Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Reveals He’s Battling Lyme Disease: ‘This Was a Big Surprise’
Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian says he has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, which came as quite a shock to him.
The 41-year-old Reddit co-founder explained his health situation in a series of posts on X/Twitter on Tuesday, saying that doctors told him about the diagnosis after he underwent multiple medical procedures.
“I’ve done a whole battery of health scans, tests, etc. and found out I have Lyme disease,” said the tech entrepreneur, who is the father of two children with the tennis icon. “Wild. Luckily no symptoms, but I’m going to treat it.”
Ohanian explained some of the intricate details behind his diagnosis: “Good cholesterol is too low. Bad cholesterol is just OK. That needs to be worked on. On the positive side: 822 ng/dL total + 162 ng/dL free testosterone.”
Ohanian said that while he has a family history of the condition, he was still surprised by the diagnosis because he is not in the group typically exposed to the condition geographically.
Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian, 41, has been diagnosed with Lyme disease in what came as a bit of a shock to him. Pictured at the ESPYs on July 11 with daughter Olympia, six
“I have a loved one who had it a few years ago, who had all sorts of symptoms and just couldn’t figure it out until they tested him and found it (and successfully treated it),” Ohanian said. “I spend so little time in the wilderness/Northeast, this was a real surprise.”
Ohanian said he was “going to get some antibiotics” to combat the ailment, adding, “I can’t be contained, Tick!” with a photo of the cartoon character The Tick.
Ohanian stressed to his 563,700 followers on the platform that he was in no way giving health advice to the masses regarding Lyme disease: “Please talk to a doctor!” he said. “Don’t listen to me for health advice!”
The Mayo Clinic describes Lyme disease as “a disease caused by the Borrelia bacteria” and adds that “people usually get Lyme disease from the bite of a tick that carries the bacteria.”
The clinic noted that “ticks capable of transmitting Borrelia bacteria are found throughout most of the United States,” but that the disease is “most common in the upper Midwest and the northeastern and mid-Atlantic states” domestically, and “is also common in Europe and in south-central and southeastern Canada.”
People are at greater risk if they ‘spend time in places where ticks live, such as grass, bushes or wooded areas’. The best way to prevent tick bites is ‘to avoid tick bites when you are outdoors’.
The CDC said that “476,000 people in the United States may be diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year,” adding that the total includes people who are “treated based on clinical suspicion but who do not actually have Lyme disease.”
The government agency said that most cases “can be treated with 10-14 days of antibiotics” and that treatment in the “early stages” of the disease leads to a rapid and full recovery.
The Reddit co-founder detailed his health struggles in a series of posts on X/Twitter Tuesday
The disease has been a controversial topic at times, with a January 2023 report from the American Medical Association stating that ‘a lack of evidence-based guidelines for the care of people with persistent symptoms and increasing misinformation make treatment challenging.’
The AMA noted that “some patients believe their persistent symptoms are due to Lyme disease, even without evidence that they ever had the disease.”
Grace Marx, MD, MPH, an epidemiologist in the CDC’s Vector-Borne Diseases Division, said that “the clinical picture becomes much more unclear when patients present without the typical symptoms of Lyme disease but report persistent symptoms.
Marx said that “the term ‘chronic Lyme disease’ is much less clearly defined and is sometimes used as a catch-all term that is used broadly by patients, clinicians, and the general public and often includes people who have never had a clear diagnosis of acute Lyme disease.”
Ohanian is one of the prominent names who have spoken openly about their health struggles with Lyme disease.
Others include former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills member Yolanda Hadid and her daughter, model Bella Hadid, who have both been candid about their battles with the disease.
Yolanda said in 2021 that she had been suffering from severe depression for almost ten years, caused by a build-up of symptoms.
“I can’t describe the darkness, the pain and the hell I went through every day,” Yolanda said British Vogue in February 2021. ‘This disease brought me to my knees’
Bella Hadid said last year that she had undergone 100 days of treatment during a nearly 15-year battle with the condition
The supermodel shared photos of her treatment sessions via her Instagram account
Bella said last year that she had been treated for 100 days after battling the condition for almost 15 years.
Musician Justin Bieber said in January 2020 that doctors diagnosed him with Lyme disease after he received nasty comments about his appearance.
“While many people kept saying that Justin Bieber looks like shit, that he’s on meth, what they didn’t realize was that I was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease and a severe case of chronic glandular fever which has affected my skin, brain function, energy, and overall health,” the Grammy-winning artist wrote on Instagram.
Actor Ben Stiller said The Hollywood Reporter in 2011 that he had been diagnosed in 2010.
“I got it a few years ago in Nantucket, Massachusetts,” Stiller told the outlet. “My knee got infected and they couldn’t figure out what it was, then they found out it was Lyme. I’m symptom-free now, but Lyme never leaves your body. It’s really bad.”
Comedian Amy Schumer wrote on Instagram in September 2020 that she had contracted Lyme disease and told her followers what medications she was taking.
“Anyone have LYME this summer? I have it and I’m on doxycycline,” Schumer said. “I’ve had it for maybe years. Any advice? Can you have a glass of wine or two with it? I know to stay out of the sun. I’m also taking this herb from Cape Cod called lyme-2. I also want to say I’m feeling great and I’m happy to be getting rid of it.”
Justin Bieber, pictured in NYC last month, said in January 2020 that doctors diagnosed him with Lyme disease after he was the target of nasty comments about his appearance
Ben Stiller said he was diagnosed with the disease in 2010. Pictured in LA in 2023
Ohanian and Williams, parents of two daughters, 6-year-old Olympia and 11-month-old Adira River, attended the ESPYs in Los Angeles last week, with Williams hosting.
The tennis star made headlines after she took a dig at NFL kicker Harrison Butker during the ceremony.
She made the comments after a controversial speech he gave on May 11 at his graduation ceremony at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, in which he touched on sensitive topics ranging from abortion to Pride Month to women in the workplace.
