Bella Hadid opens up about Lyme disease symptoms: 'every day I feel at least 10 of these'

The model was first diagnosed with the bacterial infection in 2012

PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 26: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Bella Hadid attends the Harper's Bazaar Exhibition as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021 At Musee Des Arts Decoratifs on February 26, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
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Bella Hadid has revealed she battles a number of debilitating symptoms on a daily basis as part of her ongoing battle with Lyme disease.

The supermodel, who has Palestinian and Dutch descent, was diagnosed with the bacterial infection in 2012.

Hadid, 23, opened up about her struggles with the illness on social media this week, sharing a list of side effects with her 32 million Instagram followers.

Posting a list of common symptoms of Lyme disease on her Instagram Stories, the model used arrows to illustrate which she has suffered with.

Bella Hadid shared this list of Lyme disease symptoms on Instagram. Instagram / Bella Hadid
Bella Hadid shared this list of Lyme disease symptoms on Instagram. Instagram / Bella Hadid

Those she pointed to include headaches, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, irregular heartbeat, nausea, difficulty breathing and inflammation.

"Every day I feel at least 10 of these attributes without fail ... since I was probably 14, but more aggressively when I turned 18," she added.

The list was originally posted by Palestinian chef Joudie Kalla, who also has Lyme disease.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by YOLANDA (@yolanda.hadid) on

"The truth, the invisible disease," Hadid added as she shared the list.

The model is not the only member of her family affected by the condition; her mother, Yolanda, and brother, Anwar, also have Lyme disease.

It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Lyme can cause flu-like conditions, neurological problems, joint paint and other symptoms.

Hadid told The National in 2017 that the disease "takes its toll", but she controls her symptoms with daily shots, vitamins and antibiotics.

Justin Bieber, Alec Baldwin and Ben Stiller are among stars who have also spoken out about dealing with the condition.

“I know what it feels like to not want to get out of bed from bone pain and exhaustion. Not wanting to socialise or be around people because the anxiety and brain fog just isn’t worth it,” Hadid said in 2016 while speaking at the Global Lyme Alliance.

“Life isn't always what it looks like on the outside, and the hardest part of this journey is to be judged by the way you look instead of the way you feel.”