Alec Baldwin has opened up about his battle with Lyme disease. The 59-year-old, who revealed he had the chronic form condition in 2011, confessed he felt like he was "going to die" after he first made the discovery. "I got the classic Lyme disease (symptoms) for each successive summer, for five years, every August, like this black lung, flu-like symptoms, sweating to death in my bed," the Hollywood star explained to People during an appearance at Bay Area Lyme Foundation's LymeAid benefit.
Alec Baldwin has opened up about his struggle with Lyme Disease
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He added: "I really thought this is it, 'I'm not going to live.' I was alone, I wasn't married at the time, I was divorced from my first wife. I was lying in bed saying, 'I'm going to die of Lyme disease,' in my bed and 'I hope someone finds me and I’m not here for too long.'" Alec is happily married to yoga instructor Hilaria, they have been together since 2011 and are proud parents to three children, Carmen, three, Rafael, one, and eight-month-old Leonardo.
The actor first hinted he had the condition in 2011
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Other known sufferers of Lyme disease include Kelly Osbourne, Avril Lavigne and Bella Hadid, who said her teenage years were "taken" from her due to the disease. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection which is spread to humans by infected ticks. Ticks are found in woodland and heath areas, and feed on the blood of birds and mammals, including humans. While Lyme disease can often be treated effectively if it's detected early on, there's a risk that you can develop severe and long-lasting symptoms if treatment is delayed.