Justin Bieber has revealed he has been struck by a rare virus that caused half of his face to be temporarily paralysed.
The Canadian singer was recently forced to cancel dates in North America.
The music star made this known via his Instagram page on Friday, June 10, 2022.
“I wanted to update you guys on what’s been going on. Obviously, as you can probably see from my face, I have, a, this syndrome called Ramsay Hunt syndrome and it is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis,” he said.
“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.”
“So for those who are frustrated by my cancellations of the next shows, I’m just physically obviously not capable of doing them. This is pretty serious as you can see. I wish this wasn’t the case, but obviously, my body’s telling me I gotta slow down.”
Ramsay Hunt syndrome is a painful rash around the ear, on the face, or the mouth.
It occurs when the varicella-zoster virus infects a nerve in the head.
This is not the first time the singer will be getting diagnosed with a disorder.
It would be recalled that in 2020, he was diagnosed with Lyme disorder.
“While a lot of people kept saying Justin Bieber looks like shit, on meth, etc. they failed to realize I’ve been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono which affected my, skin, brain function, energy, and overall health,” he wrote at that time.
What is Ramsay Hunt syndrome?
The NHS says Ramsay Hunt syndrome is caused by a virus in the facial nerve and is a more severe cause of facial paralysis.
Possible symptoms include blisters in the ears and on the roof of the mouth, as well as facial weakness.
The syndrome can be treated with steroids, antiviral medication and facial rehabilitation.
The NHS says less than half of patients recover completely.
