Justin Bieber took to his social media to reveal that he has been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and that the right side of his face has been paralyzed because of it. He also showed fans that he is unable to blink or smile on the right side because of this. He also revealed that this was the reason why he had to pause the Justice World Tour.
The 28-year-old said in an Instagram video that the condition is due to a diagnosis of Ramsay Hunt syndrome. “As you can see this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face… So there’s full paralysis on this side of my face,” he said. Earlier this week, Bieber’s Justice World Tour – which began in February was announced three shows to be postponed. Justin Beiber’s Justice World Tour had earlier been canceled after he and his wife Hailey Bieber had tested positive for COVID-19. It was also the pandemic that led to cancellations earlier. As a part of this tour, Justin was also scheduled to perform in New Delhi, but now fans would have to wait.
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Justin explains that he has been doing facial exercises and would need time to ‘rest and relax and gradually get back to doing what he was born to do. “It is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,” the Canada-born singer said in the three-minute video, indicating the right side of his face. He asked for his fans to be patient, and said of his forthcoming shows that he is “physically, obviously, not capable of doing them”.
He had been due to play in Washington DC and Toronto earlier this week, with concerts also planned in New York and Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
Earlier, Bieber had also spoken about his struggle with Lyme Disease and Mono. Ramsay Hunt syndrome is when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near someone’s ears, say medical experts. The Mayo Clinic says that for most people, the symptoms of Ramsay Hunt syndrome are temporary, but can become permanent.
Know all about Ramsay Hunt:
The disease is named after an American neurologist called James Ramsay Hunt. Hunt was deployed as an army officer during World War I and during this time he wrote about three syndromes. The second of these three is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a late-stage complication arising from the varicella-zoster virus. It’s also known as herpes zoster oticus or geniculate ganglion herpes zoster, according to the National Library of Medicine. The same virus responsible for chickenpox is the one responsible for Ramsay Hunt syndrome. Chickenpox usually clears up without any problems in most adults. However, in some rare cases, the virus which remained dormant in your body for so long can become active again, even after many years.
The varicella-zoster virus, in its early stages, causes chickenpox. So if you’re infected with VZV you’ll likely suffer from chickenpox first and recover. But when the virus returns for a second time, reactivating in your body after years of lying dormant, it leads to earaches (otalgia), facial paralysis, and vesicles(fluid-filled blisters in the ear). These are the three symptoms most commonly seen in Ramsay Hunt Syndrome patients. Patients may also experience dry eyes, changes in taste, extreme sensitivity to noise (hyperacusis), and even nasal obstructions. The appearance of vesicles in your ears can be extremely painful and it can cause facial palsy in some cases. There are other symptoms as well which include ear pain, loss of hearing, tinnitus(ringing in ears), Hyperacusis(hypersensitivity to sound), Dry eyes, or difficulty in closing one eye, Dizziness and sense of disorientation(vertigo), and dry mouth.
Ramsay Hunt syndrome can be life-threatening for some people – usually those with weakened immune systems or those with other comorbidities. Vaccination against chickenpox reduces the chances of being infected with the varicella-zoster virus and as a result, protects from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. A shingles vaccine is also used for those older than 50, to prevent Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.
