The insect Emily Hyde found on the sofa of her Middlesex home was no bigger than a drawing pin head – but despite its tiny size the bug would go on to affect every part of her life.

At the time – unsure what it was – businesswoman Emily, 45, took a photograph of the insect and sent it to a friend, who identified it as a tick.

Emily assumed it had fallen from one of her two dogs – Lucy, a springbatt, and Mike, a rescue dog from Greece – so she flushed it away and carried on with life.

But within weeks, she recalls: ‘I developed a sore throat, headaches, aching joints and flu-like symptoms.

‘I was in bed for an entire week, which was completely unlike me. I’m someone who always carries on, so I knew something wasn’t right,’ says Emily, who is married to Daniel, 52, a plumber.

Although the worst of the illness passed, Emily never truly recovered, and in the years that followed she developed a long list of other symptoms including muscle pain, brain fog, memory loss, tinnitus, sensitivity to light and sound, and pins and needles.

‘I could barely get out of bed,’ she recalls. ‘I wasn’t living any more – I was simply existing.’

A doctor diagnosed long Covid, while a specialist thought it was a thyroid condition. It wasn’t until last year she saw an expert who unearthed the true cause of her poor health.

A tick on 45-year-old businesswoman Emily Hyde’s sofa bit here without her realising and gave her Lyme disease

It turned out the tick on her sofa had bitten her without her realising – and passed on Lyme disease.

Around 5 to 10 per cent of ticks are infected with the Borrelia bacteria responsible. Once you have been bitten, the bacteria travel into the bloodstream, causing inflammation. Without treatment they can infect the heart and brain.

Many assume tick bites only occur during countryside walks in the Scottish Highlands, where there are many deer (which ticks favour to live on).

In fact, studies show there is a considerable risk even in urban green spaces.

One study, published in 2022 by the UK Health Security Agency, found that ticks are just as likely to be distributed in urban green spaces and woodland edges as in the heart of the countryside.

The risk of being bitten increases during the warmer months of April to October, peaking around now.

There has been a significant rise in cases of Lyme disease in the UK, with 1,168 people affected last year, a 22 per cent increase on 2024, according to official figures – and the true number may be even higher, as ’85 per cent of people don’t see the tick so they don’t know what to attribute the symptoms to’, says Professor Jack Lambert, a consultant in infectious disease at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin and a leading expert on the disease.

‘So often Lyme disease goes undiagnosed for years.’

There has been a 22 per cent rise in cases of Lyme disease in the UK since 2024, with 1,168 people affected last year

Typically one of the first signs is a bullseye rash near the bite site that occurs within days. Other symptoms include general malaise, and aches and pains can follow.

As bites tend to peak at this time of year, symptoms do get confused for ‘summer flu’, says Professor Lambert.

However, he says ‘some people will get no symptoms at all’ or ‘won’t show symptoms for months because of a delay to their immune system producing antibodies’, which is what causes the symptoms. ‘And when they do experience them eventually, people don’t think back to a tick bite when that much time has passed,’ he adds.

What’s more, symptoms can vary from one person to the other, says Professor Lambert – fewer than 50 per cent of people get the bullseye rash, for example.

‘If they do get that rash, it’s often misdiagnosed as ringworm – a fungal infection – because it looks so similar,’ he explains.

‘GPs often misdiagnose it as a regular skin infection, cellulitis, and the antibiotics they give don’t treat Lyme.’

The tiredness it causes because of inflammation often gets mistaken by doctors for chronic fatigue ‘or other conditions such as fibromyalgia, which cause symptoms of pain and fatigue’.

Yet if treatment is delayed, or Lyme disease goes untreated, it can lead to painful joints, memory problems and other debilitating problems as the bacteria spread around the body.

Around 5 to 10 per cent of ticks are infected with the Borrelia bacteria which causes Lyme disease

‘Sometimes they get Bell’s palsy – paralysis of the facial nerve so one side of the face droops like a stroke,’ explains Professor Lambert. ‘If the bacteria travels to the brain it can cause numbness and tingling, insomnia and neuro-psychiatric manifestations – such as anger and rage out of the blue.’

Around 1 per cent of those affected will develop ‘late Lyme arthritis’ – ‘horrible intractable joint pain’ and severe swelling, typically in the knees, which can occur even years after the bite.

‘Lyme disease can go to the heart and cause Lyme carditis [when the bacteria invade the heart, interfering with the electrical signals],’ adds Professor Lambert.

Yet in most cases Lyme can be treated with a simple course of antibiotics.

It was shortly after finding the tick on her sofa in August 2019 that Emily developed flu-like symptoms. She was also losing weight without any change to her eating habits and permanently exhausted.

Emily was eventually referred to an endocrinologist (hormone specialist), who diagnosed a ‘thyroid storm’ (caused by Lyme – although doctors did not realise this at the time).

This is where the thyroid gland in the front of the neck becomes overactive and releases an excess of hormones.

‘I was treated for my thyroid, but despite the medication I still felt incredibly ill,’ says Emily. ‘Everyone believed a thyroid problem was causing my symptoms, but deep down I knew something still wasn’t right.’

As Covid hit, Emily’s health deteriorated further.

‘Our business closed during lockdown, which in some ways was fortunate because I was becoming so exhausted I could barely function.

‘I’d struggle through the morning, then come home early afternoon and climb straight into bed still wearing my coat because I was constantly cold,’ she says.

Doctors suggested she had long Covid but Emily felt there had to be another explanation.

Out of desperation she went to an alternative health practitioner who suggested she look into Lyme disease, which Emily ‘had never even heard of’.

After doing some research she came across Professor Lambert online and travelled to Dublin for an appointment with him.

By then she was so weak she could no longer walk more than a short distance.

‘He listened to everything I’d been through before asking whether I’d ever been exposed to a tick,’ says Emily.

‘Suddenly I remembered the photograph I’d taken years earlier. Until that moment, I’d completely forgotten about it.’

Professor Lambert diagnosed Lyme disease and began treatment with antibiotics, which she took for 11 months.

She says: ‘Gradually my strength began to return. First, I could get out of bed. Then I could walk again. Little by little, I started getting my life back.’

Often a Lyme disease diagnosis is made by a doctor listening to symptoms – NHS guidelines say that ‘if someone shows up with a bullseye rash following a tick bite then we should not wait for a blood test, but just treat with antibiotics,’ says Professor Lambert.

There is a blood test but it is not always accurate – especially in the early stages, he adds.

After diagnosis, the treatment is usually three weeks of the antibiotic doxycycline.

‘And then if you’re not better three weeks of amoxicillin – but I have people who have three weeks of this, get better, then get worse and are not given antibiotics because they’re told they’re cured,’ says Professor Lambert.

‘In my experience some patients need a longer course of antibiotics. The guidelines only cover early Lyme.’

Recent research suggests that psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, could also have a role.

In a trial published in the journal Nature in February, 20 men and women with lingering Lyme disease symptoms were given two doses of psilocybin a fortnight apart.

Symptoms such as pain, fatigue, mood changes, sleep problems and quality of life all improved substantially for at least six months. However larger studies are needed to confirm the results.

Emily’s experience demonstrates how life-changing a delayed diagnosis can be.

Her illness forced her to close their successful kitchen and bathroom showrooms to focus on her recovery.

A year on from her diagnosis, Emily still feels she is not quite her old self again but is a lot better: ‘I lost almost six years of my life to this illness. I can’t get those years back, but if my story encourages just one person to recognise the symptoms earlier, seek medical advice sooner or find support, then sharing it will have been worthwhile.

lymediseaseuk.com

By EMILY JOSHU STERNE, US ASSISTANT HEALTH EDITOR

Published: 03:21 BST, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 03:26 BST, 29 June 2026

[noscript_1]

Taking a step is something most people take for granted. 

For younger people and those without movement disorders, it’s a simple process that often doesn’t elicit a second thought.

But as we age, the amount of time it takes to put one foot in front of the other could be a vital clue in measuring lifespan and risk of death.

Researchers in Israel sought to understand how balance, posture and muscle movement were associated with survival rates in older adults over the course of nearly two decades. 

They found that for every extra 100 milliseconds (0.1 seconds) it took participants to initiate a voluntary step while they were distracted, their risk of death increased by nearly 30 percent during the follow-up period.

While exact numbers vary based on a person’s height, fitness level and general walking speed, initiating one step usually takes between 600 and 700 milliseconds. Running or sprinting cuts that time down to between 300 and 400 milliseconds. 

The researchers believe the findings show that slower steps may be an indication of overall neurological and physiological resilience in aging, which signals the brain and body’s ability to adapt to stress.

Poor balance, for instance, can increase the risk of experiencing a fall, which in older adults leads to broken bones, muscle wasting and traumatic brain injuries. 

A new study has shown that people who need more time to take a step have a 28 percent higher risk of death 

The study authors noted that conducting similar experiments may help improve long-term survival odds in older adults.

‘Incorporating dual-task based assessments into standard clinical evaluations could significantly improve survival prediction and help guide early interventions targeting cognitive-motor health,’ they wrote. 

Walking speed gradually diminishes with age as a result of muscle weakness, lower joint flexibility, weaker balance and slower brain processing. 

For instance, calf muscles and fibers naturally degrade over time, which causes older people to take shorter steps, slowing down their overall speed. 

Nerve signals in areas of the brain responsible for motor functions also suffer delays, resulting in miscommunications between the brain and muscles. 

Age-related conditions like osteoarthritis in the knees, hips and feet also result in pain that makes older individuals slow their pace or take longer in between steps. 

In the new study, published in the journal Gerontology, researchers recruited 120 adults over 65, with an average age of 78, and followed them for 10 to 17 years. 

Participants had to be able to stand for at least 90 seconds on their own and walk at least 10 meters (32 feet) to be eligible for the study. 

Researchers asked the participants to step as quickly as possible forward, backward and sideways. They would practice walking and then walk while performing a modified Stroop task, which involves naming the ink color of words printed in mismatched colors. 

The team found that for each additional 100 millisecond increase in step initiation time under distracted conditions, mortality risk increased by 28 percent over the coming 10 to 17 years. 

People who did not survive the study period took 423 milliseconds to initiate a step compared to 313 milliseconds on average for those who survived. 

Each step for non-survivors took 1.3 seconds compared to 1.1 seconds for survivors. 

People with weaker balance while standing with their eyes closed were also more likely to die within the follow-up period. 

The researchers noted that slower step initiation can trigger a cascade of mortality factors such as reduced physical activity. 

There were several limitations to the study, including the small sample size and only testing the participants in one set of experiments. The researchers also note that the study can only show associations rather than direct causes.  

Around 45 people will die from obesity-linked heart disease every single day over the next decade if current trends continue, worrying research has warned. 

Currently, around 200,000 people a year suffer a heart attack or stroke, making cardiovascular disease the UK’s biggest killer. 

And while the obesity crisis may be tapering off in some countries, in the UK, obesity rates are still rising – especially among the country’s youngest. 

Obesity costs the NHS in excess of £6.5 billion per year and is one of the leading causes of preventable ill health, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer.

Now the British Heart Foundation is calling on the Government to deliver on its promise for a ‘healthy food revolution’. 

‘We are at risk of sleepwalking further into an obesity epidemic which will have dire consequences for decades to come,’ Dr Charmaine Griffiths, the charity’s CEO said. 

‘Obesity is one of the biggest drivers of cardiovascular disease, so if we don’t keep momentum, there could be tens of thousands of families who will lose loved ones needlessly over the next decade. 

‘These deaths are not inevitable. Bold action now by the UK Government could mean preventing more lives being cut short by obesity.’ 

Cardiovascular deaths in working age adults have risen by 18 per cent in the UK since 2019, from 18,693 to 21,975 in 2023, averaging 420 a week

Around one in nine cardiovascular deaths in England are attributed to excess weight and obesity every year, driven predominantly by poor diets. 

High levels of deprivation and vast inequalities across the country have also been blamed for the obesity epidemic in England, with high fat, salt and sugary foods (HFSS) more readily available than healthier options. 

Dr Griffiths continued: ‘The Government has promised a ‘healthy food revolution’, but it’s yet to materialise. 

‘Pledges must become policy sooner rather than later if we’re to stop heart attacks and strokes robbing thousands of the chance to live a long, healthy life.’

The policy was announced last year but a formal consultation is yet to be published, renewing fresh concerns that time is running out to turn the tide on obesity. 

‘We cannot accept a future where tens of thousands more lives are cut short, unnecessarily, by diet-related disease,’ Katharine Jenner, Executive Director of the Obesity Health Alliance said. 

‘On the one-year anniversary of the Healthy Food Standards being announced, these stark projections should serve as a reminder to the government of the urgent need to act.

‘Strong targets for businesses to improve the healthiness of the food they sell would help shift the balance towards healthier products and reduce diet‑related disease across the population.

The British Heart Foundation has slammed foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fats, saying that the Government need to do more to promote healthy food standards 

 ‘This is about prevention, fairness and giving every family a better chance of living a long and healthy life. 

‘These deaths are not inevitable – but time is running out to act.’

Around eight million people in the UK are thought to be living with cardiovascular disease. An estimated 1.2 million have a body mass index (BMI) above 27,  making them clinically overweight or obese. 

Excess weight, especially around the waist, can cause fatty material known as cholesterol to build up in the arteries – which are responsible for carrying life-giving oxygen around the body. 

Not only does this increase the risk of high cholesterol, but it can also drive up blood pressure and your chances of developing type 2 diabetes – all of which put added pressure on your heart. 

If a major artery becomes damaged and clogged it can cut-off blood supply to the brain or heart, leading to a heart attack, stroke or even dementia. 

The charity has already called on the Government to work to prevent 125,000 heart attacks and strokes, reduce early deaths from cardiovascular disease by 25 per cent, and cut the number of years lost to heart-related ill health by a quarter by 2035. 

While promoting healthier foods and lifestyles is one way to do this, experts think weight loss jabs could also help turn the tide on obesity and slash the number of heart attacks. 

Earlier this year, the NHS announced the jabs will be given to 1.2 million patients on the NHS with a BMI of more than 27 to stop heart attacks and strokes. 

The guidance from the NHS watchdog said semaglutide – the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic – should be given to patients who have previously suffered a heart attack or stroke to reduce their risk of another incident. 

The guidance came following a clinical trial which found the drugs work directly on the circulatory system, reducing the risk of a heart attack or stroke by a fifth. 

Helen Williams, national clinical director for cardiovascular disease prevention at NHS England, said: ‘For more than a million people at high risk of heart attack and stroke, this treatment on the NHS could be life-changing – offering a powerful new way to protect their hearts and improve their health.’

 In response, a spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘Cardiovascular disease remains one of the country’s biggest killers, and we know obesity has a major part to play in this.

‘That’s why we are tackling obesity by rolling out weight loss drugs to more patients, requiring large businesses to report on the healthiness of their food and setting new targets to improve the healthiness of products sold.

‘We are helping people stay healthier for longer by improving prevention, speeding up diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and identifying those most at risk earlier, so they get high quality care wherever they live.’