, among other symptoms. Following the actor Miranda Hart's having recently shared that she has been living with the effects of Lyme disease for years, Zoë Beaty looks at the issues surrounding diagnosis and treatment of the condition. She outlines why some doctors believe the condition does not exist, or that people with ME/chronic fatigue syndrome are being misdiagnosed with it. The lack of research and evidence around the condition means that many of the people who live with its symptoms—a large proportion of which are female—struggle to access effective treatment.