Shania Twain’s illness that prevented her from singing for 15 years explained | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV
Country superstar Shania Twain takes the stage today (July 7) as the headliner at BST Hyde Park. This is just the latest stop on a UK tour that has seen her perform as Legend at Glastonbury and play to hundreds of thousands of adoring fans.
That would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, as the star struggled with symptoms of Lyme disease after being bitten by a tick. At one point, the 58-year-old was told she may never be able to sing again, something she described as “depressing and devastating” during an appearance on Lorraine last year.
“Even speaking was difficult because of Lyme disease. Now I am so grateful that I can sing and express myself,” she said. She also talked about a procedure she underwent to restore her voice.
“You have to be awake while they’re doing it. I was more afraid of never being able to sing again than of getting through the surgery. The reason you have to be awake during the surgery is because you have to sing during it so they know exactly what to do,” she said.
The Still The One singer contracted the disease while horseback riding in 2003. Last year, she told InStyle magazine that doctors couldn’t figure out why her voice was weakening and changing for “six or seven years,” before eventually determining it was “nerve damage from Lyme disease.”
But what is Lyme disease and can you get it in the UK?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be transmitted to humans by infected ticks. If diagnosed early, the disease is usually easier to treat.
It is possible to become infected in the United Kingdom, as disease-causing ticks are found everywhere. However, high-risk areas include grassland and forest areas in southern and northern England and in the Scottish Highlands.
According to NHS advice, not all ticks carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, but it is still important to look out for ticks and remove them safely as soon as possible as a precaution.
They point out that not all tick bites are painful and you may not notice them until you see them on your skin. They therefore recommend regularly checking your clothing and skin, as well as children and pets, after being outdoors.
Some people develop a circular or oval rash around the bite site, which may be an early symptom of Lyme disease.
Although this rash can take up to three months to appear after the bite of an infected tick, it usually appears within one to four weeks and can last for several weeks.
Some people also suffer from flu-like symptoms such as high fever, feeling hot and chilly, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue and lack of energy a few days or weeks after being bitten by an infected tick.
It is recommended that you see a general practitioner if you have been bitten by a tick or have been in an area where infected ticks may be present in the last three months and you develop a rash, flu-like symptoms, or both.
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