On Friday, Justin Bieber revealed he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
The star, 28, contracted shingles earlier this month and the facial paralysis he’s suffering from is a rare side effect from the illness.
The diagnosis left the singer being forced to cancel several of his upcoming tour dates on his Justice World Tour.
He told fans about his symptoms alongside a video of himself unable to blink and he explained: “As you can see, this eye is not blinking. I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move. So there’s full paralysis on this side of my face.”
He explained that while the condition was serious, it was also manageable even if it took time to recover. Here’s more on what Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is…
(Image: Instagram/justinbieber)
What is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome?
The syndrome occurs when a shingles outbreak affects the facial nerve near one of the ears.
In addition to the painful shingles rash, Ramsay Hunt syndrome can cause facial paralysis and hearing loss in the affected ear, according to MayoClinic
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox and the virus can live in nerves years after the chickenpox has cleared up.
The syndrome has two main signs and symptoms. One is a painful red rash with fluid-filled blisters on, in and around one ear and the other is facial weakness or paralysis on the same side as the affected ear.
(Image: Getty)
(Image: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Usually, the rash and the facial paralysis occur at the same time. Sometimes one can happen before the other. Other times, the rash never occurs.
Those with Ramsay Hunt syndrome may also experience ear pain, hearing loss, ringing in the ears, difficulty closing one eye, sensation of spinning or moving – or vertigo, change in taste perception or loss of taste or dry mouth and eyes.
It is thought that a shingles vaccine for those aged 50 and above may prevent the illness.
The treatment usually involves taking antiviral medication, with symptoms improving shortly after – which is good news for Beliebers, who are all anxiously awaiting his full recovery.
(Image: 2022 Jeff Kravitz)
Justin said: “This is pretty serious as you can see. I wish this wasn’t the case, but obviously my body is telling me I’ve gotta slow down and I hope you guys understand.”
The star then added he would be using the time to fully recover and rest ahead of his return as he told his fans: “I’ll be using this time to just rest and relax and get back to 100% so I can do what I was born to do.”
The news comes just days after the singer announced he was postponing some of his tour on Tuesday, due to a “non-Covid related illness”.
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